Vacations for the Nerd in You
In recent years, Phillips has traveled to England's University of Oxford to study Dickens and Celtic literature, and to Athens and Thessaloniki to study classic Greek texts. He is currently diving into the works of James Joyce in preparation for a weeklong Joyce course in Dublin.
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an hour ago
- Yahoo
Push the boat out at Newport's sailing club regatta
'There is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats…' might be referring to an inland English river in Wind in the Willows, but the sentiment is something that the Newport Uskmouth Sailing Club takes to its heart. Of course, there were more boats about in Edwardian Britain to do the messing about in, but although like everywhere else, it has lost the host of boats that used to crowd out the Usk, the sailing club located behind the former Uskmouth Power Station, oozes "messing about in boats". (Image: NUSC) This Newport "roll-your-sleeves-up" institution is a hidden gem, that is home to seagoing adventurers in all shapes and sizes in small yachts that can take to the ever-present Usk mud. If you are curious how Newport does its messing about, you are in luck, as the Cowes Week of the Usk is coming up (August 28 to 31) when members engage in friendly racing in the mouth of the Usk and into the Bristol Channel. (Image: NUSC) It is all about the taking part – although winning is a bonus – and having fun on the river. You may not have considered sailing as something for you, but thousands of people across the UK from all walks of life, enjoy pottering about on their floating pride and joy, and occasionally sailing into the sunset for little adventures over the horizon. In a time of wellness and personal health, sailing at NUSC hits several sweet spots, which give you the benefits of being outdoors in the fresh air, physical activity, learning experience, and above all a wonderful social environment. (Image: NUSC) Sailing as a leisure activity, seen from the outside, is a bit of a puzzle. Britain tops the all-time Olympic sailing medal table with 64 medals since 1900, and Sir Ben Ainslie winning gold medal after gold medal in successive Olympic games. So there is obviously a serious competitive sport side. But then there is the cruising element – a bit like having a floating motorhome, but with less traffic jams, and more opportunity for real peace and quiet. Kay Withers, who has grown up with the club for 50 of her 59 years, said: 'NUSC is perfect for people of all sailing abilities, but especially for a person with no sailing experience. 'People sometimes join with pre-conceptions of sailing but in our club you will learn quickly that sailing as a beginner involves teamwork because there are moorings to be maintained, boats to launch and recover, general maintenance of boats and equipment, all part and parcel of sailing. 'You don't need to own a boat to sail at NUSC, it's the perfect place to join and have a go before deciding to buy your own boat,' Kay said. Growing out of a dinghy sailing club based near the Newport Docks Office below Transporter Bridge, NUSC moved to the east bank of the river in 1968. (Image: NUSC) Appropriately, it is situated next to St Julian's Pill, which used to be where the sailing pilot cutters moored up when home from guiding ships across some of the most challenging waters in the world. The original clubhouse were former construction worker's huts, but the present clubhouse building was designed and built by the members in the late 1980s. Having a lot of tradesmen in the membership helped. The clubhouse is run by members, cleaning, cooking, and playing barman themselves, as part of the payoff for keeping down the cost of membership. But the rewards that the effort of doing everything for yourself gives the bond that strengthens the enjoyment of every trip out on your boat. Putting your toe in the water is a pretty painless experience, with membership for a non boat owner less than £2 per week. If you are interested in testing the water and want to experience the NUSC Regatta, send all names and vehicle registration to Garethhale77@ stating which day you would like to visit. For other membership enquiries, use or click on the link on the NUSC website . Just use the membership enquiry form to visit when it suits you if the regatta is not convenient.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Southwest unveils Getaways with flights, hotels and 2 free bags
Southwest Airlines is wagering it can beat a Jet2 holiday. The company announced Tuesday, Aug. 19 Getaways by Southwest, a package vacation booking platform that lets customers shop for all-inclusive itineraries along with their flights. "Getaways by Southwest expands what customers love about Southwest—flexibility, an award-winning Rapid Rewards loyalty program, and great perks—to the vacation experience," Phil Gouel, Vice President Product Development at Southwest Airlines, said in a statement. "This end-to-end vacation package, coupled with our legendary customer service, is perfect for customers seeking a convenient, valuable, and curated vacation experience." According to Southwest, packages that include flights, hotel accommodations, car rentals and ground transportation are available to popular destinations like Las Vegas, Orlando, Hawaii and various Caribbean locations. Customers who book their whole trip on the Getaways platform will also be able to check up to two bags for free – a throwback to Southwest's former bag policy. Getaways also offer travelers some flexibility if their plans change. Customers who book through the Getaways platform can cancel their trip and receive credit toward a future vacation, valid for up to 18 months. They can also make changes to existing itineraries without incurring a change fee up to 72 hours before their first flight. Customers can see the deals and terms and conditions for each package on Southwest's website. Getaways is the latest update from Southwest that makes it similar to other airlines. The company has been overhauling its business strategy in recent months, doing away with open seating and free checked bags for all in a bid to compete more evenly with other carriers. Southwest is also adding extra legroom seats across its fleet and overhauling its fares and boarding process. Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at zwichter@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Southwest bets on new vacation booking platform to woo travelers
