As a proud Welsh company, we were very excited to read that Rhossili Bay in South Wales has been voted Britain’s best beach – sounds of celebratory corks popping.

It is safe to say the beach stomped to victory in the Cadbury Flake 99 Great British Beach Awards 2010, receiving nearly 50 per cent of the votes. Next was Tresco in the Isle of Scilly receiving a humble 19 per cent.

I am completely biased, I know, but that stretch of beach is one of the most picturesque and beautiful locations in the world, and I am pleased to see that it is getting the recognition it deserves.

Go Wales!

OK, so this entry isn’t necessarily about health and safety or food posioning, but I thought it was worth a mention nevertheless.

I was reading this month’s issue of HotelBusiness and I stumbled upon an article about a piece of research by Jurys Inn. The hotel chain surveyed 4,000 consumers to get their opinion of what cities were the most and least welcoming. Both lists are below:

The most unwelcoming cities in the UK:

1. London

2. Glasgow

3. Bradford

4. Birmingham

5. Liverpool

6. Manchester

7. Aberdeen

8. Wolverhampton

9. Belfast

10. Leeds

The most welcoming cities in the UK

1. Southampton

2. Norwich

3. Exeter

4. Brighton

5. Plymouth

6. York

7. Oxford

8. Nottingham

9. Derby

10. Portsmouth

As many of you know, Check Safety First is headquartered in Chepstow, Wales, and very proud of it. So, you can imagine my disappointment to see that not one Welsh city made the list of most welcoming places. I might be biased, but Wales is home to some of the friendliest people you will ever have the pleasure to meet. We demand a recount

What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with the lists?

source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Now, we go on a lot about the importance of making sure your food is warm all the way through before eating or serving it – and it’s only because we care! But I never thought we would discuss the significance of a warm bed……

Apparently, the Holiday Inn, London Kensington is going to provide a human bed warming service to guests. A little odd, but bear with me. If a guest requests the service, then a member of staff will adorn an all-in-one sleeper suit and jump into your bed until it is suitably warm – approximately 20 to 24°C.

To be honest, I am not overly enamoured with the idea. I can understand the concept that people get a better night’s sleep in a warm bed. But, I’m not sure that I like the idea of a stranger being in my hotel bed before I use it – that would definitely hinder my night’s rest. And, I haven’t even begun to think about the health and safety implications.

Perhaps I am over thinking it, what do you think? Would you use the bed warming service?

Source: www.yourtravelrights.co.uk

More of us now prefer to have some ‘me time’ on holiday and are opting to travel alone on a soliday.  Personally, I prefer the company of my family and friends on holiday, but understand the lure of meeting new people and exploring places as a lone traveller.

For those of you embarking on a solo voyage we would recommend you take a look at the solo traveller blog, which gives lots of hints and tips on the best places to go and how to meet new people.  But we thought we’d also give travellers a few tips on how to stay safe whilst travelling alone:

1. Don’t get swept away by the experience and forget common sense.  Always stick to eating thoroughly-cooked foods, avoid salads and drink bottled water.  Holidaying on your own will seem very lonely if you’re taken ill with food poisoning.
2. Eat out in lively cafes, where you don’t stick out as a solo traveller.
3. Avoid looking like a tourist – don’t go everywhere with a map or have wads of cash in your wallet, otherwise you’ll become a crime magnet.
4. Try to stick closely with other travellers, but be careful who you trust.  Many will give you recommendations of safe places to eat, sleep and visit in the area.
5. Finally, set up a blog where you account your experiences once a week.  This will give your family back home peace of mind that you are safe and well.

So, how about you – have you considered completely getting away from it all on your own?  If so, where would you recommend?

So, here we are again. We have just enjoyed our last bank holiday weekend before Christmas and the summer holiday season has finished – where does the time go???

Summer 2009 will probably be best known for holidaying on a budget – staycations, nanobreaks and the August rush to find last-minute late deals in an attempt to escape the British rain.

But, what has this summer meant to you? We asked one of the big bosses at Check Safety First, Mark Harrington, to sum up his summer in 140 characters or less, Twitter style.

What was your highlight of summer 2009?

Winning the Ashes and the, now long forgotten, spell of good weather in May and June.

What was a lowlight of summer 2009?

The awful weather in July and August.

Where did you go for your holiday this year and why did you pick that destination?

I am about to go to Boston to go whale watching – very excited.

Did you take a staycation?

I am a big fan of staycations. Last year I went to Dartmouth and Cornwall. And, this year I went to the Yorkshire Dales; walking for a weekend.

Predictions for summer 2010?

