Robert Walshe is a travel broadcaster with Q Radio Network & Travel Editor for River Newspapers Ireland & Lifestyle Northern Ireland Online - www.robertwalshe.com
TRAVEL
Home & Away with Robert Walshe A recent survey of men revealed that getting rid of the beer belly is the biggest preholiday worry, with more than half admitting anxiety at the prospect of unleashing their tummies. Despite such worries, 53 per cent of those who cited such views said they had done nothing to tackle their waistline before their last trip. One in three said they had tried to do something about it – but failed. Also at the forefront of a man’s pre-travel fears was something far more stereotypical. Nearly half (48 per cent) said that missing out on a sporting event had been a cause for concern. Weekend Hotspot – Chatsworth Estate, Derbyshire UK Chatsworth in Derbyshire is a wonderful place for visitors of all ages to explore, whether dressing up in the house, splashing about in the garden or meeting animals in the farmyard.The total estate encompasses 12,000 acres of farmland, woods and moorland. In fact, everything about it is on a grandiose scale. The entrance, via its long driveway, captivates you immediately. It has been home to no less than 12 Dukes of Devonshire and has undergone many facelifts in its long history. Chatsworth was conceived and executed by Bess of Hardwick. The young widow married Sir William Cavendish, who bought the estate in 1549 and although William died five years after building began, Chatsworth has stayed in the Cavendish family ever since. Jane Austen fans will recognise the exterior of Chatsworth as the location for the 2005 film of Pride & Prejudice starring Keira Knightley.The house has over 30 rooms to explore, from the magnificent painted hall,
to the family-used chapel, regal state rooms, newly restored sketch galleries and beautiful sculpture gallery. The 105 acre garden is a magical landscape, beautiful in all seasons, and it can be visited separately from the house. For families, it remains an endless source of delight, play and relaxation. The maze and the waterworks provide hours of fun and exploration, but everywhere there are wonderful things to see, touch, smell and discover, with intriguing sculptures, a Victorian tunnel, the herbs and vegetables of the kitchen garden and a giant rock garden. A packed events programme also offers fun for all the family throughout all the school holidays whether it’s taking a torchlight tour for Halloween or seeing the house transformed for Christmas. Chatsworth is also the perfect setting for a Georgian Summer to celebrate 200 years since the publication of Jane Austen’s novel. Those arriving in period costume will receive two for 1 entry in the house and garden where there will be Georgian themed events taking place every Saturday this summer alongside a free family trail; dressing up costumes; Georgian themed garden tours and music in the garden. An outdoor theatre performance of Pride and Prejudice takes place on 1 August with tickets available to book now online. Advance tickets are now on sale for
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the Chatsworth Country Fair (30 August-1 September) which once again is serving up three days of spectacular entertainment. Admission to the Garden; House & Garden; Farmyard and to all the attractions via a Chatsworth Complete ticket are all available. Prices start from £6 for a child garden ticket and £10 adult. Full details available on the website. Everything you can buy at Chatsworth, from food and drink to books and china, reflects the exceptional quality of the house, collection and estate. For more information and a full calendar of events including tours and activities, visit www.chatsworth.org Located just a couple of miles away Pilsley comprises a village green, a school, a post office and a pub. Now part of the Devonshire Hotel’s minichain of boutique hotels, the Devonshire Arms has been re-invented as a smart pub
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with seven rooms that also serves food. While much of the downstairs area has been given over to eating it still retains a ‘local’ feel. The pub serves a couple of decent local real ales including the local Chatsworth Gold. Rooms at the Devonshire Arms at Pilsley are on a bed and breakfast basis and for best rates visit www.devonshirepilsley.co.uk Staying at the other Devonshire Arms at Beeley one of those picturesque country villages that visitors love to discover. you are literally on the doorstep to Chatsworth Estate. The cottage bedrooms are chic and full of character. Named after local dales each is furnished with comfortable beds and personally decorated by the Duchess in vibrant colourful fabrics. The Devonshire Arms at Beeley is one of the hip places to eat in Derbyshire and you end up competing for tables
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with the trendy locals! www. devonshirebeeley.co.uk The Chatsworth estate is easily accessible from airports at Manchester, East Midlands & Birmingham. My preferred car rental company on this trip was Hertz & pick up at Manchester airport was simplified with a collection service in operation outside the terminal building. A reminder also that gold plus rewards members enjoy fast pick up and drop off car rental including exclusive benefits. Hertz consumer discounts with full details are available at www.hertz.ie or call Hertz on (0035) (1) 676 7476.
