I hope that you enjoyed the Music Festival.  I saw you there. 

Dartmouth Music Festival

Dancing and singing in the Market, outside Dartmouth Holiday Homesoffice.  Mind you, it was later in the day.  You probably had a good lunch.  And who was she?  You obviously knew her well.  Wasn’t the music great?  Must be wonderful to stay at the Marina. 

Dartmouth Marina

What a contrast to your cabin at the Naval College.  She must have loved it.  And what was the meal like?  Angelique?  Mitch Tonks?  Kendricks?  Jan and Freddie?  Royal Castle?  Browns?  There are so many good restaurants in Dartmouth.

Diamond Jubilee

But…Next time you come be sure to contact Liv, Sandra or Rose to book
a Dartmouth Holiday Home.  The Best.

Dartmouth is in the South Hams: the beautiful southerly region of Devon is a must see for anyone wisely deciding to holiday in our beautiful West Country.

Dartmouth

The Harbour itself is stunning and is deep enough to accommodate huge ships; liners, yachts, tall ships costing many millions or comparatively little.  Explore up and down the river itself and visit Kingswear, pastel coloured homes facing the town on the other side of the water, Blackawton, where you can join the annual worm charming contest, Blackpool Sands – the large shingle beach which was invaluable to the allies preparing for the D-Day landings and Slapton Sands and The Ley which highlight nature in the Sea and in the beautiful freshwater lake.

Slapton Sands

Visit the National Trust properties of Coleton Fishacre, once home of the D’oyly Carte family and Greenway, home of Agatha Christie.

Agatha Christie

The list is endless and i don’t want to sound like a tourist information centre.  But…I have to mention Monty Hall.  You may know that he is currently featuring in a series of programmes on Cornish Fishing and the great news that he has a new venture opening in Dartmouth: almost next door to Dartmouth Holiday Homes!

Monty Hall

This is the The Great Escapes Shop which will be a base for Monty’s adventure tours, courses, diving etc but also a place for a great cup of coffee and chat with Monty when he is not filming or under water.

Sad to say that Lara, Dartmouth Holiday Homes athlete and oarswoman, is leaving us to seek her fortune far away, in Bristol. We wish her well…but no woman is invaluable – except my wife!

Love Hearts

With only 4 days until VALENTINE’s, have you got any idea what you’ll  surprise your LOVEd one with?

The panic is over, let us PROPOSE an idea…We’re offering 20% off selected seaside properties for that special ROMANTIC getaway!

Dartmouth Sunset

Think CHAMPAGNE glasses clinking in the SUNSET, three course CANDLELIT dinners on cliff tops, and the sand between your toes!  What more can a LOVEd one ask for?!

Sand between your toes

View our latest offers on http://www.dartmouthuk.com/special-offers/

After a frenzied New Year the loudest sound is the seagulls and even they seem to be fewer this year than last.

 
New Year was fun. Dartmouth is the place to be at New Year. The streets are full of pirates, nurses (hopefully not really needed!), Romans with Jesus. Lara was part of a film crew but was not arrested.

 
The recent cruise liner disaster is chastening. Those poor people. We often have splendid ships in the harbour. Huge multi-decked things that make you wonder how they float. They seem incongruous, towering above the houses. I suspect that the disaster will affect the demand for cruise holidays and more will stay at home.

 
The next events coming up, after half term are, the Dartmouth Comedy Festival, the Spring Concert by the Britannia Royal Naval College band, the Gig Regatta and the Music Festival; all before 11th May. There is something going on in the area almost every weekend and often during the week and Dartmouth Holiday Homes is often able to offer short breaks, self catering, so that visitors can enjoy these events at a reasonable cost.

 
We look forward to welcoming you.

There has been a market in the centre of Dartmouth since time immemorial and in addition to the new permanent shops (come and take a look – photography, art, fishing equipment, pets, children’s clothing, barbers,jewellery, delicatessen, café and of course your quality South Hams newspaper and Holiday Letting Agency) twice weekly market stalls and regular farmers markets.

Dartmouth Fatstock

A highlight of the year is the Fatstock market when the farming gentry from far and wide bring their prize cattle, sheep and poultry for judging and sale.  This gives tourists the opportunity to check what a cow looks like and how to tell the difference
between a heifer and a steer.  Unfortunately, two years ago, a bullock almost came through the plate glass window of our office and scared Liv so much that she has an annual holiday on Fatstock day!

The Royal Castle at Christmas

So…We are all set for Christmas.  All lit up and the Royal Castle Hotel wrapped like a present.  Just the place to be for Christmas and New Year.  Dartmouth Holiday Homes has a few vacancies but New Year especially is filling fast!

