I can cast my mind back many decades when as the son of a Church of England vicar we never had much money and we went to holidays in hotels where this sort of pastoral need was accommodated. We went mainly on the South Coast of England probably because it was quite near my father’s parish which was in Streatham Common, South London.

We typically went for a week. Such simple things as paddling in the sea, making a sandcastle, discovering fascinating things under stones, having an ice cream which I regarded as a great treat, even the dreadful sugar filled candy floss delighted me.

I loved penny in the slot machines on the pier, Bexhill and Eastbourne if I remember rightly which alas have now been superseded by electronic versions that don’t give me so much home grown pleasure.

The first time I went abroad was to France on a student exchange basis when I was about 15 or 16, we went to a place called Charleville-Mézières. MIchel my student friend belonged to a large family and they lived in the country. Chickens and geese ran around the place unhindered and this was my first experienced of living in nature.

I recall that we invited our poor student to come to Weston-super-Mare or something equally exciting. Nowadays it is difficult to find a child that has not traveled abroad in some manner shape or form.

What does ‘holiday’  mean?

The etymology of the word “holiday” comes from the Old English word “haligdaeg,” which is a combination of the words “halague” or holy and “daeg” or day. The word was first recorded in 950 AD. Originally, it referred to special religious days such as Christmas and Easter and later on to days when commoners were exempt from labor.

As far back as the 1400s, the word acquired a more secular meaning. Holidays are often granted on anniversaries of events, saints’ days, or important political days where holidays are declared. For example, Martin Luther King Day was declared a holiday.

PS  Many years ago I recall someone saying that they could not afford to take a holiday so they decided to take a break – holiday and go around their own living room. In so doing their discovered all the books they hadn’t read, things they had meant to do but didn’t have time for, and generally had a good time without spending any money.

We have so much clutter in our place that I think I could do the same to good effect.

What I have learned from previous holidays

Following my recent visit to the priory in Dorset, where I experienced as complete a holiday and break as I could have asked for, I have been caused to think about what I really need.

I have been to America 40 times and South Africa 20 times plus about 20 other countries. Around the age of 76, I began to feel that I’d had enough of sitting in planes, and although I did one or two local flights, so far as I can see, my times of flying are over.

I used to accept the three-hour wait, standing in long lines, eating food of variable quality, and arriving on time if we were lucky, which we mostly were.The travel was part of the holiday experience.

Insurance rates increase

But now, such experiences seem a little tiresome. Also, as I am over 80, I would have to pay significant sums for health insurance when traveling abroad. Most companies do not insure people over 80. There are however companies that insure people with pre-existing conditions or indeed people without any conditions, but the rates reflect an increased likelihood of the need for medical attention.

Car hire companies vary in their policies but will not turn away money if a person has a valid driving license. I am generally fit for an 80-plus-year-old person, probably fitter than most, but I have an increased dislike of driving at night where I find the 4×4 drivers’ lights shine right into my eyes even on dipped beam because their cars are differently constructed.

I am fully aware of the new World Order plan to reduce the so-called carbon footprint, except of course with their politicians flying around in their own executive jets.

I’m also aware of holiday companies doing business as usual and encouraging people to go on more and more ambitious trips. Thirty years ago, going to the Arctic was a rare experience for adventurers, but now there are regular cruises, albeit at a price.

Planes, trains and automobiles

I so much enjoyed this film and continue to do so. Great situational & physical humour.

As for the price of flying in general, the prices of long-distance destinations are quite steep, but flights on less popular routes continue to attract with their low prices especially out of season.

However, many of the popular companies such as Ryanair and EasyJet have cottoned onto the idea of charging all sorts of extras, such as luggage above a certain size, quite hefty charges per kilogram extra weight, paying to sit together, paying extra to board first—in other words, trying to get as much per passenger as they can. I don’t really want to go to a destination abroad if I find I’ve paid more for my luggage than for myself.

Another factor is the time it takes to get to the appropriate airport on the outward and return journey. Also, if there is a time change, you need about three days to recover. I do not travel west very well, and I find it takes a day for every hour’s time difference to recover.

I love the idea of trains but the cost of them in the United Kingdom is quite huge and they do not have the services of restaurant cars as a rule. I’m old enough to remember the Brighton Belle which was a steam locomotive and served a meal  en route. Those were the days but don’t get me started on that one.

Train services in Europe are streets ahead of the UK and I would happily go on a high-speed one but you can find yourself paying over 1,000 pounds for two people and you have to arrange bed and breakfast at each stop. Seat 61 is still an incredibly useful website but the fact of the matter is that most long distance trains are more expensive than flying and they certainly take longer.

For me, the decision centers around my lifestyle. It will of course be different for my readers.Please write and give me your views which will appear in the ‘comments’ section below. You do not have to register. .

Lifestyle plans depend on circumstances

We are a couple without children, but I realize that if you had a young family in tow, you would have to think differently. I know that the cost of package holidays during school holidays rockets up, so it must be quite a hard decision to opt out during school term and pay the extra charge that the school will properly impose. In the cold light of day, it’s probably worth it.