Home & Away Deal of the Week
From now until 2 September, Hilton HHonors is encouraging travellers to save with The Great Getaway by
offering discounts of up to 40% off room rates across its European hotels. From Rome to Berlin, Dublin to Dubai, the Algarve to Edinburgh, travellers can choose from a huge array of city and resort locations from a portfolio that includes Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Double Tree by Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn and Hampton by Hilton. Conrad Dublin a luxury hotel located in the heart of Dublin city beside St. Stephen’s Green and overlooking The National Concert Hall. Featuring 191 stylish rooms and suites, Conrad Dublin’s range of guest accommodations feature attractive décor, luxurious amenities and the hotel has recently launched The Terrace, for al fresco dining and after work drink. www.hhonors.com.
Home and Away Extra The visits of the Obama and Kennedy families last month to Ireland seem to have given the tourism industry another welcome boost according to latest figures from Hotels.com.The travel experts have reported a marked increase in searches* for places visited by both families in the past week.US searches on Hotels.com for New Ross, Co. Wexford are up 100% year-
Pet’s Corner...
on-year which in part can be attributed to the highly publicised visit of the Kennedy family to New Ross at the weekend to mark the former President’s visit to Ireland 50 years ago. Michelle Obama’s lunch with Bono also appears to have sparked interest in the capital, with US searches for Dublin on the site up 21% year-on-year while UK searches for Dublin are up 52%.
with Kathleen Murray
What guidance does your dog need? It can be confusing for people sometimes to know what their dog needs rather than what it wants. Many people think that if they join a basic obedience class then this will solve their problems. They think that if a dog learns a few basic commands such as SIT or STAY etc then the dog will be workable. This is a big mistake. Working with a dog is a long term project. Some dogs learn quickly and some dogs need more time. Dogs can learn new things easily and often faster than their owners. . I have worked with many dogs over many years and the one thing that
has consistently been a barrier to a dog’s rehabilitation has been its handler. I use the word handler and not owner because the dog will not always be with it’s owner. The handler is the person that needs to know how to control what they have on the end of the lead. It doesn’t matter if the person is the owner or not. The connection in this work is simply a person, a lead and a dog. Any person, any dog. Training and control always starts at home and as young as possible. Training and control are two very different things. You can train a dog to do many things
but you might not be in control of the dog. A dog can go to a 6 week dog training class and end up as unruly as the day it started. It may know a couple of commands but out in the real world it will not listen if you are not in control of the dog as well. Some people have a mental block when it comes to control. They think it is a negative thing because they may have resented control themselves, so they let the dog do what it wants so that the dog can enjoy itself. A dog enjoying itself is often a nightmare for people that don’t like dogs or people out walking with kids
(or a baby in a buggy). An out of control dog is a dangerous dog because it is liable to do anything, and,, without control over the dog, the person that took it out will just end up being a passenger in the nightmarethat follows. Explaining what a dog needs long term can be a waste of time if a person just wants the dog to “stop pulling on the lead”. Any dog that I have ever met that is pulling on a lead is also doing other important things that it should not be doing.... most obviously, not listening to it’s owner in the first place. Lots of people just want a quick fix and find
it too much of a commitment and a bother to set up a good behaviour long-term plan for their dog. A dog lives a long time and it will go through many things and can develop problems at any stage of it’s life. People in general don’t understand the workings of the mind of a dog and this is perfectly acceptable because otherwise there would be no need for dog
trainers etc., but to try to fix something you know nothing about yourself is not acceptable. If you are experiencing problems in control or training then contact me on 0863192247 and I will tell you if you need to work the problem at home or if a class is a good place for you and your dog to be. Every problem is different, and every dog and owner are different.