The Off Topic Thread **Non AS Content Warning**

[Father Ted]

Non Autoshite related thread, clearly marked so that people can avoid if they wish.

 

Next year is the wifes 40th and I want to take her away for a mucky child free weekend somewhere - given that "THAT" bit will take half an hour tops, I want somewhere with things to see & do. We did London this year, so I thinking Scotland or York maybe.

 

Can anyone suggest somewhere and a few things to see and do?

[eddyramrod]

Dublin? IOM? Lake District? Plenty to do in all these, and no shortage of accommodation, unless you want to go to Douglas in TT Week...

[MrDuke]

A weekend free from mucky children? OHHH, I get it........

 

 

Come to beautiful Snowdonia. You can spend between 3 and 9 hours trudging up and down Snowdon, depending on your fitness/lack thereof, and while away your evening in the Llanberis hostelries. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking, and if you choose your climbing route carefully you can swing by the lake for half an hour of skinny-dipping and 'fun'. Just try to avoid The Heights in the evening, unless of course scoring a bag of skunk is part of your plan.

[Father Ted]

I have a Caravan in the lakes, so spend rather a lot of tie there - we love it Nearly moved to Egremont a few years back as I had a job offer running Shared Care from Whitehaven to Maryport - but had to turn it down due to schooling issues for the lad.

 

IoM a thought.....

 

Or Ireland - Dublin maybe?

[eddyramrod]

What time of year are we talking about?

[Father Ted]

Come to beautiful Snowdonia. You can spend between 3 and 9 hours trudging up and down Snowdon, depending on your fitness/lack thereof, and while away your evening in the Llanberis hostelries. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking, and if you choose your climbing route carefully you can swing by the lake for half an hour of skinny-dipping and 'fun'.

Would you believe we did this when we were in our 20's?

I'll try and find the photos......

 

It'll be March next year, but I want to start planning...

[trigger]

I've never been to Ireland although i do fancy it, One thing I have been told is that places like Dublin are VERY expensive.

 

York is nice, been there a few times and even Norwich is quite nice for shopping and stuff.

[catsinthewelder]

York's alright, narrow lanes and little shops, plenty of historic bits that are easily walked around in a day and an enormous shed full of old trains with free entry

 

Theres even a direct train every hour or so from scouserland if you want to spend the weekend sozzled

[eddyramrod]

Dublin IS a bit expensive, yes, but then it is the capital... I can send you to a couple of very nice out-of-town B&Bs, and no, neither is run by a member of my family!

[Father Ted]

York's enormous shed full of old trains with free entry

Forgotten all about that - Old trains FTW

"come on love were going somewhere very special for the morning..... To see some old steam trains, and they've got a DELTIC too...."

[Ross_K]

I've never been to Ireland although i do fancy it, One thing I have been told is that places like Dublin are VERY expensive.

 

York is nice, been there a few times and even Norwich is quite nice for shopping and stuff.

 

 

You;d want to be mad coming to Ireland for a holiday. Everything's mega expensive. Shitty service in restaurants. Shitty weather.

 

If you're going to the trouble of changing your money into euros, at least go somewhere where it's not going to piss rain the whole time.

[trigger]

I think Judith Chalmers job is safe with you about Ross!

[RobT]

I'd recommend Oxford but not sure if that's too far for a weekend. Lots to do, decent pubs, and Cowley has a good quotient of shite And there's Didcot Railway Centre not far away...

 

Or Northumberland/Newcastle?

[Ross_K]

I think Judith Chalmers job is safe with you about Ross!

 

Ha ha, it's true though.

 

What about Edinburgh?

 

Another vote for Scotland here. Although having said that, the worst "weekend away" I EVAR spent was in a Fawlty Towers-type hotel in Oban.

 

The missus was hungry in the night and phoned down for room service - the ginger twat downstairs said the kitchen was closed but that there was a chip van across the road in the car park if she wanted to feed herself.

 

Way to generate repeat business...

[gallondrunk]

Another vote for York. Try the Banana Warehouse if its still open, its just this enormous warehouse that sells whatever second hand stuff they have. Full of fantastic things, pretty cheap, and Ive spent a good couple of hours every time I'm visiting trawling through there.