I think that foreign holidays will increase in popularity again particularly all inclusive for families. As for UK weather…….who knows??

Goodbye summer, hello winter sun….

Last week we announced that we’ll be working with UK hotels on addressing health and safety needs, very similar to the way we work with our international hotel partners.

We’re already working with a Beatles-themed hotel in Liverpool called Hard Days Night on helping the hotel maintain high health and safety standards.  Once they’ve passed, look out for them on www.checksafetyfirst.com.

While many Brits think that standards of health and safety in our hotels are the highest in the world, some UK establishments simply don’t live up to our expectations.   A combination of complacency, legislation and overworked Environmental Health Officers means that UK hotels are lagging seriously behind international holiday resorts.

Over the last few years many international hotels have really got their act together by investing in systems and processes that regularly monitor key health and safety hotspots in kitchens, pools, guest bathrooms.  The recent surge in tourists holidaying in Egypt and Tunisia is testament to the success of this approach.  We hope to work with UK hoteliers to emulate the same success.

With more Brits choosing to holiday in the UK this year, we’re hoping to prevent guests from being exposed to any hotel with poor standards such as the luxury Riverside hotel in Suffolk, which was recently fined £40,000 for poor cleanliness.  Its filthy restaurant kitchen was strewn with rubbish and rotten food not fit for consumption.

Do you think UK hotels are guilty of poor health and hygiene standards?  Would you like to share any UK hotel nightmares?

Travelodge has researched 3,300 people and produced a list of the top ten British destinations of choice for people choosing to holiday at home:

1. Cornwall

2. Lake District

3. Yorkshire Dales

4.Scottish Highlands & Islands

5. Edinburgh

6. London

7. Isle of Wight

8. Devon

9. Norfolk Broads

10. South Wales

I have to say, we were a little disappointed to see Wales fall to the bottom of the list, we may be biased, but South Wales has some of the most beautiful beaches and countryside in the UK. That said, there was tough competition from the likes of Devon, Cornwall and the Lake District – all of which are stunning.

Wherever you choose to holiday this year, please remember to check with your agent or hotelier that your accommodation has been thoroughly checked for hygiene and safety. For most, this will be their one break of the year and by simply asking the question they can enjoy it with peace of mind.

Setting the scene: it’s the week before the bank holiday and you are spending most of the time looking forward to the three day weekend ahead of you. Then before you know it, it’s Tuesday, you’re back at work and you don’t feel like you achieved much on your days off – sound familiar?

Well, thanks to The Times, this won’t be the case this bank holiday weekend. The newspaper has produced a comprehensive list of Britain’s 40 best Bank Holiday days out. The options available range from spontaneous circle dancing, to world-record attempts (an attempt to persuade a dog to run through a tunnel made of 1,000 pairs of legs). The options are endless.

However you decide to spend your time, this weekend is meant to be a scorcher so remember to drink lots of water, pack the sun tan lotion and, more importantly, enjoy yourself.

According to reportsthe number of foreign tourists visiting Britain in the first three months of this year was 13 per cent lower than in 2008.

To be honest, despite the weather, Britain has a lot of offer our overseas friends:71 blue flag beaches, rolling countryside, culture, history and, more importantly, friendly residents. So, we were a little shocked by these findings.

But, don’t fear, Blackpool tourism chiefs are tackling this problem head on and is re-launching the seaside town as a romantic destination for our French neighbours. You can check out the advertising campaign video here.

Peter Mearns, executive director of marketing and communications at the NWDA, said: “Blackpool is reinventing itself as a 21st century resort and has seen huge investment over the past few years; from five star guest houses to beach volleyball, the new Blackpool has plenty to shout about.

“This quirky short film will encourage people to think again about the resort and discover a new side to Blackpool for themselves.”
At Check Safety First, we wish Blackpool the very best of luck – just make sure you don’t give our French counterparts food poisoning from the Lancashire hotpot!

Eurocamp has announced that it will be branching into the UK with “Brit Camps” to help cash-strapped Brits enjoy a break away and rediscover the British countryside.

The nine sites will be based in the Lake District, Snowdonia, Yorkshire, Scotland and the South West of England. The main difference between what the travel provider currently offers across Europe and what will be available in the UK, is the entertainment. Instead of the usual high-octane children’s entertainment, the company will employ forest rangers to teach the visitors about animal tracking and fire-making skills.

Personally, we think this is a great idea. Not only does it help to ensure that no matter what your budget is, you can still go on a well earned holiday, but it also encourages children, and adults, to get out into the fresh air and learn skills that they may not have ordinarily experienced. All we need now is the guarantee of a rain-free summer.