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
I was stranded on a cross-country train until a cleaner spotted me. Enough is enough
Disability and commuter organisations are urging the government to get accessibility back on the map in its upcoming Railways Bill. A disabled man who was stranded on a train before he was eventually spotted by a cleaner is joining a call to get the government to make railways more accessible for disabled travellers. Doug Paulley, who lives in Wetherby, West Yorkshire, spoke to Yahoo News about how he has spent years dealing with transport nightmares as a disabled man, including being left stranded on trains with no staff around to assist him. The wheelchair user recalled times where he had resorted to pulling the emergency cord to alert staff that he was still on board and had been left without assistance on a train that had reached its final stop, "with nobody on the train, even to answer the emergency button to find me". Paulley, a highly respected disability campaigner, won a judicial review challenging the government's attempt to close train ticket offices across England in December 2023. He said he wanted to share how "highly stressful" getting a train as a disabled traveller can be in the UK to highlight the urgent need to make rail travel significantly more accessible for disabled people. He is joining 10 disability and commuter organisations urging the government to get accessibility back on the map in its upcoming Railways Bill, with "all of the previous government's pledges abandoned." Their demands include full staffing for trains, stations and ticket offices, the government to set a deadline for all stations to have step-free access, as well as 'turn up and go' travel — allowing disabled passengers to travel spontaneously on the rail network without needing to pre-book assistance in advance. The Bill, which was placed under consultation in February, aims to reform the railways, bringing them back into public ownership as well as make booking trains easier, and less costly. But plans to put accessibility as a statutory duty "at the heart" of the new Great British Railways (GBR) appear to have been dropped in the latest consultation documents. 'I was just stuck there' Paulley told Yahoo News about one journey on a CrossCountry Trains service earlier this year where he was stranded at Newcastle station, and almost ended up unwillingly travelling to the other side of the country before staff noticed he was on board and needed assistance to get off the train. Speaking about the experience, Paulley told Yahoo News: "It wasn't supposed to be my train, but my train was running really late and you know how it is, you just get on whatever's available. "The train got to Newcastle, everybody got off, the lights went off and nobody was there. "In the end, I tweeted CrossCountry and they tried to get somebody to see me, but the driver got on to take the service south again, setting back in the direction of Taunton. "The cleaner spotted me and eventually they managed to attract the attention of a member of staff on the platform who got me off the train. "It's scary thinking that nobody checked the train to check that it was properly empty before turning everything off and leaving. I was just stuck there." Unreliable — and unsafe Paulley is keen to emphasise that it's "not just the journey" that is a nightmare for disabled people. "It causes stress and distress on the run-up and afterwards as well, and work. A lot of stations aren't accessible to me in that they've got no step free access to some or all platforms. "They're inaccessible to other people because they don't have the staff that they need, particularly in driver-only operated areas where there's no guards. "I can't just turn up at a non-staff station because there'll be nobody to put the ramp down. With a lack of level boarding, I just can't get on or off it. The spontaneity is gone. "They might try and book me an accessible taxi to somewhere else, but that is very unreliable and lots of the time very unsafe. "Even when there are staff present, they can often forget." Blocked from easy and convenient travel Currently, only 13% of disabled people can use trains with confidence and ease, according to research carried out by advocacy group Transport for All. Emma Vogelmann, co-CEO of Transport for All, told Yahoo News: 'Our trains should give everyone the freedom to make everyday journeys - to work, to school, or just for fun. "But ongoing problems with our rail system are blocking disabled people from being able to travel easily – basic facilities like lifts, waiting rooms and display screens are broken, locked or missing. "In July 2024, Keir Starmer promised that accessibility would be at the heart of our new rail system, that's all that's needed to put things on the right track, so everyone – disabled or not - can travel easily on our trains.' Rensa Gaunt, a spokesperson for Inclusion London, a deaf and disabled people's organisation, told Yahoo News: "Reliable access to transport unlocks jobs, education and community. But the current railway system blocks us from easy and convenient travel, and makes us reliant on assistance that doesn't always turn up. In some cases, we are left stuck on trains, or are forced to cancel our journeys partway through. "We support the call to restore accessibility as an urgent priority, and to strategically plan with disabled people for a railway that we can all use reliably. "We need this and it needs to happen. Otherwise, disabled people continue to be excluded and have terrible experiences on the rail for the foreseeable future." A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "Accessibility is a core priority for Great British Railways (GBR) and we are committed to delivering a rail system which allows disabled people to travel easily, confidently and with dignity. 'We are considering all options to ensure accessibility is at the heart of GBR, such as creating a powerful new passenger watchdog to ensure services work for disabled passengers, and later this year we will publish a roadmap setting out our approach to delivering a more accessible railway.'
