Below is a guest post from Kett Country Cottages in Norfolk. Let us know what you think — it’s always interesting to get a different point of view, and we’re hoping to do more of these in future. Looking for more ideas? You can read our Norfolk holiday guide on the main Holiday Cottages site.

We all enjoy the traditional Christmas feast with our family, but what else is there to do if you decide to go on holiday in Norfolk this festive season? Going on holiday to this part of England can add some extra excitement to your family Christmas, so go out and have an adventure this year!

1. Going for a Christmas swim. In Norfolk, the glory of the North Sea is there for all to enjoy, with a number of hardy folk jumping into the sea over Christmas time. There are 3 on consecutive days, so you can go to one or all of them, depending on your tolerance for cold.
   • Hunstanton Round Table Christmas Day Swim (Hunstanton, 25^th December at 11am)
   • Cromer Boxing Day Swim (Cromer, 26^th December at 10am)
   • Overstrand Boxing Day Swim (Overstrand, 26^th December at 11am)
2. Enjoy a Christmas Spectacular. In Thursford, you have the opportunity to enjoy one of the most popular Christmas shows, which features carols, dancers, beautiful costumes and wonderful music. It’s an event the whole family can enjoy. (Shows every day at 2pm and 7pm until the 23^rd December)
3. Take a trip on a heritage railway. A number of different lines throughout Norfolk, including the Poppy Line, are running festive services where you can enjoy a train journey to see Santa, travelling through the countryside while munching on mince pies.
4. Visit a Norwich Christmas Market. There are a large number of special Christmas Markets happening throughout Norwich, which each offer a unique range of little gifts and treats for the whole family to enjoy when you return to your Christmas holiday cottage. In the Mall, you can find the Norwich Christmas Craft Fair (From 9am every day until 24^th December)
5. Attend the Pantomime. This year Sleeping Beauty is playing at the Norwich Theatre Royal until the 14^th of January, so you can take the whole family to enjoy the fun and laughter of a panto featuring well-known actors, and songs that everyone can sing along to.
6. Take a guided walk or tour. Some of the most interesting sights in Norfolk can only seen if you know where to look and a guide can help you find them. There are a number of different guided tours happening, including:
   • Victorian Ghosts, a walk hosted by the Man in Black, who will tell you the unusual stories that aren’t told on most ghost walks. You can also finish off in the festive spirit with some mulled wine (Adam & Eve Pub, Norwich, 22^nd December at 7pm)
   • The Boxing Day walk at Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden, will allow you to get a guided tour around this beautiful garden from its head gardener, ending with mince pies and mulled wines (South Walsham, 26^th December at 11am)
7. Watch Morris Dancing. This traditional English dancing is being performed by the Kemps Men of Norwich, including their Mummers Dance. This is a fun event that the whole family can watch and enjoy. (Banningham Crown Pub, 26^th December at 12 noon)

Londonderry picture by Flickr user ifyr

Londonderry is to become a City of Culture in 2013 and has announced plans to upgrade its rail services, improve cultural venues and build six new hotels in preparation.

It has unveiled a programme of events throughout the year, including a music and dance festival, contemporary visual art events, theatre productions, and a comedy festival. The famous Turner Prize and the Stirling Awards will be held in the city, and it is also set to hold WOMAD (World of Music and Dance) and FLEADH, Ireland’s biggest Irish and Celtic music festival.

Martin Bradley, chair for the City of Culture, said: “It will tell a new story and completely regenerate the city. We can celebrate the history and give young people a whole new outlook.”

Last month a bomb was left outside the City of Culture offices, however he reassured visitors about the safety level of the city: ”Unfortunately there was one small incident, but because events are so seldom here they make the headlines. It is an extremely safe city. We have a very low crime rate compared to other UK cities.”

With half term fast approaching you may still be scratching your head about what to do and where to go. Well, ponder no more with our list of things going on in the West Country!

24th – 28th October is spooky time at Pecorama in Beer. There are shows such as Ben the Juggler, A Wizard Called Ozz and Dan the Hat. Alongside these are face painting, special dishes in the Garden Room Restaurant and free spooky treats for children as part of the fancy dress party!

27th October sees a return to nature with the Mortonhampstead Family Bush Craft Day with Dan Thompson-Mills. Learn the skills of wild fire-making, making shelters in the woods, collecting and eating wild foods, and other outdoor skills. Also, learn how to read the language of the birds and develop a deeper connection to nature. The best thing is that children under 15yrs go free with a paying adult.

22nd – 30th October allows visitors of Lanhydrock in Bodmin to join a spooky garden trail for just £1.50 a ticket. Or you could learn how to make a lantern with local artist Liz Tyrell for £5 a ticket.

22nd – 30th October Celebrate Halloween at the Eden Project on their beautiful and unique wintry rink, which has a new design for 2011. Halloween activities and events include: ice skating, pumpkin carving demonstrations, wand making and potion mixing.

If any of these take your fancy, look at Helpful Holidays for accommodation down in the beautiful West Country.

Quick, take a few days off work this week if you can to enjoy the Indian summer we’re having! It looks as if this sunny weather, with temperatures reaching 27C (80F) in some parts of the UK, is only set to last one week as the country is bathed in warm weather blowing in from the continent. After one of the worst summers for 20 years, we will be able to appreciate a little of what it could have been, if only for this week.

So, this has inspired me to write a top ten list of things that you can easily do on a whim while the sun is shining!

