Latest news with #WestonSuperMare
The Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Ten top solo holiday trips from Moroccan retreats and exotic islands to UK walking tours and no-fly cruising
DARE you fly solo? Imagine packing for a getaway just for you and heading off to wherever you choose in the world. You would be among an increasing number of people of all ages taking holidays alone. 4 There is a huge range of breaks at home and abroad for single travellers – from a walking tour, sailing the seas, or a desert retreat, to a canoe expedition, sunshine island adventure or bushcraft course. Trisha Harbord goes on a quest to find the ten top solo trips . . . WONDER OF WALKING A WALKING holiday is a perfect way to meet fellow enthusiasts while exploring the glorious British countryside on foot. After being greeted by a Solos Holidays guide for a welcome drink, you will meet up with fellow ramblers for a three-night stay at the New Ocean Hotel in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset. Your boots need to be made for walking over the next two days. But each trek is comfortably paced, lasting around two to three hours. You will take in stunning panoramic views over the Bristol Channel and landscapes of the Brean Down peninsular, and explore Weston Woods. Evenings are spent enjoying dinner and live entertainment. GO: Three nights' half-board in a single room with a free bar for four hours each evening, from October 3, costs from £499. See MAKING WAVES SAIL the seas with one of the cheapest cruise lines for solos. Ambassador is known for having the best value for singles sailing from the UK, with the lowest daily rate of £156. The liner has special-fare single-occupancy cabins. But book early, as they are popular. Join the Viking Heritage Tour no-fly cruise along the Norse trade routes, calling at Sweden's Gothenburg, Denmark's Copenhagen and Norway's Oslo and Kristiansand, aboard Ambience from London Tilbury. Guided excursions are available to explore the beautiful cities. The 1,400-guest ship has bars, restaurants, a wellness centre, pool and entertainment including an outdoor movie screen. There are dance and fitness classes, and guest speakers. GO: Eight nights' full-board for a solo guest in ocean-view cabin is from £1,009. For details, see 4 COMMUNITY SPIRIT EXPLORE the world with a G Adventures holiday, just for go-it-alones. Its Solo-ish Adventures feature 33 trips to destinations including Costa Rica, India, Peru, South Africa and Vietnam, interacting with local communities. There are female-only leaders, free arrival transfers so that travellers feel safe and looked after, and welcoming experiences so a group of strangers can get to know one another. There is also 'me time' for anyone wishing to explore on their own. An 11-day tour of Vietnam, from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, includes enjoying stunning scenery, historic sites, bustling markets and activities such as a junk-boat cruise and noodle-making class. GO: Solo-ish Vietnam including B&B, some lunches and dinners, and flights from the UK in August, costs from around £2,050. For further details see JUST FOR YOU THE world's your oyster with solo specialists Just You. From a trip to Namibia, to a city break in Edinburgh, the company has been uniting solos for nearly 25 years. Italy is a favourite destination, with several itineraries to choose from. On an eight-day break, you can enjoy a guided tour of the historical site of Pompeii, the seaside resort of Sorrento, a limoncello farm and the beautiful Bay of Naples. You'll get to stay in the 4H Hotel Palma – once an elegant 19th-century villa – with a solarium, hot tub and large terrace looking out at famed volcano Vesuvius. GO: Seven nights' B&B, including some meals, welcome drink, tours and farewell get-together, costs £1,999, flying from Heathrow on June 17. See ESCAPE the stresses of everyday life and head into the serene Moroccan countryside for a rejuvenating getaway. You'll stay with Amana Retreats in a private property nestled in olive groves and set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Atlas Mountains and Agafay Desert. There's a pool, walking trails, sun-drenched terraces and quiet corners perfect for relaxing and reflection. Enjoy two daily yoga sessions – open to all levels – blending ancient wisdom with modern science, alongside sound-healing, breathwork and nutrition workshops. Afternoons offer time to unwind by the pool, explore the souk or join the yoga and other sessions at the retreat. Special menus feature nourishing, locally sourced alkaline meals and fresh juices to support your wellbeing. CITY SLICKER HAVE a cracking time on a city break to Krakow, with a guided tour from Riviera Travel. The Polish city's old town, within ancient walls, is one of the treasures of Europe and listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site. In 2000, it was also named European Capital of Culture. Krakow is Poland's second-largest city and was the country's capital until 1795. It has the largest medieval market square in Europe. Or you can see 15th-century painting Lady With An Ermine, by Leonardo da Vinci, in the museum, and discover the underground market below Cloth Hall. The four-day trip is guided by an experienced tour manager. Upon arrival, you'll be treated to a welcome dinner so you can get to know other guests, in a group of up to 25. GO: Three nights' B&B in the 4H Novotel Krakow Centrum, with flghts from various UK airports including Manchester on November 14 and transfers, costs from £869. See DREAM ISLAND SUN-kissed Bali is one of the planet's most welcoming islands, so it's perfect for solos. Immerse yourself in Indonesian culture by eating delicious street food, meeting traditional fabric weavers, watching a dance performance and visiting a temple. Intrepid's Beautiful Bali guided trip will also give you the chance to hike Mount Batur for a sunrise view across the Lombok Strait, and visit Undisan village in the hills. Other activities include cycling and snorkelling but there's also plenty of free time, when you can explore on your own or in the group and relax on the beach or in hot springs. GO: Nine days including accommodation, transport, selected meals and activities, costs from £561. Multiple departures until December. Return flights from the UK cost around £845. See HIT THE ROAD SIT back and relax on a coach tour of one of the UK's most stunning coastlines. Shearings is offering more trips for single travellers, with no room supplements, owing to increased demand. The five-day Holy Island and Northumbrian Coast tour, travelling through stunning countryside with wonderful sea views, includes four nights at the Leonardo Newcastle in the buzzing city. You'll visit Alnwick Castle, the Unesco World Heritage site of Durham and the pretty seaside resort of Seahouses. At low tide, you'll be driven over the causeway from the village of Beal to Lindisfarne, known as Holy Island because it was a birthplace of Christianity with a monastery founded in 635AD. GO: Half-board from October 6, with coach departure points across the UK, costs from £629. See 4 AQUA FUN THE clue is in the name – Adventure Solos. Fully-hosted breaks and day trips offered by founder Chris Bone include canoeing, hiking, map- reading and rock-climbing. Designed for people in their thirties to fifties, the itineraries are all beginner-friendly. The five-day Canoe Scotland holiday is a 60-mile expedition across the spectacular great glens, navigating canals and lochs including famed Loch Ness, from west to east. Along the way, you'll be able to enjoy wild-swimming and camping under the stars on loch shores. You can either take your own tent or hire it from Adventure Solos, who also advise on what food to bring along. GO: Expedition departs from Banavie, near Fort William, on June 30 and costs from £795, including canoe equipment. See GOING WILD LOVERS of the outdoors who fancy giving Bear Grylls a run for his money can join an advanced bushcraft course. Wild Human's four-night Native break teaches skills such as food-foraging, friction fire-lighting, preparing game, smoking meat and making fishing equipment. You'll also learn how to carve safely with an axe, make pitch glue and bark-craft baskets. Accommodation is in your own tent, pitched in a private woodland close to Windermere in the Lake District. But the course, for up to 14 people, is fully catered so you'll be tucking into nutritious, seasonal local food and there's a few luxuries including a pizza oven and sauna. It's one of a number of Wild Human challenging solo expeditions, at home and abroad.
