In this special seasonal issue of Seasons eNews Update, the directors and staff of Seasons Holidays plc would like to take this opportunity to wish our members many happy holidays in 2007 and we look forward to being able to share your experiences via your emails, photographs and letters!

As one of his reindeer is sick, Santa had to call upon Burn Park for the loan of 'Breeze', the goat. Resort manager Gill Kaye said: 'Getting in his good books could help if Seasons ever adds the North Pole as a resort destination!'

£25 WINNING LETTER
ANOTHER GREAT WEEK AT LAUGHARNE
We were very pleased to hear that Sue, Ian and Dan Hammond, from East Yorkshire, enjoyed themselves so much during their recent holiday in Wales.

'We had another great week at Laugharne Park at the end of October. The team made us feel very welcome and relaxed. We’d only been there an hour when Jeremy (a fellow Yorkshireman) came to introduce himself and welcome us to the resort. He knew the surrounding area and was able to guide us on places to see and visit.

Our accommodation was first class and had a wonderful view over the Taf Estuary – it was wonderful to wake up to. The weather was kind to us, but to be honest it is such a nice part of the world that bad weather would not have spoilt our holiday.
There are so many lovely places to visit. My son is studying the Tudors at school, so we took a trip to Pembroke Castle. It is a magnificent place to visit and I would recommend it to anyone.

Heatherton is also a great place for anyone wanting to try different sports – we tried archery, laser clay pigeon shooting, pistol shooting, go-karting and golf.
We had a day travelling and stopping off at various places along the coastal road (recommended by Jeremy) and the seaside resort of Saundersfoot was well worth a visit – the beach was magnificent and would definitely be worth a visit in the warmer summer months.

After a great day out, we would return to the resort and spend the evenings down in the clubhouse. The team were there to make sure the evening went well.
Jeremy did a quiz night and there was hoi bingo, as well as live music.
The cheese and wine evening was also enjoyable and thanks must go to the staff for providing my husband with a selection of meats, as he hates cheese, but loves wine!
Thanks also to Emile and his team for providing a first class service in a pleasant and friendly manner – we look forward to meeting you all again. My son is looking forward to Jeremy giving him a golf lesson next time.

We have only been Seasons members for three years, but have visited Whitbarrow, Laugharne Park, Club Tahiti and Alpinus. We have enjoyed every single one of our holidays and have had first-class service from all the Seasons Staff. We have already booked holidays to Brunston Castle, Burn Park and Clowance for next year and know that they will be as enjoyable as the ones we’ve already taken.
It’s always nice to wonder who we will meet again at a resort when we visit – members and staff alike.

Thanks again for all the great holidays we’ve had and will have in the future.’

Have YOU got a story about your Seasons holiday or short break that you would like to share? Simply email it to insight@seasonsholidays.com and you could win £25 if your entry is chosen as the winning letter in a future edition of Seasons eNews Update! And remember that attaching a photograph will give you a much better chance of catching the Editor’s eye

JENNY WINS TWICE IN ONE NIGHT
When Jenny Chapman of Coleford, Gloucestershire, generously donated her Laugharne Park weekly quiz prize to another member, little did she think that 10 minutes later, she would be winning the top cash prize in a prize draw!

Guest Relations Manager Carl Callaghan explained what happened: “Jenny and her husband Dave won the top quiz prize of a free meal for up to four people, complete with a bottle of wine. However, as they were leaving early next day, they generously decided to donate it to another couple, Dave and Ann Roberts.

“Imagine everyone’s amazement when, literally a few minutes later, restaurant manager Cheryl Whelton pulled Jenny’s name out of the box as being the winner of our £1,000 cash prize draw!

“Jenny told us that she had never won any prize before in her whole life and she just couldn’t believe her luck. And needless to say, her husband was pretty pleased too.”

Our picture (above) shows Carl presenting an amazed Jenny with her cash prize.

