And I Quote……………(taken directly from our visitors books, evaluation forms and emails...)

' A quick note to say how much we all enjoyed last week’s stay at the Bluegrass Apartment. The lack of chintz was refreshing'

'We had just a brilliant time on holiday.

The overall feeling was one where "finally we have found accommodation to match the holiday destination." With that sorted then we could just set about enj oying the break. The handy tips and list of activities were most helpful and allowed us time to go and visit them. We found lots to do and it was great to come home at night and just relax. All our needs were catered for, including wireless internet access, and membership of the Ocean Club was a real bonus. The view from Seahouses towards Bamburgh Castle is now the desktop of our computer.

All we met were most pleasant and keen to make sure that we enjoyed our holiday.

We will certainly be enthusiastic in passing on your details, without reservations, to all we speak to who are thinking of holidaying in the area.'

'Rural retreats at their best'

'I stayed at The Hemmel this weekend. It was booked about 18 months ago as a secret surprise for a friends 40th birthday. We arrived in the dark on Thursday to find Christmas tree lights twinkling in the lounge as we pulled on to the drive, it looked lovely and was even better as we went in. We stay regularly in a cottage in the Lake District which is lovely and so we tend to use it as a yardstick to measure other cottages against. The Hemmel surpassed even this! As keen gardeners we really appreciated the outdoor space and can see ourselves there with a BBQ and a glass of wine! Thank you so much for remembering to keep all communication with me to my business address so the secret didn't get discovered, and we will definitley be back for another stay'........

'Self catering properties don't always have the best reputation in terms of quality interiors and tip top specifications but our experience at Moo House was really too good to be true! Our accommodation was spotlessly clean and beautifully presented and the thoughtful attention to detail made us feel most welcome...'

' The Granary proved to be a superb setting for our needs and the icing on the cake was the Wilkins Fine Dining dinner party for our Saturday night meal....Neil proved to be a great chef and a friendly yet discreet host. His dinner menu wowed everyone at our family celebration and it meant that we didn't have to spend half the day preparing food in the kitchen and half the evening doing the washing up! - all in all, a great idea! We would recommend a stay at the Granary and adjoining Hemmel to anyone'...

...

'We had a fantastic time at Moo House You really have thought of everything. The quality of the fixtures, fittings and furnishings is first class throughout the property'.

It's better than a home from home, your attention to detail is astonishing and there is literally nothing wanting. The idea of having a catered in service for special occasions wasn't something we would have thought of but for your link to Wilkins Fine Dining on your website. Neil & Andrew came as requested and really did a fantastic job, a brilliant top quality meal delivered with friendly efficient service. Just what we had hoped for our daughter's birthday. They made the party really special. The sun shone on Sunday too - Perfect!!

'We loved the house and particularly enjoyed both the stunning views and the real convenience of being in Seahouses. The house was great for us as a group and we loved spending time in the big open plan living floor. As we said in the guestbook, we really appreciated the welcoming touches – cakes, milk, coffee, bottle of bubbly etc. For me it is those small touches and details around the house – the magazines, CDs etc. that set Coastal Retreats apart' Michael Hanton, stayed at the Look Out

'I have been recommending both Coastal Retreats and Wilkins to all my colleagues all day! Keep up the good work...' John Wilson, stayed at Moo House

' We had such a great holiday last year at the Seafarer's , that we decided to come back to Northumberland this year and to try another Coastal Retreat. Only one problem.....we can't decide which one to opt for next year!.....

'What a fantastic place, we absolutely loved Moo House and the pool table was much used in the Cow Shed. We had fantastic walks and returned to such a warm and comfortable house we didn't mind the wind and rain. Alnwick looked particularly beautiful in a snow storm!! We certainly hope to return, there is so much else we would like to do and see and certainly knowing the standard of your accommodation we won't hesitate. Thanks very much. Happy New Year and best wishes '...

‘The Garden Cottage was just the retreat we needed as a young family. I would even say that for once we wouldn't have minded if the weather was poor, as relaxing in this gorgeous cottage was just great! It has also introduced us to a wonderful part of Britain and we look forward to exploring this area time and time again! Thanks for everything'.......

'It was like staying in a five star country hotel, but much more cosy, intimate and practical..and not so expensive! Our holiday at this luxury northumberland cottage, the Granary has been wonderful, thank you'.....

'Over the last two years, we've stayed at Nook End and Driftwood .. We love the warm welcome we receive and feel like we have our own second home in Northumberland now! We can't decide which one we prefer, but we're going to bring some friends along and try the Granary next time'.....

'The under floor heating was a revelation, as was the great village pub within a stones throw from the Mariner's ....we'll be back'......