BBC News
5 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Backwell A370 bus lane plan to be reconsidered
A planned bus lane which caused "fear and anger" in a village is set to be reconsidered by the local Somerset Council planned to install the bus lane on the A370 through Backwell, which would have included moving a bus stop and removing a council committee meeting on 27 May, Jeff Wells of Backwell Residents Association said removing the railings would be "extremely dangerous."The council argued the new lane would reduce bus journey times between Bristol and Weston-super-Mare, but some councillors warned that spending £2.2m on the 206 metre-long bus lane was a waste of public funds. "Lack of information for Backwell has created suspicion and a lot of fear and anger," Mr Wells bus lane was proposed to run west along the A370 for 260 metres, up to the crossroads with Station Road/Dark Lane, the Local Democracy Reporting Service was on the council to withdraw the plans, Conservative councillor Michael Pryke compared the bus lane to the Clevedon Seafront debacle "but with a much higher chance of fatalities"."The scheme is prepared to put lives at risk, damage everything that works well, for a bus lane that will increase journey times at a huge financial cost to the public," he added. '£300k annual savings' Currently the X1 - North Somerset's most-used bus with 142,000 passengers a month - takes one hour 40 minutes to get from Weston-super-Mare to Bristol during the morning rush cabinet member for highways and transport Hannah Young said that with one bus running every 15 minutes, this meant 14 buses had to be in use to run the service in peak travelling said: "I don't believe that we can afford to let buses that people need just get stuck in traffic to a point where they become the last choice for everyone."If five minutes can be shaved off the round trip time along the A370 corridor, she said the route could be run with one fewer bus, saving the bus operator £300k a on the committee voted 6-2 to support the call-in and ask the council to reconsider the plans.
BBC News
7 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Newport arrange Weston-super-Mare friendly
Newport County will travel to play Weston-super-Mare in a pre-season friendly on Tuesday, 15 July as they prepare for next season's League Two game at the Optima Stadium is scheduled to start at 19:15 fixture will be open to supporters, giving fans an early chance to see David Hughes' side in action ahead of the new who finished eighth in the National League South last season, will provide a good early test for County as the Exiles build toward the opening weekend of the League Two last time the two sides met was in a pre-season friendly in 2022, where County won 4-0.
BBC News
27-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Headlines: Cheese rolling and the 80-year-old newsagent
Here's our daily pick of stories from across local websites in the West of England, and interesting content from social media. Our pick of local website stories Bristol Live are reporting on the teenager arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after an incident under an underpass at Cribbs Live reported on 106-year-old GW Hurley newsagents in Burnham. Colin Morris, 80, was born above the shop and is still running the family business.A nurse in Wiltshire has been struck-off after filming people through a cubicle wall in Asda, as reported by Bristol Live. He's been convicted of voyeurism and making an indecent image of a could Swindon-born Billie Piper be the next Doctor Who? That's being posed by the Swindon Advertiser. Our top three from yesterday What to watch on social media The number of homes in the Weston-super-Mare area who can use the Grand Pier for free has been expanded by almost 73,000. It follows the controversial price increase there from £1 to £2. This picture of someone's mum with the Double Gloucester from the bank holiday Monday cheese rolling is proving popular on in the Weston in the Spotlight group are talking about the often controversial subject of some households having recycling left after putting their bins out.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Teen breaks world record for solving 12-sided Rubik's Cube
A 17-year-old has broken the world record for solving a twelve-sided Rubik's Cube in just 22.89 seconds. Aidan Grainger, a sixth-former at Royal Wootton Bassett Academy, accomplished this feat at a speedcubing competition held in the function room at the end of the Grand Pier in Weston-Super-Mare. Read more: New use for old Swindon pub saves it from demolition The competition, organised by the UK Cube Association, saw 85 competitors battling it out in a bid to break records. Aidan's record-breaking time is the fastest ever recorded for solving the Megaminx, a more complex variant of the traditional Rubik's Cube. This isn't the first time Aidan has made headlines at Weston, having previously set a national record for solving a standard Rubik's Cube in just 3.69 seconds in November 2024. Aidan will now join thousands of speedcubers heading to Seattle at the end of June to compete in the World Speedcubing Championships. He'll be representing the UK, with hopes of being crowned the world champion for the Megaminx. Following his achievement, Aidan is set to receive a certificate from the Guinness Book of Records to commemorate his world record-breaking performance. The event in Weston was one of 32 speedcubing competitions held over the weekend in more than 20 countries worldwide.
