Large Holiday Homes for Christmas & New Year...

For those of you who can count your family members on more than two hands, we've still a few big houses available for Christmas and New Year this year - each with great features and facilities to ensure your family celebrations are remembered for many years to come.

In the stunningly beautiful, romantic area of Porlock Vale with some of the best and most varied landscape of the Exmoor National Park you'll find this magnificent house dating from the 19th century. The curving drive brings you to the heavy oak front door, behind which you'll find everything you need for a family break with a difference: a heavily beamed living room with comfy leather chairs and handsome original mantelpiece (with open fire); a dining room with big bay window and brilliant views; a large well-equipped kitchen.

Explore further and you'll find two more living rooms, one ideal for youngsters with TV/DVD, games, half-sized snooker table and subbuteo table, and the other, an elegant room with French windows to the terrace and terrific views - just right for evening drinks. Sleeps 30; pets welcome. 

In the heart of Noss Mayo, at the end of the tidal inlet opposite the Ship Inn, is this fabulous detached, riverside house. Ultra-modern and stylish, the inside is cleverly laid out with river-facing balconies for the mesmerising views. Spread over three levels are two light and spacious living/dining/kitchens with oak floors, six bathrooms and seven/eight bedrooms. 

This is an absolutely smashing property with river, boating, pubs and walks all nearby. Sleeps 15; pets welcome (in garage only).

In the pretty village of Chideock, a mile from the sea, is this large, detached, Grade II listed farmhouse. The whole family will enjoy the indoor heated swimming pool and games room (with table tennis and table football). 

The house is smart and well-renovated with characterful exposed stone and old beams and is light and surprisingly spacious. The dining room has a table seating 16 and the smart fitted kitchen has everything you need: dishwasher, microwave, gas Rangemaster with two ovens, plus another breakfast table seating 6.

Five yards from the back door is a pretty little detached converted creamery with two additional bedrooms. Sleeps 17 in total; pets welcome.

This is just a small selection so we recommend you take a look at all our big houses for Christmas 2012 and for New Year 2012.

Use our Advanced Search facility on our website for a more personalised search for a holiday home for you and yours this holiday season - and don't forget you can chat with one of our friendly telephone team (01647 433593), all visitors to our properties, if you have queries about a specific house or need help finding just the right place.

Many of our big houses get booked up around a year in advance, so it's not too early to plan ahead for Christmas and New Year 2013!

Helpful Holidays wins Silver at British Travel Awards for two consecutive years...

We've scooped second place and a Silver Award for the second year in a row against strong national competition at the British Travel Awards in the Best UK cottage/self catering booking company category.

 

The 2012 results were announced last night at a glittering ceremony at the Battersea Evolution in London where four long-serving members of our team (Rikki, Natalie, Sasha and James) collected the award.
 

The British Travel Awards are acknowledged as the most definitive and largest monitor of public opinion on the performance of travel and tourism providers. Travel companies and tourism organisations were invited to register for listing in the various categories; a shortlist was then drawn up by a panel of respected individuals from both in and outside of the travel industry, but it is the leisure holidaymakers whose votes finally determine the winners.
 

Delighted with the accolade, our General Manager, Moray Bowater, said, “We’re honoured to have won this prestigious award and immensely grateful to all those who took the trouble to vote for us. It’s a great credit to our team and our home owners, as well as a testament to the level of service and quality of properties offered by Helpful Holidays overall.

“Helpful Holidays has always stood for reliable, un-hyped and outstanding service to its customers. This award recognises that in the best possible way – via the votes of those we serve and those who know us. Ultimately, trust is the currency that really counts and we're happy that earning that of our customers through our straightforward and frank approach has been the touchstone of our business since we started over 30 years ago”, concluded Moray.

 

Our Rikki, Sasha, Natalie and James

It was also a great night for Cornwall which won Best UK Holiday County or Region and Best UK Coastal Town or Resort for St Ives, as well as awards for Eden Project, Fal River Cornwall and Minack Theatre.

The British Travel Awards' Chief Executive, Lorraine Barnes Burton, said, “It’s the largest consumer voted awards programme in the UK, designed to reward the best companies in travel. The winning accolade is the benchmark for excellence when it comes to finding out who really is the best in the business of travel for the UK consumer.”

This award follows on from our earlier success in 2012 when we came top in the Which? Travel magazine members’ survey of holiday cottage and villa booking companies, achieving a very high score of 92% and getting five out of five stars in all but one category.

Visit our website to browse our holiday cottages in Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset or give our telephone team a call on 01647 433593 for some human help to find just the right place for a happy holiday in 2013.

 

Our 2012 photo competition winner...

Thanks to everyone who took part in our photo competition this year. Yet again, we were thrilled with the quality of the entries - so many talented snappers out there!

Our winner this year is Joanne Wisdom, who took this wonderful picture of her two children playing in the surf at Durdle Door, whilst staying at Dormouse Cottage in nearby Burton Bradstock. Congratulations, Joanne! £400 of Helpful Holidays gift vouchers are on their way to you.

 

The picture certainly captures the true spirit of youngsters enjoying themselves at the water’s edge on a crisp, sunny day at Easter. Here it is, in all its glory:

 

You can see some of the other fabulous photos that made the shortlist in this Facebook photo album.

We love seeing your snaps, so if you’d like to share your favourite moments and memories of the West Country, please feel free to post them on our Facebook wall.

West Country bonfire night events...

Photo credit: www.otterytarbarrels.co.uk

The West Country is a great place to celebrate bonfire night and enjoy some iconic local traditions and visual spectacles. Here's our pick of the hottest events... 

