Not having kids ourselves, we have been spared the trauma that goes with so many holidays - "where to go so that there is enough to do to keep them occupied so they don't moan about missing their friends", and "where can we go that doesn't cost an arm and a leg"? Well, we are just back from a week in the English Lake District having had a great week with our American friends and their three teenage kids.True, having a 19 year old and 2 16 year olds meant that nothing much happened before mid-morning apart from 3 of the four adults (plus dog) going on a 4 mile run up the valley from where we were staying. And it also constrained a little the level of cultural activity (tho' we redressed that after they left on thursday to go down to Sussex for a wedding, with a trip to the amazing Arts & Crafts house at Blackwell - see photo of one of the windows above). But I had completely forgotten (a) how beautiful the Northern Lakes are in early summer and (b) how much investment there has been in good quality tourism products.
The town of Keswick, near our base of Bassenthwaite Village, is selling itself as the outdoor capital of the UK (I know - Fort William begs to differ) and there is certainly an outdoor equipment shop on every corner and in quite a few locations in between. Properly kitted out, we were ready for a walk around the shores of Derwentwater, a climb up Cat Bells (beloved by many as the home of Mrs Tiggywinkle and a hill I'd not climbed since 1972, at the age of 12 - this time I was able to take the dog), a canoeing trip across Derwentwater and, best of all, an afternoon exploring the slate mines of H
onister using the Via Ferrata, zipwires and even a couple of old mine workings.
onister using the Via Ferrata, zipwires and even a couple of old mine workings. This mix of paid-for and free access recreational provision is what makes the Lake District such a good family holiday destination - every evening we collapsed around the table in our lovely cottage garden, teased each other about the day's disasters (the nine month old labrador jumping out of the Canadian Canoe just as we launched, requiring several trips back to the shore to get him in was but one mini-crisis) and planned the next adventure.
At a time when budgets are squeezed, and when the UK tourism sector is seeking to strengthen awareness of its potential as a destination for a main holiday, those in charge of developing and marketing the Lakes have much to be proud of. True, there were a few blatant attempts at price-gouging (£14.95 for a DVD with 80, mainly blurry, photos of the Via Ferrata trip was a rip off - shame on you Honister!) but by and large everything was good value. The weather was OK and the company great. For my first 'main' holiday in England since 1977, I couldn't have chosen a better place.
At a time when budgets are squeezed, and when the UK tourism sector is seeking to strengthen awareness of its potential as a destination for a main holiday, those in charge of developing and marketing the Lakes have much to be proud of. True, there were a few blatant attempts at price-gouging (£14.95 for a DVD with 80, mainly blurry, photos of the Via Ferrata trip was a rip off - shame on you Honister!) but by and large everything was good value. The weather was OK and the company great. For my first 'main' holiday in England since 1977, I couldn't have chosen a better place.
P.S. I didn't forget about work and the responsible tourism movement whilst I was there - lots of evidence of environmentally and socially sustainable action across the board. But in writing this blog I decided to focus on the fun element of holidays and tourism, something we professionals often forget!