I’ve also noticed that in countries like Spain, us Brits have to fill in forms and go through all sorts of rigmarole and possibly be discriminated against by locals in the more popular towns and cities who are fed up with too many tourists. However they may find that their campaign against tourists might be more effective than they expect, especially if I recall in Tenerife we see the hoteliers whining that they want tourism back.

Anyway, back to my position:

I do a lot of intellectual and mental work (yes, there is a difference) on each one of my four websites, which I maintain on an industrial scale, and do not like being away for long periods of time. This may be a mistake on my part because I’m sure the world can get on quite well without me for a few days. The sun will continue to shine, dusk will follow dawn, the birds will continue to fly, and politicians will continue to lie.

I have a large continuing correspondence with my peer group, and by ‘peer group’, I mean other campaigners for truth and spiritual integrity. Although I have my mobile phone, which is okay for short notes and replies, I cannot write long pieces as I am doing now. Ooops!  I am really driving myself into a corner here.

Over recent years, I have been on about a dozen coach trips to various parts of the United Kingdom. We went with a firm called Shearings, and when that was taken over, we went with a company called Just Go. I hope my readers will not be snobby about the thought of a coach trip.

They are incredibly good value for money. They pick you up from a local point, provide a decent hotel on a half-board basis, and take you on various excursions. Try doing the same thing yourself, and you will probably spend about double the money.

The bliss of leaving the organization to others

What I enjoy is that I don’t have to make plans apart from turning up at the departure point. The driver looks after everything, and you just do what you’re told, turn up when you’re supposed to when the coach leaves, have conversations with many others of a certain age, and let’s face it, most of the people are over retiring age and have a drink and a laugh.They have many interesting stories to tell.

You talk to people that you wouldn’t normally have anything in common with. The group spirit kicks in, and provided you do not become obnoxious, you will make a few temporary friends along the way.

Recently, we went to Warner’s Holiday Park on the Isle of Wight and paid £139 per head, which included transport in the coach, obviously, two nights’ bed, breakfast, and evening meal, one excursion if we wanted it, and entertainment both nights. I have very great respect for the Warner group, and quite frankly, I don’t know how they make any money at these prices, but they certainly have perfected the package.

The Friary in Dorset shows how much I need the companionship of fellow human beings, the absence of television, less-than-perfect Wi-Fi, simple and good food, and living in a community and learning something at the same time because we were on a course on the Virgin Mary. If you want to read it, you’ll find it a few days back.

The benefit of short breaks

I’m surprised how much I get out of having short breaks. The last one with Warner’s was only two nights, but as the saying goes, “a change is as good as a rest,” and I think that getting away from the four walls and the normal routines on a regular drip-feed basis is actually a good formula for me.

I’m always nervous about leaving the house empty, but we are in a close, and no stranger can come around without being observed. I can’t remember when the close had a break-in of any sort.

Next month we are going to Liverpool for five days. That may not sound romantic, but Liverpool has a lot to offer in terms of museums, entertainment, and history, not forgetting The Beatles. We shall be visiting Manchester as well.

So we leave on Monday morning and arrive back Friday evening, and I think it was about £250 per head, which all in all is a good bargain.  I am not earning at the moment, so I like to keep my resources intact as far as I can.

Although I regularly see holidays advertised at £2,000 per head, while it would be wonderful to be away for 14+ days, this is outside my comfort zone.

I’m a bit like a squirrel hoarding nuts. My choice this year will be a series of fairly brief holidays interspersed with times of retreat at one of the 140 retreat establishments in the United Kingdom. Book is ‘Retreats 2025’

My requirements on a retreat

At a retreat, my requirements are …   a quiet atmosphere particularly a library where I can sit and read in peace, eat decent simple food, have intelligent conversation, and sleep in a nice warm bed. It does help if the surroundings are rural and peaceful.

I don’t want any horrible 5G signals or even television, which I can do without since I’m normally sated with watching videos and scanning web pages so that will do me good.

I favour visiting older long-established places because the feeling of prayer and quietness is in the walls and it’s the sort of thing you can’t fake. It is from this that I draw strength.

Nostalgia Beckons me still

The only country I would love to return to is South Africa, but my dear friend with whom I stayed has undergone certain personality changes caused in part by her rather domineering husband. Cancer is one of the manifestations. She has been unable to stand up for herself, so I think I would rather keep the memories intact.

South Africa is a wonderful country but their successive governments  tend to make it less than perfect with regard to the supply of essential services.

I have no desire to go back to America, knowing the politics there, but I would love to go and see some friends in Scandinavia, but I think that from now on it’s going to be car, coach or train.

The only holiday mode I’ve not discussed is river cruising. It sounds seductive but it is not cheap and I’ve read many mixed reviews, as there are on most things so I will leave that topic for another time

So dear readers you’ve made it through so far has anyone got any comment would you like to contribute any of your own experiences?