Ottery St Mary, Devon: A tradition hundreds of years old, the famous Flaming Tar Barrels (pictured above) were originally used for the fumigation of cottages and as a warning of the approach of the Spanish Armada. Head to this charming town on 5th November to see fearless men, women and children run through the town carrying blazing tar barrels - not for the faint-hearted!

Bridgwater, Somerset: The Bridgwater Carnival, on 3rd November, sees the town centre come alive with colourful processions and parades filled with illuminated carnival carts measuring up to 100 feet long and covered with up to 25,000 lights. The Grand Firework Display is at 7pm the night before on 2nd November. Bridgwater is the largest of the famous illuminated Somerset Carnivals which take place throughout November. 

Photo credit: www.somersetcarnivals.co.uk

Sticklepath, Devon: Sticklepath Fireshow, on 5th November, is one of the largest community arts events in the south west. This year they present 'Bamboozled!', a stunning fireshow with an expected turnout of 3,000 people. The show usually takes place on an elaborate, specially-built stage, which is then burned afterwards. Take a look at last year's stage below:

Falmouth, Cornwall: It makes sense to put the Fire Service in charge on bonfire night, and that's exactly how it works in Falmouth. They promise an explosive line-up impressively set to music at Falmouth Cricket Club on 5th November.

And a few more... the fireworks at Mousehole should not be missed, whilst there’s always a good display at Port Isaac, with plenty of good grub around the harbour. Talking of good grub, the bonfire on Porthtowan village green is handy for proper pub nosh from the Unicorn Inn. For a big bang, head to the beach at Weymouth for the ‘Great Bonfire’ and an astonishing firework display to follow.
Check our special offers for last minute deals, use our advanced search or give us a call on 01647 433593 and we'll help you find the perfect place from which to enjoy the whizz, bang, sizzle of bonfire night!

Relaxing winter breaks...

Love him or hate him, Jack Frost’s arrival heralds peace and tranquillity on the moors and coastal paths of the West Country. It's the perfect time to enjoy a restful break at a cottage in the countryside or by the sea.

The temperature drops and the nights draw in, meaning a warm fireside is all the more appreciated after a wander through crisp woods or along a beach. 

Too much exertion? Spend a lazy afternoon with the papers over a pint or two of local ale at a country pub or in the comfort of your cottage. Relax and revitalize before or after the Christmas revelry.

An excellent spot for those seeking peace, nature or a romantic hideaway, The Linhay is a  secluded, detached, ‘upside down’ cottage for two, newly converted from a sturdy granite barn. A mile from Ilsington, in the tiny farming hamlet of Lounston, there is good walking from the doorstep on footpaths and quiet lanes. After a bracing walk, the Carpenter's Arms is a good spot for a pint and a bite to eat.

A delightful hideaway with exposed beams and oodles of space for two, Court Farm Cottage is a comfortable and stylish cottage in Newton Ferrers, tucked away in a pretty spot 100 yards from the local church with good food pubs nearby. A lovely area, there's plenty of excellent walking to be had beside the lake-like river Yealm estuary or at sandy Mothecombe beach.

If you can't get away for a full week, we take 2, 3 and 4 night bookings at many of our holiday homes from November through to the week before Easter. Read more about our short breaks.

Visit our website to view all our holiday homes and use the advanced search to help you find a cosy place to stay (cottages with an open fire or woodburner or cottages near a pub, perhaps), read other holidaymakers’ comments or call us on 01647 433593 for human help.

Celebrate in style: holiday cottages for Christmas and New Year

Christmas and New Year is always a popular time for our customers to get away, whether they're escapees enjoying a quiet time away from home or entertainers holding a big celebration for multiple families and friends.

Escapees - we’ll help you find hideaways. Once there, grab hats and scarves for a blustery moorland walk and a pint at a fire-warmed pub. Stroll the coast path; ice-skate at Eden; ride the Polar Express at the Dartmoor Railway; grab your wetsuit and brave some Christmas Day surf, or just toast your toes beside the fire, put on the TV and relax.

Escapees will love A173, in Dunsford, Devon. This pretty thatched, semi-detached cottage is an extremely beautiful home, renovated, decorated and furnished with a huge amount of attention to detail. A really exquisite, sophisticated cottage on the edge of a lovely village, you'll find a good food pub nearby, not to mention pretty Drewsteignton and the marvellous scenery of the river Teign valley.

Entertainers - if you’re a crowd, book with us to enjoy some additional elbow room. Indulge in some locally grown fayre and show off your culinary skills. Set the table, roast your goose, crisp the potatoes, mash the swede (plenty of black pepper and butter) and light the candles. Christmas together… eternal.

Entertainers will be in their element at Avocet, in Bigbury-on-Sea, Devon - a spacious property with the wow factor. This huge, split-level, detached house, facing south with the most sensational panoramic views over the bay to Burgh Island and the coastline beyond, is stylish and superbly comfortable inside. Take a New Year's Day stroll along the magnificent sandy beach just 200 yards away, and warm up in the outside hot tub afterwards!

Which are you? Entertainer or escapee?

Whatever your reason for getting away over the festive season, we suggest you book as early as possible to be sure of getting your favourite holiday home. If you're looking for a big house for a large gathering, be quick!

View all of our holiday cottages available for Christmas 2012
View all of our holiday cottages available for New Year 2012
View our big houses available for Christmas 2012
View our big houses available for New Year 2012

We look forward to helping you find just the right place to celebrate and relax in comfort and style.