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Scottish Sun
17-07-2025
- Scottish Sun
Travel influencers reveal their best UK holidays – cheap caravan parks, secret beaches… and overhyped places to avoid
Plus, the completely free beach activity that will keep your kids occupied all day - and where to find it. HIDE AWAY Travel influencers reveal their best UK holidays – cheap caravan parks, secret beaches… and overhyped places to avoid Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) When the sun comes out, there is no better place to cool off than on a stripy deckchair with a Mr Whippy and a sea breeze. However, chances are, half the country will think so, too. So how do you avoid being packed cheek-to-jowl on heaving beaches? 9 UK Influencer Chantelle Champs (pictured with her daughters), explores further afield to go fossil hunting. Credit: Chantelle Champs 9 The beautiful and less-crowded Charmouth Beach in Dorset is known for its fossils and but not overrun with tourists. Credit: Getty To find out, we asked seven top family travel influencers for their favourite off-the-beaten-track beach or the place they go to handle the heat, combat the crowds, and avoid the rush... Swap Lime Regis for Charmouth Lifestyle Influencer Chantelle Champs loves popular Lyme Regis in Dorset, but she takes her three girls to nearby Charmouth to go fossil hunting. She says: "We love finding new places to explore and a few years ago we booked a last minute break to Lyme Regis in Dorset. We had never been before but the trip was a hit and everyone loved it. We've ended up going back every year since. Dorset has a great coastline and there are so many different beaches to explore, you are not restricted to one area. This is great because in the school holidays, Lyme Regis is really popular, so you can easily go a bit further along the coast and find a quieter spot. Our favourite place is Charmouth Beach. It's beautiful and looks so much more natural and undiscovered than Lyme Regis itself. I love the beach, but I am not much of a sunbather and with three girls under 12, we like interesting places that keep us all occupied. The English holiday park named the best in the country – with beach views, indoor swimming pool and deluxe caravans Our favourite activity as a family is searching for fossils, which is really fun and costs absolutely nothing. It kept us all entertained all day. We usually find a few different pieces which we collect and take home as souvenirs. In between Lyme Regis and Charmouth is also the area of East Cliff. This is an old Victorian dump site. You can still find fossils here, but we also found the base of a ceramic pot from the Ritz London, which we all got very excited about. You can also see a statue of Mary Anning, who was one of the first female palaeontologists in the UK. She found her first fossils at the age of 12, so my girls know her story well. It's the most easy-going, laid back place to go in summer and we hardly spend any money. You can rent a little cottage close to the beach for less than £100 a night. It's one of our favourite UK holidays." 9 9 Howey (pictured with his son, Jaivon) prefer the beaches off-season when they have the beach to themselves. Credit: Howey Ejegi 'Pay what you can' attractions Howey Ejegi, a digital creator at @howeydon and and dad from Dundee in Scotland, saves the beach for cooler days and heads to the Scottish Deer Centre with son, Jaivon (both pictured above) instead. He says: "Living on the Fife coast, we have some of the most beautiful beaches in Scotland a short drive from us. However, in summer, everyone has the same idea and they get really packed, with traffic jams and car parks all full. Aberdour Silver Sands is probably the most popular beach but we prefer to go in spring or autumn. It's not as hot, but sometimes we get the place almost to ourselves, so it feels like a secret beach. When it starts to get busy with locals and tourists, Jaivon and I prefer to head inland to the Scottish Deer Centre near Cupar. This wildlife park spans 55 acres and has 12 species of deer, wolves, otters, elk and bears. What's great about this place is that they have a 'pay as you please' admission, so guests pay what they can afford. It's a great incentive to encourage visitors from lower-income areas to experience the park without worrying about the admittance price. We love it. It's really educational and you can easily spend the whole day there, staying for lunch or bringing your own picnic. I know people head to the beach for a cheap day out in the school holidays, but this is our favourite local spot when the coast gets too crowded." 9 Kerry and her family have found a sweet spot to go surfing and it's much calmer than nearby Newquay. Credit: KERRY WHELPDALE Quiet Cornwall in peak summer Lifestyle vlogger Kerry Whelpdale and her two energetic sons love to surf, but instead of hauling their boards to Newquay's busy Fistral Beach, they ride waves a bit further along the coast . She says: "We love surfing and there is no better place to do that than in Cornwall. However, everyone knows that Newquay is far too busy, especially in summer. Even if you are able to find a decent place to stay, it likely won't be cheap. We found a solution to this and not only is it a bargain, but we also often get the beach to ourselves first thing in the morning - and it never gets overcrowded. We stay at the Park Dean Newquay Holiday Park. It's just up the coast from the busy town of Newquay and ideally located to explore the whole area. Better still, Watergate Bay beach is walking distance from your accommodation - extra handy when you are carrying your own surf board! We booked a Glamping Pod for £100 a night for all four of us in the school holidays. The pods are so cute and we had our own kitchen to make lunch and dinner, which was so nice after an active day surfing. The resort itself has evening entertainment for families but we didn't even indulge last time. Everyone was so tired, we had pizza on the deck and chilled out in our pod until the next morning. If you have younger kids, it's absolutely ideal. There are three outdoor pools and a splash park with waterslides. For those who want to surf, the beach closest to the park is really quiet if you get up early to catch the first waves and I highly recommend it. It's definitely busier after lunch, but nowhere near the crowds that fill up the main beach in Newquay. It's a family favourite for us, but get in quick as the pods get booked up fast in the Easter and summer holidays." 