HH photography competition – the winners…

Thanks to everyone who took part in our photo competition on Facebook over the summer. We received lots of fabulous photos, predominantly coastal shots so we can tell you love to be beside the seaside!

After using last year’s winning shot on the front cover of our dog friendly mini-brochure, we were on the lookout for another captivating image that we could use in our marketing material for 2012.

The super shot by Natalie Chapman of a child jumping for joy on the beach at Hope Cove made us smile and is now featured in our 2012 Collection mini brochure (pictured). 


We picked an overall winner too - the lovely landscape by Lorna Alsop of the ponies at Godrevy Head which now sits on the header of this blog.

There were so many good pictures; we had several other favourites which we’ll try to include in our marketing material over the next few months if we can.

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.

Dog-friendly holiday cottages for August Bank Holiday…

If you read our last blog post and have since interpreted the signals that yes, your dog does indeed need a holiday, here are four canine-friendly holiday cottages with availability over the August Bank Holiday week:



Wheal Betsy, Mary Tavy

Kent’s Barn in Mary Tavy, Dartmoor, is a bright, comfortable, 'upside down' cottage neatly converted from a stable block. It’s beautifully located on the side of a hill and looks across a peaceful wooded valley to nearby Cholwell Brook. This is a great place to come back to after a day exploring the wilds of Dartmoor or further afield – Pooch can enjoy a well-deserved gnaw on a bone (while you enjoy an evening drink) as you both sit out in the a suntrap cobbled courtyard and admire the views across the valley.

Nellie's, a cottage converted from an old stone barn, is situated a mile from Moreleigh, a tiny village with a pleasant pub in lovely, wooded farming country in the heart of the South Hams. You’re welcome to walk the long countryside trails (fields, woods, streams) over the owners’ 200 acres – you need never take your dog on the same walk twice! The cottage is around 20 minutes from Slapton Sands, a fantastic long beach, allowing dogs throughout the year.

 

Perranporth Beach

Beech, another barn conversion cottage, is situated in Goonhavern, two miles inland from Perranporth’s fine sandy beach (dogs on the busiest parts of the beach have to be kept on leads between 1000 and 1700 during August). The cottage, which boasts great views across the meadows to the sea, is well suited for dogs, and you can take Pooch off the lead in a dog exercise field (shared with three other cottages). For the rest of the family, there’s a games barn with pool tables, table-top football, table tennis and badminton. A great spot for beach or touring with no passing traffic.

Bosoljack, a former boathouse in the beautiful creek-side hamlet of Port Navas, offers sensational views down the creek and of 'messing about in boats'. The fantastic Trebah Gardens are nearby, with dogs welcome all year round (on a lead at all times). Grab a sandwich and enjoy Trebah’s very own secluded, private beach on the Helford River, with views that stretch out to the open sea. 

Don’t forget, if you can’t get away for a whole week, three and four night short breaks are now available at many of our holiday cottages over the August Bank Holiday week.

Take a look at all our dog friendly holiday cottages available during August Bank holiday week – and don’t forget to ask Pooch for his opinion!

Keen snapper? Enter our photo competition!

Are you one of those people who love to take a million photos while you’re on holiday? The camera is glued to your hand and you snap at every opportunity so you don’t miss a thing. Or, are you a much more considered photographer – tripod and multiple lenses in your rucksack, prepared to wait hours for the perfect shot?

Perhaps you’re a digital convert, employing apps and tools like Hipstamatic or ColorSplash to bring maximum enhancement to your holiday images? Or, you’re a staunch traditionalist, preferring to work your way through rolls of film and long, careful hours in the darkroom?

Either way, if you love taking snaps whilst on holiday, why not enter our photo competition on Facebook?

The winning photo will feature in our marketing material for 2012. Last year, the winning shot was used on the front cover of our dog friendly mini-brochure! We loved this picture – compositionally brilliant, and really good fun!

