Foodie spots for New Year revelry in the West Country

Party time at Fifteen Cornwall

Each year, millions of people around the globe gather together to reflect on the past twelve months and share their plans and dreams for the year ahead. What better way to do it than with friends, family and good food?

Castle Bistro at Bovey Castle

In the West Country, New Year's Eve celebrations are perhaps best known for fancy dress. That's certainly true at Jamie Oliver's restaurant Fifteen Cornwall, which is holding a superhero-themed fancy dress party with cocktails, a four course menu and dancing through to the early hours. Tickets cost £100 (children welcome). Become human again at Q29.

A four-course dinner is also central to the New Year’s Eve party at Bovey Castle, which begins with a champagne reception, followed by dinner in the Castle Bistro, dancing in the Cathedral Room, rounded off by a fireworks display over the hotel’s Dartmoor estate. Tickets cost £99 per person (children aged 5 to 14 years old, £49, and children aged 2 to 4 years old, £20). Sing Auld Lang Syne at A87.

Grilled scallops with hazelnut and coriander butter, followed by roast monkfish with crushed new potatoes, olive oil and watercress. Yes, you've guessed it - that's the New Year's Eve menu at Rick Stein's Cafe in Padstow. This tasty menu can be enjoyed in a relaxed and informal atmosphere for just £39 per person. Stroll to the harbour from P51.

For something completely different, Kitley House Restaurant near Plymouth offers a New Year's Eve Murder Mystery and Gala Dinner. A five-course meal will help you work your way through the clues and apprehend the culprit! The event costs £89.95 per person. Continue your sleuthing at R378.

Of course, you can always just hunker down in your holiday cottage and show off your culinary skills in a delicious home-cooked meal using the freshest local produce, then toast the New Year and share stories and memories in front of an open fire.

Use the Advanced Search facility on our website to help you find just the right place to enjoy New Year's Eve in the West Country, or give our expert telephone team a call on 01647 433593. Whether you stay near the coast or on the moors, you're sure to find a pretty spot nearby for an exhilarating walk on New Year's Day to blow away the cobwebs and walk off the indulgences of the night before!

Christmas sparkle in the West Country...

Just 40 days until you’re allowed to unwrap those presents under the tree. Are you starting to think about what to buy your loved ones this year? Need some inspiration? Towns and villages across the West Country are gearing up to spread some festive cheer and dazzle you with gift ideas...

In Barnstaple, Devon, soul singer Beverley Knight will switch on the Christmas lights on Thursday 22nd November in order to coincide with the first of Barnstaple’s late night Christmas shopping nights. Get wrapping at F6.

Real reindeer will be visiting Newquay, Cornwall, on Friday 30th November – perhaps to snap up some unique presents at Newquay’s first Christmas food and craft festival. There’s also a magical children’s lantern parade, late night shopping and of course Christmas lights to be switched on at 7pm. See the reindeer at The Hotel Victoria from 3pm to 6.30pm. Play reindeer games back at Q4.

Q30, St Agnes

St Agnes tucks into a Feast of Lanterns on Sunday 2nd December, with a lantern procession through the village before Giant Bolster switches on the Christmas lights including those illuminating a huge Christmas tree in the village centre. It all takes place to seasonal tunes played by the St Agnes Silver Band – and mulled wine is available to keep you warm. Tuck into a feast of your own back at Q30.

Gather around the bandstand to watch the Padstow Carolers perform a selection of traditional Christmas hymns at the Padstow Christmas Lights Switch-on on Sunday 2nd December from about 6pm. Enjoy more festivities at the Padstow Christmas Festival from 7th to 9th December. Carry on singing at P51.

K33, Clovelly

Also on 2nd December, the Torridge Male Voice Choir will be singing along to a local brass band on a procession down to Clovelly harbour. At about 5pm the switch is thrown and the entire village and harbour are lit up. Fireworks, a hog roast, punch and mince pies follow and Father Christmas is rumoured to be planning a surprise visit. Ho, ho, ho back to K33.

Use the Advanced Search facility on our website to help you pick just the right place to enjoy the Christmas season in the West Country.

Top picture credit: Ashley Coombs

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!