Bournemouth named best beach as thousands plan summer trip to coast
A survey of 70,000 people found other popular beaches include Bamburgh in the North East, Brighton in East Sussex, St Ives and Newquay in Cornwall, and Llandudno in Wales.
Half of those surveyed by hotel chain Travelodge said they plan to visit a beach during the summer.
Almost two-thirds of respondents said they enjoy walking along a beach, one in five make sure they buy fish and chips, while the biggest bugbears include litter, expensive parking and lack of toilets.
The top 10 beaches were named as Bournemouth, Bamburgh, Brighton, Scarborough, Blackpool Pleasure, Llandudno West Shore, St Ives, Weymouth, Whitby and Blackpool Sands.
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Daily Mail
4 hours ago
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Revealed: The UK regions with the worst offenders for rising early and snapping up sunbeds - where does YOUR area rank
Everyone loves to blag a poolside spot in the sun – and this year has seen fierce battles between those looking to grab their loungers early. Even though most resorts prohibit the reserving of sunbeds, it's common to see them draped with towels while holidaymakers are off having their breakfast – a travel etiquette no-no. And now the worst-behaving Brits have been revealed – with one region coming bottom of the list. Those in the West Midlands are most likely to get up early when they're on holiday in order to reserve their sunbed. This was closely followed by people living in England's North West and North East, Wales and Northern Ireland. The results come from a YouGov survey of more than 2,500 UK adults, who were asked about their part in the so-called 'sunbed wars'. Those living in the South West and Yorkshire and the Humber are least likely to spring out of bed to snatch a lounger. Across the UK, 12 per cent of those asked admitted to this behaviour – with people in Northern Ireland and Wales just above the UK average, and Scotland coming in at 10 per cent. Though over one in ten revealed this habit, it marks a decrease from the 72 per cent who admitted doing so five years ago, according to GetYourGuide, an online marketplace for travel activities. Benjy Potter, a spokesperson for the company, said this shows that 'the days of getting up at the crack of dawn to simply sit are fading fast' – though footage on social media from this summer shows the dawn scramble is very much still a thing. But it seems that some habits are harder to break. The research revealed that almost a quarter of Brits still indulge in a full English breakfast at the airport before jetting off. Booze has been given a brush-off, with 30 per cent of UK travellers saying they drink less alcohol on holiday now than they did five years ago. Only 12 per cent admit having a tipple at the airport before flying, with those in the North East (18 per cent) most likely to hit up Wetherspoons for a pint. Despite this, many tourists are still playing up when abroad. This week, holidaymakers were left shocked as they watched a 'stampede' unfold for prime sunbed spots at a popular five-star hotel in Crete. It was sparked by influencers who wanted to take selfies 'all day' on them – infuriating other guests. Dozens of guests were seen charging towards available loungers as the pool opened for the day in chaotic scenes at Akasha Beach Hotel & Spa on the Greek island of Crete. And earlier this month, British summer workers got revenge on 'selfish' tourists in Zante who reserved sunbeds – by 'hiding' their towels and flinging them up trees. Waitress Millie Newsham, 20, was on her way back to her hotel room at 6am after a night out with friends last week when they noticed towels had been placed on sunbeds to reserve them. Footage shows the group dragging towels off the loungers, chucking and scattering them around the poolside. The Brits can be seen flinging the towels onto railings and a tree.
Times
7 hours ago
- Times
I fear a state monopoly of the rail timetable, fares and capacity
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BBC News
8 hours ago
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SOS: Extreme rescue for teens stranded underground in slate mine
"It's the scariest thing that has ever happened to me in my life - ever." Josh, 15, had joined friend Draigen and his mother Kate, an experienced climber, caver and adventurer, for what was meant to be an exhilarating trip through an underground slate mine system near Blaenau Ffestiniog in things took a turn for the worse after a canoe capsized on a freezing subterranean lake, leaving Draigen stuck, cold and wet so his mum had to leave both boys to seek rescuers are urging people to ensure they plan their adventures as they brace themselves for an influx of visitors during the summer school holidays. BBC Wales' TV series SOS: Extreme Rescues has been following them over the last this shows that the dangers are not always on the mountains - sometimes they are beneath."I've always been interested in mountains and trying to get really good experiences with my children," said Kate, from Essex."Doing something like that is really wholesome and it just builds so many skills."For Kate, visiting the cave system that reached down to 130m (425ft) in places, was the perfect adventure for her son and his said she had researched the route carefully, and all three were well equipped for the trip involving rope bridges, abseiling down rock faces, using zip lines, and even a boat to cross a freezing hours into the route, they approached the lake, one of the mine's biggest obstacles, which is 50m (160ft) across and reaches a depth of 60m (200ft) in places. "There was just a rope hanging in the water, so me and Josh just started pulling this rope and there was a canoe on the end of this rope," said Draigen."It was just insane."Kate was the first to abseil down to the canoe to cross the lake."I always like to make sure it's safe."Josh followed but when it was Draigen's turn - disaster struck. "I just stood on the wrong spot," Draigen said."It just sunk."On footage captured underground, he tells his mother he is "literally waist deep" in freezing water."I was panicking - I was struggling to climb back out. All the rock was crumbling off the wall," he said."I was in the water for about a minute. It was freezing cold." He managed to pull himself on to a rock, but he was now stuck, stranded on the other side of the lake, unable to reach the path above him, and unable to get to his mother or said the "worry and concern" he could suffer the cold effects of hypothermia and so she managed to get a survival bag over to her were deep underground, and it meant no phone signal to call for help so she had one choice - to leave the two boys and go for help herself."That was one of the most difficult decisions I probably have made, I would say, in my lifetime," she said."I knew how scary that was going to be for them." It took her two-and-a-half hours to find her way back out of the mine complex, to finally raise the rescue operation then swung into action, with the Aberglaslyn Mountain Rescue Team above ground, and North Wales Cave Rescue Organisation volunteers heading into the all, it was four hours since Kate had left when rescuers found the two teens - safe but cold."When I heard their voices - the relief I felt," said Draigen, who was brought to safety by the cave rescue was handed a flask of hot chocolate and some warm clothes, before he and Josh were helped out of the mine to be reunited with added: "I was so relieved - all the stress that had built up, just went."The first thing the boys asked was if Kate was okay."I was so proud of them," she said. It was the outcome the rescuers had hoped for, after initial fears for their safety, and whether they had left the location in an attempt to find their own way out."We didn't know if they were injured," said Dave Evans from Aberglaslyn Mountain Rescue Team."We were hoping that they'd stayed... but they did. They did exactly what they were meant to do." The mountain rescue team leader said it highlighted the importance of being prepared - and the need to plan ahead for year saw the seven north Wales rescue teams deal with more than 750 call-outs, with more than 320 in the area covering the highest peak Yr Wyddfa, also known as Snowdon, the most call-outs for any of the teams across Wales and England."When you come to Wales, to Eryri [also known as Snowdonia], you plan your route - you've planned your vehicle, how much petrol you've got in your vehicle to get to north Wales," he said."It's no different when you come and set foot on the mountains of north Wales."Things can go wrong, hopefully it doesn't. But if you've planned - then half the battle is won."