9 Vicki (pictured in Southsea with her son Reggie) says people underestimate the coast in Portsmouth where the beaches are never as busy as they are in Brighton. Credit: VICKY PHILPOTT Swap Brighton for Portsmouth Vicky Philpott from avoids busy Brighton and heads to the island city of Portsmouth with her family. She says: "When it's sunny, people flock to Brighton in East Sussex for a beach day, and I am always baffled why they don't think a little bit outside the box. We skip the crowds of Brighton Beach on a sunny day and head to Southsea Beach instead. It's just 1 hour and 30 minutes from London on the fast train and has such a chilled vibe. There's plenty of cool coffee shops and the charming Albert Road has lots of independent shops, too. It's just like Brighton, but quite a bit cheaper, you can get a coffee there for £2, whereas the going rate in Brighton is double that! On the beach there's always enough space to spread out without hordes of day-trippers. My toddler, Reggie, loves playing with stones on the big pebbly stretch and there's a little splash park on the seafront, as well as a park, zip line, golf and pedalo boats at Canoe Lake boating pond just over the road. The pier has rides and arcades and,, of course a great fish and chip shop too - although you'll pay a bit more to eat here (£13 for haddock and chips), considering the prime location. If you want to stretch out the afternoon, get an alfresco bistro table at Greek Cuisine Tony and you can enjoy £7.50 gyros on the pier - easily enough for two to share - while watching the paddleboarders and swimmers do their thing." 9 Nolfolk has beautiful beaches but the Holme Dunes Nature Reserve is a favourite spot for blogger, Jane, and her son Miles (pictured). Credit: JANE GORMAN Secret beaches in picture-perfect nature reserves Jane Gorman, a content creator and blogger from and @jayneytravels, avoids the saturated south coast and instead spends sunny days at Holme Dunes Nature Reserve. She says: "We live just outside of Reading, but rather than battle the crowds on the south coast during the summer months, we head to Norfolk instead. This is a very underrated coastline and home to some wonderful, endless beaches. Our best-kept secret is the Holme Dunes Nature Reserve. This stunning stretch is a little bit further off the beaten track than busy seaside towns like Sheringham and Cromer but it's perfectly unspoilt and a paradise for nature lovers. As well as thick fluffy sand, you can watch out for rare sightings of black-tailed godwit and ring ouzel. You won't have to battle for a place to pop down a towel, but do bring a cooler and snacks for everyone as there are no facilities on the beach. However, there is a fascinating visitor centre and cafe near the entrance, so if you have little ones, you're not too far from the real world. Parking is cheap and easy, too. Whilst not exactly a secret, we usually end the day at Wells-next-the-Sea. It's less busy at teatime and you can walk along the beach past the colourful beach huts. The beachfront cafe serves a big sourdough pizza for £12 and a tub of ice cream for £4.50. Enjoy both with your legs dangling over the sea wall." 9 Victoria (pictured above Soar Mill Cove) is known for finding unique and interesting locations through her blog Credit: VICTORIA WATTS KENNEDY Private paradise in hidden sandy coves Victoria Watts Kennedy from travel blog is known for exploring lesser-known places around the world. Here in the UK is no exception. She says: "Devon is beautiful but in the summer, the beaches and villages along the coast are some of the busiest in the UK. Instead of heading to popular Salcombe, we have a secret spot that we go to every year. Soar Mill Cove is a beautiful, isolated little bay, hidden along the rugged coast, just 15 minutes from Salcombe. It's the effort to get there that makes Soar Mill Cove so special. It's beautiful when viewed from the cliff, but take the mile-long path that winds down the headland and you'll find a golden, sandy beach. The tiny, sandy inlet, backed by magnificent cliffs, feels like your own personal paradise – and the journey to get there is all part of the fun, especially with kids. It's easy to park the car at the Soar Mill Cove Hotel at the top of the hill. Parking is only £5 for the day. If you want to splash the cash, the hotel is in a top location, but rooms start at £180. For a budget option, you can stay three nights at the Challaborough Bay Holiday Park for only £249. It's a 35-minute drive from Soar Mill Cove." 9 Macca and his family (pictured) love the Northern beaches near Durham Credit: Macca Sherifi Ditch the busy south coast for the wild North East Macca Sherifi, from travel blog An Adventurous World, says the south coast gets all the hype but when he wants to escape with wife, Chloe, and two-year-old Cooper, they head north. He says: "When it comes to beach destinations, people always flock to the south coast, but the north of England has beautiful beaches too. I am firmly flying the flag for Durham and Northumberland in the north east. Take Seaham Beach, which on a bright and sunny day is absolutely gorgeous, with mile after mile of golden sands and craggy rock pools just waiting to be explored. My two-year-old loves searching for colourful sea glass, as well as the odd pebble. Seaham Beach is known for being one of the most colourful beaches in the UK for these colourful gems. It's an activity that is great for any age and I must admit, I enjoy the challenge too! We can be there for hours and spend next to nothing all day. If you venture a bit further down the coast, you can also see the Seaham Beach caves, which is ideal for teenagers or older kids. It really is a beautiful spot, and very close to Durham, which has very affordable hotels to base yourself in, meaning it's really good for anyone on a budget too."
