LATE NEW YEAR DEAL - NORFOLK

Posted by Suzanne on December 1, 2009 under Last Minute Cottage Breaks, Travel | Be the First to Comment

www.internet-cottages.com late deal at a gem of a cottage, The Saltings, in Blakeney, on the beautiful North Norfolk Coastline – perfect for a new year’s day stroll.

Sleeping 6, this charming former fisherman’s cottage has been furnished to an exceptional standard, with open plan living, inglenook fireplace and woodburner and is well located for local amenities.

The Saltings is available for 1 week from 28th December at the reduced price of £750.

This offer has now been booked - see here for more late New Year deals

Our tips for a successful cottage knees up – any time of year

Posted by Suzanne on January 5, 2009 under Travel | Be the First to Comment

Booking a large property for a family or group of friends can be a great way to celebrate a major landmark. By booking a year in advance you can make the most of the event; budgeting for a down payment and balance per family throughout the year, and pooling your resources for a memorable cost-effective break:

Here are some top tips from Internet Cottages

Living at close quarters can be hard work for people who are less than comfortable with large groups. Ensure the property has alternative shared space such as games rooms, separate TV/Video viewing areas, and bolt holes like a sauna or hot tub. Attractive grounds, woodland walks or access to local byways all give people a chance to break out alone or in small groups if weather permits.

Space

Make sure your chosen property has loads of it. Shared sleeping accommodation for more than 8 persons should be accompanied by generous living space and of course, parking. Look out for a spacious, well-equipped kitchen for the catering team with adequate cooking, refrigeration and food storage; plenty of seating in the living area, adequate dining table length and chairs (who wants to eat in shifts?) and of course - room to party!

Sharing

Some people naturally gravitate towards being the providers, cooks and organisers. Great – but this can leave others feeling like spare parts and sometimes guilty about not pulling their weight. Others just don’t care and enjoy being waited on but this can cause ill feeling. If you are handling the booking it’s well worth putting in a bit of time and thought to organising the trip so everyone can contribute:

Share out these jobs to prevent a drift into despondent anarchy:
· Providing/organising games and entertainment
· Bringing/mixing music and play back systems for the New Year’s Eve party
· Creating a “Guest chef” and clearing up rota
· Unpacking shopping
· Preparing packed lunches for day excursions

Catering

Don’t underestimate the vast quantities of food and drink that might be required, especially if you are planning to save money by providing pack lunches. Spend time menu planning. In the intervening year, arrange at least one meeting for representatives of each family unit to get together over a couple of drinks to agree and plan the weekend. These planning meets help to establish a good atmosphere and form part of the happy memory too.

Shopping
Ask each family to contribute a home-prepared dish for the party night. Other groceries can be ordered in advance online and delivered direct to the property on first day/night of arrival. Make it the responsibility of one person to add up costs and reconcile at the end of the holiday and issue every individual/family with an expenses bill at the end – and don’t worry - you will always find someone who loves this job. Collect the cheques before everyone leaves!

Light touch
When you have organised a trip, it’s easy to feel responsible for everyone’s happiness every minute of the day. Try to relax and tell yourself that you have put all the plans in place and now it’s down to everyone else to make it work. When others don’t want to get into organised activities, don’t sulk or scold - just go with the flow.