SEASONS PILOT TRAINEE MANAGEMENT SCHEME LAUNCHED AT CLOWANCE
Seasons Holidays is at a stage of its development where it is now able to offer a Trainee Management programme, in order to ensure the successful operation of its resorts in the future.

It is designed to perpetuate the high standards of service to all Seasons members and guests, which visitors have a right to expect as regards all aspects of the portfolio of resorts.

The initial pilot scheme has been launched at Clowance, which is lucky enough to have a well known Catering College, part of the University of Cornwall, virtually on the doorstep.

The first two members of staff to have been selected are Jessica Norman, who some Seasons members will recognise from Forest Hills, where she held a variety of positions.
The second is Laura Buckham, from the Reception / Accommodation department at Clowance.

This is a two year day release course and the girls will be mentored by Clowance Resort Manager, Michelle Kirk, who has previously put a trainee through a similar scheme.

Commenting on the project, Michelle said: “Our intention is to ensure that the Seasons ethos will continue as it was intended from its conception.

" This will be no easy ride for the two girls, because they will also have to work in every department for a minimum of two months, including reception, the grounds, housekeeping, maintenance, guest relations and so on. They will start at the bottom and it’s going to be a very challenging period for them.

By investing in training their own Managers, Seasons Holidays will be able to ensure that their commitment to Seasons members’ expectations of high standards of accommodation, facilities and general enjoyment is always provided in the way Seasons Directors originally envisaged. We’ll keep you posted on their progress via this newsletter, so if you encounter either of them, you can let us know how you feel they are progressing!”

Our picture (above) shows Laura on the left and Jessica on the right.

CLOWANCE OWNER IS BIG FAN OF BRUNSTON CASTLE
Enid Parker of Barripper, Camborne, Cornwall, who is a long-term Clowance member, was so delighted with her week’s holiday with her family in November that she wanted to tell both Seasons members and other Clowance owners all about it:

“I fell and broke my ankle just before our visit, so I was on crutches when I arrived with my family, and my daughter is due to have her baby early in January.
We all fell in love with everything at Brunston, even though the week we were there wasn't too good weather-wise. The surrounding countryside is beautiful, the cottages were lovely and provided a warm and very welcoming home from home.
All the local people were so hospitable and the staff at Brunston went out of their way to make us feel at home. It was as if we had known them for a long time and were old friends, as they were exceptionally friendly.
We also enjoyed the swimming pool, which was excellent. Norma and Eliose from Guest Relations were particularly nice to meet although everyone was very friendly and made us feel very comfortable. Thank you to everyone, I am sure that all Clowance Owners will enjoy a visit to Brunston Castle as much as we did.’

… AND HERE ARE TWO MORE SEASONS MEMBERS WHO LOVE BRUNSTON
As you can see form the photograph of Margaret and William Hinselwood from Willbery in East Yorkshire, who are pictured above with Pam from Brunston Castle Guest Relations department, they really are very happy with their Seasons membership as a whole.

‘We have been Seasons members for two years and this was our second visit to Brunston Castle. We thoroughly enjoyed it again, so much so that we decided to upgrade whilst we were there.

Pam from Guest Relations explained everything so clearly and was really nice with no high pressure. There are no hidden catches or costs whatsoever and we would recommend Seasons to everybody. A big thank you to everyone at Brunston Castle.’

Tony and Catriona Hunt are pictured above with Tony’s brother Ron and Brunston Castle housekeepers, Isabel and Wendy, on Catriona’s birthday. The Hunts, who all come from Prenton in Merseyside and are all Seasons Members, wrote to us as follows:
‘ Just a few lines to say thanks to all the staff at Brunston Castle. Their kindness to us over the last few visits has been exceptional at all times, especially our last visit, which was to give my wife a special treat for her birthday.
Norma, the manager, offered to order the red roses which I wanted to get my wife and had them delivered direct. On Catriona's special day, Norma came along with Isabel and Wendy to the cottage with champagne, a card and balloons and sang ‘happy birthday’ to her.
We have always enjoyed our visits to Brunston. The cottages are superb and the staff go out of their way to help - but they do it because they care, not because they have to, which makes all the difference.’

80TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS AT ALPINUS
Although Bill Elliott from Milford on Sea, Hampshire, celebrated his official 80th birthday on November 2nd, four days before he and his partner arrived at Alpinus in the Algarve, he was destined to go on celebrating for some time to come!

‘Both Jill Rayner and I had a wonderful 12 day holiday at Alpinus.
It was our second visit there and a special thank goes to Jude and Becky for the champagne that they presented to me for my 80th birthday - and also to the lady who gave me a bottle of wine from her winnings at the Quiz Night. We will return.’

BOOKING FORMS
We would like to remind all our members that, as an added facility to try to improve the quality of your holidays, we now send out a Booking Form with all confirmations for Seasons resorts in the British Isles. This gives you a chance to specify if you have any special requests, such as cots, high chairs or disabled facilities, as well as informing us about any young guests under the age of 18. Please note that it is important to fill in and return these forms TO THE INDIVIDUAL RESORT NAMED on the form and not to Reservations! Many thanks for helping us to serve you more efficiently from Seasons.

BURN PARK SUPPORTS LOCAL PLAYGROUP
Gill Kaye (left), manager of Burn Park, recently received the following letter of appreciation from Terry Hopper, Chairperson of the local village playgroup:

‘We would like to express our gratitude for the generous donation you made towards our winter fund-raising event. The vouchers and bottle of wine all went towards our collection of prizes for the draw that we held at our Christmas Shopping Evening on 10th November.

It was an extremely successful event, raising well over £400 towards Stratton Playgroup funds. A high percentage of this was made on the sale of draw tickets which was largely attributable to the fantastic spread of prizes.
Many thanks for your support – the money raised will go towards keeping our toys and teaching resources up to date and stimulating for the children in our care.’

WHITBARROW LEISURE CENTRE - DELAYED START
Although we reported in November’s eNews that the complete refit of the Whitbarrow Village leisure centre would commence on January 8th 2007, we have now been informed that this work has had to be re-scheduled, with work commencing at the beginning of April and completion due in late Autumn.

Therefore, those of you planning a holiday or short break at Whitbarrow in January, February or March can be assured that the leisure centre will still be fully functional. But if you have a holiday or break booked in early April, please check with Reservations on 0870 429 8844 nearer the time as to whether the leisure centre will still be open.

Naturally, we apologise to our members for any inconvenience caused, but assure you that because the building work will take place on the edge of the Reception area car park, disruption to your holidays will be minimized.

May we remind any members who didn’t see the article in last month’s eNews that during the refurbishment period, Seasons has made alternative arrangements with the elegant Lodore Falls Hotel at Borrowdale, some 14 miles away, where Seasons members and guests can enjoy free use of this superb hotel’s wide range of facilities.
These include landscaped gardens, all-weather tennis court, squash court, children's play area and outdoor swimming pool. Indoor facilities include the Lodore Leisure Suite, with swimming pool, sauna, sunbed and well-equipped gym. They even have a beauty salon, offering a varied selection of treatments for both ladies and gentlemen. All you need to take is a swimming towel.

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SEASONS IMPORTANT EMAIL ADDRESSES
To make bookings at any of Seasons owned or affiliated resorts, or to book value for money Seasons midweek or weekend breaks, and for any general enquiries about your membership, simply email reservations@seasonsholidays.com

For advice on every aspect of your holiday, with all tickets fully ATOL protected through our association with Vacation Travel Seasons Travel Club email travelclub@seasonsholidays.com. The Travel Club online enquiry/booking service is open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year.
For more details click here.

Generous offers are always available for friends and relations of members to come and experience Seasons for themselves - plus incentives for members! For the current special offers email referrals@seasonsholidays.com

If any members wish to contact Seasons Owners Consultative Committee email mail@socc.org.uk