'We found your website on www.babygoes2.com website and then later we read about the cottages in a magazine article. We made a booking because your self catering cottages seemed so different to others, in that you were positively welcoming kids and babies. We were all delighted with the lovely touches like the cuddly toys in the children's beds, the kiddies corner in the hallway and the chocolate lollies. It really made us feel welcome and helped us relax from the moment we stepped inside. Driftwood was perfect for our family and we have already recommended you to friends and colleagues'..... Sam and James Fairburn, Dubai

'As one of the first guests at the Mariner's , our honeymoon felt very special. Loved the big bed, the log fire and the ability to walk to the Beadnell Towers for a drink in the evening. We ran along the beach every morning and even took the sledges to the dunes for a laugh'...

' We've never re-booked a place as quickly as this before! In fact we rarely go back to exactly the same place twice. The reason why we've decided to is that we absolutely loved Nook End which, apart from being a very stark contrast to a very grotty place in Devon that we rented earlier this year, was a fantastic and very comfortable house. Plus of course the area is so beautiful and we didn't get to see and do everything we'd have liked. Our kids loved the trampoline and all of the space that we don't have at home in London.
I last visited the area in 1984 (travelling around on a bike) and had good memories none of which failed to live up to expectations this time around (such as the approach to Dunstanburgh castle from Craster).
On the return train journey Karen and I talked about coming back next year and I noticed from your website that a large number of your properties were already booked for Easter next year so we thought we'd best book quickly to avoid disappointment. It's a long way from London but that was all part of the appeal. You don't seem to get that many Londoners (judging by the visitor book) but bizarely the people in the next door house lived about 4 miles from us.
See you next year'....

‘So much thought had been put into making us feel welcome and at home, we really appreciated it and especially loved the fresh flowers and the homemade bread – Thank you! We'll be back for definite, perhaps next time without the children and we'll check out the Penthouse!'……….

‘We loved the kids dressing up box!'………….Guest (Aged 36!)

‘We really enjoyed exploring the coastline and rediscovering the delights of Northumberland – had a particularly brilliant day on Holy Island. The Penthouse was a really different place to stay, we loved the sea views and got good use out of the telescope and binoculars, as there was a family of kingfishers nesting on the bay just below our lounge window,…………

'After a long journey, it was a delight to arrive and experience the welcome of Garden Cottage. Every day, it was a joy to wake up here and to return here after a day out! The children loved it all. Addressing the needs of children in so many ways (even nappies in the emergency box), was just wonderful '......

'The meal service from Wilkins Fine Dining worked superbly well. Neil produced an
amazing meal for us - food better than many restaurants that we have sampled over the years with the bonus of a really warm & friendly personal service which was second to none.'....

'We stayed at the wonderous "Moo House" - a true country getaway steeped in 5-star luxuriousness...

Firstly - anyone considering a coastal retreat for their Hen Weekend, well, I can't recommend the company high enough. From start to finish, the booking process ran very smoothly, and the house itself was absolutely beautiful. When we arrived, the lights and heating were on, and 2 bottles of wine and a cake stand full of freshly baked double chocolate chip cookies awaited us. As did a little surprise from one of my lifelong friends in Australia (who couldn't make it, for obvious reasons!)....she had been in touch with the property owners and arranged to have 2 bottles of Moet & Chandon chilling on arrival for me in the fridge.....' Annabel Bradshaw, Hen party, stayed at Moo House with party of hens!

Decorated Christmas trees, log fires, bowls of nuts and Christmas chocolates plus the huge table in Nook end to sit all 9 of us, were ideal for our group. Real cosy romantic places to spend Christmas. We felt really priviledged to be spending Christmas in such a beautiful place....

'We had a great time at the Beach House and think that the house is fantastic. The children next door were very envious of the garden. It's brilliant equipment.
Am sure that we will be returning and have several friends interested. Many thanks for the offered discount. Amazingly, after we had booked, we heard of several people who had holidayed with you and they were all highly complimentary'

' Moo House was the perfect place for our works Christmas party - even better than a five star hotel. The gourmet dinner party was the icing on the cake. We'll be making another booking for next year'....

UK Family Holidays: A Winter Break in Northumberland

by Rhonda Carrier

Snaking along snow-lined coastal roads, the North Sea glimmering cold and icy beyond him, my husband gently reminds me that said he wanted to go away for Christmas this year, he was thinking more of Mauritius than northern England.

With tropical climes out of our budget, however, and a guidebook to research, this winter saw us packing up the car, one eye anxiously on the weather forecast as snow caused widespread travel disruption, and heading to the Northumberland coast. With three kids to contend with as well as treacherous driving conditions, we decided to break the journey up into manageable stages, stopping over en route at a couple of cosy inns and castle-hotels in Yorkshire and Northumberland and making a city break in Newcastle.