[Volksy]

York is great, but if heading there I'd consider basing yourselves in Leeds, its now only 30 mins via train to York, but has better choice of restaurants & bars on an evening and loads more shopping. Easier to access from Motorways, and there's loads of nice City centre places to stay in - I'd take an apartment over a Hotel, only because it's what I do for a living, but gives you more flexibility and space for the same money.

[Cavcraft]

Chester: Not far away, loads of nice places to see/visit and wall to wall top quality flange on a Saturday night.

 

Cromer: Pretty much unspoilt, nice scenery, nice surrounding areas, plenty to do nearby including boat trips to an island inhabited by seals, the Muckleborough Military Collection, a dad's army museum, Holt-Sheringham steam train and campsites galore.

[Father Ted]

Chester: Not far away, loads of nice places to see/visit and wall to wall top quality flange on a Saturday night.

Pretty sure the missus would not be too appreciative of me ooogling the local flange.

[pompei]

York is worth a visit, as is Lincoln, though it is very hilly. There is a steep hill called Steep Hill.

 

Mrs P and I go to Ravenscar on the North Yorkshire coast when we can. It's midway between Scarborough and Whitby and if the weather is good, the beach/clifftop walk to Robin Hoods bay is lovely. And there is the North York Moors railway...

[Electric Leyland]

Amsterdam.

 

Or Paris.

 

Both combine romantic settings with weapons grade spotting.

[Cavcraft]

Chester: Not far away, loads of nice places to see/visit and wall to wall top quality flange on a Saturday night.

Pretty sure the missus would not be too appreciative of me ooogling the local flange.

 

Yeah but when she goes to powder her nose you can enjoy the benefits.

[Father Ted]

Amsterdam.

 

Or Paris.

 

Both combine romantic settings with weapons grade spotting.

That means getting a passport.

Which means spending ££££

Which also means letting the "establishment" know who I am.... And where I live.... And they dont have proper toilets abroad....

And they speak funny over there.... And smoke funny fags....

[tonedepear]

Edinburgh. There are Pandas.

 

I had great success about 6 years ago with laterooms.com - you can* usually find sommat swanky to impress the mrs at a fractiom of the advertised cost.

*could in 2006. I've not used it since cos I can't afford holidays

[dollywobbler]

A tour of Scotland I reckon. A couple of years ago we spent some time at the western-most point of the Scottish (and indeed British apparently) mainland, then spent a night in Edinburgh for a complete contrast. I'm not really a city person, but I love Edinburgh. Laterooms can be good but like Shiply, you might actually get a better deal by phoning directly. On the way back south on that trip, we scored free wi-fi at one point and booked a cheap night in a castle!

[jonny69]

Chobham Common is the UK's premier dogging spot if you're into that sort of muck. My mate "found" a single size 11 black stilletto and a giant pair of frilly black knickers up there while "walking his dogs" "one Sunday morning". What I'm trying to say is: a likely story.

[Volksy]

Laterooms can be good but like Shiply, you might actually get a better deal by phoning directly.

 

We use Laterooms for a lot of our business, basically the hotel pays Laterooms a 15% commission on any booking received through them, so if you look for the hotel you like the look of on there, then call the hotel direct (quoting the advertised Laterooms rate) you can sometimes get up to 15% off that price. This generally only works with smaller establishments - I have only 21 rooms here, the big chains gereally wont discount any further.

[ashmicro]

Belfast. No need to change your money, and no need for a passport. Actually, no, Belfast isn't much good.

 

Glens of Antrim. Breathtaking scenery, and one of the best driving roads in the world. (the one where Clarkson drove the Abarth Fiat 500.) The Londonderry Arms Hotel, confusingly in Carnlough is a great wee place, and the people are good fun. The place was once owned by Winston Churchill, and there's a big photo of him behind the bar. A lot of the online guides state that the Hotel is in Ballymena. It's nowhere fucking near Ballymena.

[Tonka]

York cost me more for "the official anniversary weekend away" than Amsterdam the year before, OK so it's 2 nights on a P&O ferry but it is all you can eat and you can look at mucky things.......

[Craig the Princess]

I took Mrs_the_Princess to the West Indies

 

Jamacia?

 

No she went of her own free will!

 

(Actually we went to York in January and it was great).

[Minimad5]

Great thread !

I shall be stealing many of the suggested ideas, as i'm a 'bit' shit when it comes to going places she may like.