The Guardian
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘There's nothing else like it': the Ritz is crowned best restaurant in the UK
It is lunchtime in central London and hungry patrons are filing into the newly crowned best restaurant in the country. This time, it is not a sparsely furnished warehouse conversion where you have to squint to see your natural wine. Nor is it a buzzy A-list hotspot, where the chefs will vet your social media before you have even arrived. Instead, it is the Ritz: the 119-year-old British institution where denim is outlawed, etiquette is king and selfies are met with a disapproving frown. Hailed the best restaurant in the UK this week by the National Restaurant awards, the hallowed dining hall of one of London's grandest hotels harks back to a time of heavy tablecloths and silver service, straight-backed chairs and seven courses. A meal at the Mayfair hotel, whose gilded restaurant is as renowned for its stringent dress code (men are expected to wear a jacket and tie) as its £62 crêpe suzette, was described by the competition's judges as a 'wonderful and memorable assault on the senses'. But what do its patrons, who come from far and wide to sample the beef wellington and hay-aged Bresse duck served arts de la table, really think? 'It's second to none – there's nothing else like it,' says Yvonne Robertson, a 55-year-old fitness instructor from Glasgow who came last year and is now back for a photograph under the hotel's arches. 'It's first class – a whole-day experience. We got all dolled up and were in there for hours.' It is no wonder that for many it is a once-in-a-lifetime trip: the restaurant's three-course lunch menu rings in at £92, while the five-course à la carte dining experience will set you back £199 (throw in another £700 if you want the prestige wine pairing). 'It's not cheap,' admitted the competition judges, 'but when eating at this level of luxury you wouldn't expect it to be.' Robertson's companion, Audrey O'Neill, an administrator, is inclined to agree. 'It's exceptional,' she says. Just try not to drop anything on the floor. 'My champagne glass fell off the table – I was mortified,' she says, laughing. The waiters came to her assistance faster than you could say: 'White gloves.' In the hotel lobby, which smells like fresh peonies, French perfume and, well, money, even the hotel's youngest patron is enamoured of the chandeliers and soft piano music. 'It's her first trip to the Ritz,' says 38-year-old Marie-Claire Lowry, motioning to her baby daughter, Marlie, who is propped happily on an ornate green sofa with a crumbled scone. 'Everything is pristine,' says Lowry, who is treating her mother, Janice Lowry, to a 'posh cup of tea' for her 74th birthday. They will not quite make it all the way into what the judges called 'London's most decadent dining room' this time, but will definitely be back. 'We dropped something of the baby's on the floor and we're not even worried because it's probably so clean,' she says. 'Even my hands smell amazing from the soap in the bathrooms.' Headed by the executive chef, John Williams, the historic dining room – visited by prime ministers and princesses, and painted in a pink colour palette designed to complement a lady's blush – was quietly awarded its second Michelin star in February. Now, it has beaten Notting Hill's celebrity favourite the Ledbury to be crowned best in show. Not everyone, though, is quite so charmed by its grandeur. 'I had a very nice beef wellington,' says Clayton Such, a 44-year-old chief executive from San Francisco. 'But I'm not sure it's the best restaurant in the UK. I think the whole vibe of the Ritz … is people who want to pretend to be wealthy versus just being wealthy.' It did not help that he was politely but firmly told to put on a jacket and tie for dinner when he wandered down from his hotel room in a short-sleeved shirt. 'It definitely seems like a place where people want to put on airs,' he says.
Bloomberg
10-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Trump Says China ‘Not Easy' as Trade Talks Resume
Good morning. Trade talks between the US and China continue into a second day in London. The Trump administration mobilizes Marines in response to the LA protests. And the Ritz London claims the top spot in the UK National Restaurant Awards. Listen to the day's top stories. Trade talks between the US and China will continue into a second day as the two sides look to ease tensions over shipments of technology and rare earth elements. 'We are doing well with China,' Donald Trump told reporters at the White House, adding ' China's not easy.'