Have a Wonderful Christmas and 2012 in Dartmouth.

After the success of Candlelit Dartmouth, we’re pencilling in the next set of upcoming events, in fact with so much going on, we’re lucky to have our advent calendars to remind us of the dates!

Start your Tree-mendous Christmas off on the 10^th of December at Stoke Fleming church. 27 Christmas trees will be lit and decorated all at once…It is sure to be a spectacularly sparkling soiree!

Christmas Tree

Choo Choo…Calling all Train spotters! The Santa Express is boarding…

Between the 10^th and 23^rd of December, you can enjoy a beautiful steam train journey where Santa will come and greet you at your seat!  Fun for all the family!

Shopping bags at the ready…On Tuesday 13^th of December be prepared for Festive fun and frolics through the streets of Totnes at the Christmas Markets, guaranteed stress-free shopping!

Totnes Christmas Market

If this isn’t enough to tempt you to our glorious shores, I’m sure the thought of saving loads of money on a unforgettable Christmas will…

Click on the link below to view all our Christmas and New Year offers:

http://www.dartmouthuk.com/special-offers/

Devon in the Snow

18 days and counting…

Feeling snowed under with the thought of getting organised for the festive season? Look no further!

On the 2nd and 3rd December,  back by popular demand, Dartmouth will be hosting its fifth consecutive Candlelit Dartmouth!

A fantastically Festive weekend that wraps it all up!

• Christmas Lights
• Santa arriving by boat
• Late night shopping
• Candlelit dinners
• Entertainers
• Musicians
• Markets and much, much more!

As a present to you, we are offering 20% OFF a selection of properties for a short break over that weekend!

Candlelit Dartmouth 2011

Dartmouth.  Off the air and autumn is upon us.

I have been off the air for a while.

Many apologies.  Affairs of State.

Much water has passed down the river and out to sea.  When you last tuned in Lara and her Dad were about to row into the record books at the Royal Regatta.  Unfortunately, fates conspired against them and they achieved a creditable fifth.  Oh well…next time.

The Royal Regatta was, as always, a great success.  We were all greatly saddened by the death of a Red Arrows pilot the week before they were due to appear in Dartmouth.  Of course, this resulted in cancellation but all else continued and we had a great week.

Dartmouth Holiday Homes kept busy.  We need more properties as we were fully booked and we are again as I write during the October Half Term holidays.

We have just finished the Dartmouth Food Festival.  Another great success, with tasters at every turn and some wonderful creations by good local chefs.  Our office is right in the middle of things.  We are warming up for Christmas.

Book with DHH for a free Christmas tree!

Dartmouth New Year Fireworks

_

Have you booked? Are you coming?

Four days not to be missed and they are almost upon us (24^th-27^th August).

This is the Tourist highlight of the year and I will tell you why. The girls of Dartmouth Holiday Homes have their busiest week of the year and they are so pleased because this gives them even more excuse to work (you will have read of their mania before!)

All our houses and flats are full during Regatta (there are a couple left as I write) and many of our visitors will come year on year.

The fun starts with yacht racing, based at the Yacht Clubs on each side of the river mouth and rowing races, featuring all comers. Lara, when not playing international hockey and making the occasional visit to the office row’s with her Dad. Last year they were narrowly beaten in the final but the betting is on them to succeed this year. Look out for the Dartmouth Holiday Homes team on the quay, cheering Lara on.

During Regatta week there is a huge funfair in the middle of the town, luring those with minimal brain to even greater lunacy. Screams of abject terror pierce the night, competing with the fantastic shows of fireworks which light up the harbour.

The superb formation flying team, Red Arrows, give a virtuoso performance up and down the harbour; disappearing one moment behind surrounding hills and then reappearing at high speed at low level amid coloured vapour trails. They make you feel proud to be British and draw thousands of people from the South Hams to Dartmouth.

Get there early, grab a drink and some fish and chips, enjoy the sunshine and the beautiful Dartmouth Scenery.

The Red Arrows Flying High

You might have been as surprised as I was to see on television that we had The South Devon Crab Festival in Dartmouth this weekend.

This must have been one of Dartmouth’s best kept secrets. I reckon that 99% of the population knew nothing about what must have been a fun and interesting day.

This really is THE area for large and delicious crabs and apparently, if you happened to be walking by at the time, you will have been taught how to dress and undress them and how to serve them. You would also have had a taste. Fantastic. One of nature’s best and most nutritious foods!

We will give you as much notice as we can next year. If you book with DHH next year we will throw in a crab large enough to provide a meal for four. (Weather and availability permitting!). These will be caught by Lara’s Dad, who is at sea as I write (so is his daughter!).

South Devon Crab Picking Queens