1. Have a picnic in your local park

2. Play tennis

3. Visit an outdoor pool

4. Make your own mini kite (very easy with some tissue paper and string) and fly it in the park or your garden

5. Go for a bike ride

6. Gather your friends for a water fight

7. Have a BBQ

8. Head to a theme park, such as Alton Towers

9. Laze in your garden with a good book and a cool drink.

10. Book a last minute holiday cottage with Holiday Cottages!

There are many other things you could do of course, so if you have any other ideas, please leave them as a comment below as we’d love to hear them!

This year’s festival has loads of arts, crafts and food stalls, as well as providing lots of entertainment for your little ones and a fair few ales for the adults to sample! Saturday will have local celeb Ann Widdecombe as acting sous chef to famous chef, Michael Caine in his live cookery demo. Check out the list of things to do and ticket prices and online offers at the website.

Want somewhere to stay? If there’s a large group of you then you could go to this Helpful Holidays art-deco style house (B23) that sleeps 10 (3 doubles, 2 twins) in nearby Teignmouth. With panoramic views over the estuary towards Shaldon and the pretty fishermen’s cottages and bathing huts along Teignmouth’s river beach, this property is set just back and above the road (very occasionally heard) which runs along the river Teign, this smartly restored home is comfortable and well-equipped with good-sized rooms and lots of space.

Why not keep your feet on the ground at this Helpful Holidays property in Bisland, North Cornwall, which sleeps up to 7 people. This delightful property has big rooms, good and comfortable furniture (including antiques), good pictures, and superb views. With its own terrace/patio, good-sized lawn divided from fields by ha-ha, it’s all very secluded. Inside there is an elegant living room with woodburner, fine grandfather clock, TV/DVD, good books and games for cold nights in or if the weather is not too favourable. There are four large and light bedrooms, a well-equipped fitted kitchen/diner with dishwasher, washing machine, tumble drier, microwave, fridge-freezer; dining table overlooking the terrace and garden.

After all this excitement, why not go back to nearby Ottery St Mary (of flaming barrel running fame) to this gorgeous little cottage from Helpful Holidays that sleeps 4.  A long, elegant hall leads to L-shaped living/dining/kitchen with TV/DVD and beautifully fitted kitchen area (dishwasher, washer-drier, microwave, fridge-freezer, gas hob) with small breakfast table (larger table/chairs kept folded in hall for more formal dining). French windows open to small patio area (table/chairs) immediately to the front of the house.. Oak stairs to first floor and two bedrooms – a double, and a single; very luxurious bathroom. On the second floor, a double bedroom under the eaves with smart en suite shower-room (suite) and 2 steps up to French windows to a small and very private roof terrace (table/chairs) with fine views over the town.

There are a selection of ticketed and free events. Of the free events you can get ‘Lost in Flowers’ with the Lostwithiel and District Floral Art Group at St Bartholomew’s; or watch Truro’s Amateur Operatic Society, go to a Book Sale and Coffee Morning or watch the Gallowglass traditional folk music, amongst many other activities!

Of ticketed events ranging from around 50p to £29 you could have a Gallery Meal, watch Hitchcock film ‘The Birds’, go for a Du Maurier ‘Rebecca’ guided coastline walk or watch ‘Waiting for Godot’, again, amongst many other events and activities, so check out the website for more details.

If you didn’t want to stay in Fowey for a full holiday, why not go to the festival as a day trip and chill out at this Helpful Holidays cottage in Polperro.This 16th century, detached stone farmhouse sleeps up to 6, it has a comfortable living room (woodburner, TV/DVD, CD player); kitchen/dining room (microwave, fridge-freezer) with huge ornamental fireplace with bread oven, leading to ‘snug’ (armchair, oil-fired Aga – switched off during June, July and August, pine dresser with pretty plates); from kitchen/dining room, door to utility room (washing machine), shower-room (suite), conservatory, and garden. Steepish stairs up to three bedrooms – two double (one with pine four-poster bed), one twin room; bathroom (suite); and door to patio and garden.

Mama Stone’s House Band will headline the musical entertainment on the 29th, and feature soul and R&B artist Leigh Coleman and Adam Isaac. Adam’s songs have a bouncy funk/rock edge and his music is full of energy with outstanding vocals, a perfect way to celebrate the big day. Peachy Farmer, a six piece band playing a mix of ska, reggae and dub will headline on Saturday 30th, supported by Jabbrock, to keep the crowds bouncing as the sun goes down.

The Royal Wedding day will be a particular time for celebration, so expect a big party!

Why not try this Helpful Holidays cottage (G28) in nearby Exmouth for a bit of fun on the beach before catching the train or bus to Exeter’s centre – it’s only a short trip away and very scenic (this is a route I know well from my University days). The property sleeps 6 and is ½ mile from the seafront/beach, quietly tucked away close to the heart of town (station, 500 yards), a neat, end of terrace cottage, on four levels, with a fresh, modern seaside feel, it has a pretty suntrap courtyard at the back, and, from the top floor bedroom, great panoramic views over town to the Exe estuary and Lympstone beyond.

Since the restoration, the house has opened up its doors to host wonderful banquets by candlelight in the 15th century hall. The next banquet is vegetarian and is on 12th March, the forthcoming months will also host gluten-free and spring feast banquets and at £40 a head for this special night I think it’s worth it.

If you’d like to stay nearby, why not try this Helpful Holidays cottage code J24 that sleeps 6 in Roadford. To the front there is a patio and an enclosed, mainly lawned garden with great views over the surrounding countryside. Inside, there are nicely fitted oak floors and some local photos – all done to a high standard. Good-sized living/dining room (woodburner, TV/DVD) with leather sofas; smart fitted kitchen (dishwasher, washing-machine, microwave, fridge-freezer) with a door to the patio. Upstairs, there are three bedrooms: a large double with en suite shower-room, another double, and a twin room with one bed under the eaves (best for children).