Letter from France: May 2013

Whether you’re a novice or seasoned traveller, France will steal your heart. Each month, Frederic – our French correspondent – gives us the low-down on what to see and do across the channel

The English seaside

Photographer Peter Williams celebrates the peculiar eccentricities and quintessential charms – from helter-skelters to lighthouses, pirates, palmists and Punch and Judy – of this cherished and rapidly changing English landscape

Consumer Direct (formally the National Consumer Council)

From the website:

“Consumer Direct is the government-funded telephone and online service offering information and advice on consumer issues. Consumer Direct is funded by the Office of Fair Trading and delivered in partnership with Local Authority Trading Standards Services.”

Going Gozo

Judith heads to Joy, the island better known as Gozo which nestles next to its bigger sister, Malta

Battling for your holidays

Traditionally, the fight by tour operators and destinations to get you to visit them in summer began on Boxing Day. I’m not sure it is as important as it was but Thomson Holidays began their campaign just before Christmas.

Beware The Holiday E-Mail Scams

Yesterday I received two different sorts of holiday scams both designed to get you to open attachments. As this is the time for holidays some may unwittingly respond so this is to remind you what to look out for.
Firstly, if you get more than one e-mail about the same thing from different people or sources beware. I had 6 about a hotel booking and 9 about a passport application. That alone is something that wouldn’t happen. If you had genuinely made a booking then you would just receive one reply from the hotel or whatever.

Volunteering at Linlithgow

Would tourism be as successful or indeed as profitable as it is without volunteers? The industry relies on us to turn up week in, week out to act as guides, parking attendants, ticket sellers, watchful glances to keep an eye on visitors, information kiosk minders and goodness knows what else. Why do we do it?
The main reason is that we like it. No, we enjoy it. Which is just as well because, just like charity shops, many attractions and sites may not open without the volunteers.
Take this coming Saturday at Linlithgow Peel next to the famed palace in Scotland.