To enter, simply post your photo on our Facebook wall by the end of September 2011. Visit our Facebook page for competition details and to see what we’re chatting about this week – and don’t forget to ‘like’ us while you’re there!

Do accompany your submissions with a short comment – it’s always interesting to hear the stories behind the photos. And if you like the snaps that others have posted, let them know – feedback’s a wonderful thing!
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Dogs Stay Free campaign

Today we’re announcing the launch of our Dogs Stay Free campaign as part of National Pet Month.

Dogs get as much pleasure bounding around the countryside and beaches as us humans so we are giving man's best friend free stays in our dog friendly holiday cottages. To qualify, you must book between 2nd April and 2nd May (National Pet Month) for stays at any time during 2011. Up to two dogs per booking can stay free of charge for bookings made during this period. 

The green surroundings of this holiday cottage in Yelverton (left) will give your pet a taste of the West Country with long walks on Dartmoor and in and around Yelverton’s own Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Larger dogs and those with lots of energy will relish a week’s holiday on Exmoor or Dartmoor with long walks and climbs over heather-clad hills and tors. Dartmoor holiday homes welcoming pets include The Retreat, a smart timber-clad hideaway for two with hot tub on a 70 acre farm near Chagford, and Blissmoor, a detached and secluded cottage for eight near Manaton.

For a stay on Exmoor, Bramble and Hawthorn cottages (right) near Barbrook sleep four and six; just a half-mile from the open moor both have wonderful doggy walks from the door.

For the less energetic, smaller or older pets the West Country is criss-crossed by gentle, waymarked trails. Amongst the holiday homes which would suit are two 18th century cottages at St Kew, North Cornwall sleeping two and four, while for water-loving dogs Brambles is just over half-a-mile from the all-year-round dog friendly beach at Constantine Bay, North Cornwall.

Start researching your ideal location now with our list of dog friendly cottages across Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset.

Please note, if you book online, your dog charges will still appear on your provisional booking, but rest assured that these will be deducted before you pay your final balance.

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Yelpful Holidays for you and your dog...

For most people who own a dog, a holiday wouldn’t be truly enjoyable unless man’s best friend comes too. Taking your dog on holiday is likely to broaden rather than limit your West Country experience, whether setting out on long rambling walks together or settling down by the fire in a country pub.

The heather-clad hills and tors of Dartmoor, Exmoor and Bodmin Moor are a challenge worth the climb when you and your dog survey the miles of open space from ‘the top of the world’. Your dog will enjoy a day of rummaging and rabbity scents, and in the bar afterwards you’ll meet like-minded pet owners happy to share shaggy-dog stories.

Helpful Holidays offers many holiday cottages where your dog is welcome in Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset. Smart apartments and cosy cottages sit right beside the most beautiful of the many dog-friendly beaches in the region. Here we’ve picked a few suitable cottages and coupled them up with good walks nearby.

Dune View nestles by the dunes at Rose and is handily placed for the huge sandy beach at Perran Sands – a fantastic expanse to get any dog belting along at full speed and sniffing enthusiastically around rock pools. This sturdy detached stone cottage sleeps six and has a large, enclosed garden. This long walk takes in Perran Beach and Holywell.

For those who prefer an inland refuge, Weddicott Barn is a stunning barn conversion with an indoor heated swimming pool. It sleeps ten and is located just a mile from Chagford, which makes it an excellent base for exploring Dartmoor. Here’s a good winter walk from Chagford by BBC Radio Devon’s Michael Chequer.

The Old Stables in lush South Hams farmland above the River Avon valley sleeps four and has a good-sized, enclosed, semi-walled garden. This local walk will take you through fabulous local scenery; once in Totnes, seek out the Maltsters Arms pub which keeps a dog biscuit barrel on the bar and has a river for swimming. 

It’s easy to find which of our properties allow pets – just head to our Advanced Search page and select the ‘Pets allowed - Yes' option. Many of us at Helpful Holidays are dog owners too, so do call us on 01647 433593 for a chat and tips on how to make your West Country holiday with your dog a thoroughly enjoyable experience.