Our final destination was Beadnell, where Coastal Retreats has several award-winning cottages, beach houses and apartments as part of its Northumberland-wide portfolio. For those who love Suffolk and Norfolk but wish that parts of them didn’t have quite such a ‘London-on-Sea’ vibe, Northumberland has a lot going for it – the drive from the south might be a lot longer, but once there you benefit from lower prices, a less cliquey atmosphere (this is more ‘Newcastle-on-Sea’), both child-friendly and wilder beaches with rockpools galore, and more castles than you can shake a stick of rock at.

Our cottage, Nook End, was set slightly inland, in a tiny hamlet surrounded by farms and fields, with views of the sea and of famous Bamburgh Castle – nominated by Janet Street-Porter as a contender for ‘ Britain’s Favourite View ’ – in the distance, and, at night, of a pulsating lighthouse reminding us of the perilous coast right nearby. With the snow deep and crisp, the days bright and sun and the landscape largely devoid of habitation, it was a true winter wonderland.

The cottage itself was luxurious yet also cosy and family-friendly, with a log-burner in the living room, lots of soft woollen blankets and throws, and plenty of toys, games, DVDS, CDs, books and magazines. Outside were a games room shared with the cottage next door and a garden complete with play cottage, swings and slide, and trampoline. To make life easier, we’d pre-ordered a grocery pack together with all we needed for Christmas lunch from a local delivery service, Food Local Food , and despite the snow they managed to have our supplies with us not long after our arrival. As the name suggests, the firm uses mainly local supplies, including farms, so by using it you’re supporting the Northumberland economy – an important aspect of ‘local travel’. And Coastal Retreats provide Christmas trees on all their festive bookings, so there was really little to think about but relaxing and exploring.

It was tempting not to budge from the cottage, but there’s plenty to discover in the area. The Alnwick Garden has restricted openings in winter but happened to be hosting a Santa’s grotto and elf-led activities in yurts in the grounds; we also had a festive lunch in its atmospheric Treehouse restaurant complete with wobbly rope bridges and, inside, a roaring hearth and fairylights. In summer, Alnwick – one of the UK’s finest contemporary gardens – is fantastic fun for kids, who can collect water in mini-tractors, paddle in the rills, dodge the Grand Cascade’s jets, play hide and seek in the Bamboo Labyrinth, and more besides.

Alnwick is also home to the fabulous Barter Books , a vast secondhand bookshop in an old railway station, with a model train-set chugging along the top of some of the bookshelves and a brilliant kids’ section with a play train and Wheelybugs to ride on, as well a huge choice of children’s classics and other books. There’s also a café serving cookies and coffee with a honesty box.

One of the downsides of taking a ‘staycation’ in winter is that many attractions are closed for the season, although at Christmas some do have special events and extra openings. The weather can get in the way of some plans too – Bamburgh Castle was stunning to see up close, but with small kids it was impossible for us to get to the beach beyond it for the best views, because the footpath through the dunes was so icy. We also made a rather half-hearted attempt to get to Holy Island (Lindisfarne) but were so traumatised after crossing the causeway across the moonscape-like bay in a non 4X4, dodging and sometimes even driving over glacier-like mounds of snow and ice, that we beat a hasty retreat rather than taking the time to explore the castle and priory sited there. (The RNLI Lifeboat Station at Seahouses has a book in which the local coastguard lists his daily call-outs to save people caught out by the incoming tide.)

Of course, Christmas and related activities swallowed up much of our five days in Northumberland. We swam at the Ocean Leisure Club in Seahouses (cottage guests get free membership), which felt rather surreal with the snow falling heavily against the backdrop of a fiercely pink sunset beyond the picture windows. Afterwards, we headed to Seahouses’ harbour to watch the Christmas Eve fireworks over the ocean, followed by fish and chips from Pinnacles, recommended by none other than the Hairy Bikers . We took long walks through a landscape almost otherworldly in its beauty, warming up in child-friendly pubs serving local ale (the Olde Ship Inn at Seahouses is recommended), and we set off Chinese lanterns on the beach at night.

It’s lovely to be home at Christmas, of course, but when you work from home as my husband and I do, and have a toddler at home most of the time too, it can make a nice change to have the biggest meal of the year somewhere different, even if you’re still doing the cooking yourself. The only real downside that we found to going away at that time of year, apart from the uncertainty caused by the snow, was having to pack the presents in addition to our usual luggage – taking up a lot of space in the car, they were tricky to keep hidden from three small boys whose main anxiety, for their part, was that Santa find us in our temporary abode…