SEASONS JANUARY 2006 NEWSLETTER

LANZAROTE BIRTHDAY GIRL!
Just to prove a Seasons holiday is ideal at any age, Julie and Richard Quin from Newton, Powys, visited Lanzarote recently with a family group aged between 9 and 90!
‘For my mother's 90th Birthday (pictured left), we took her to Seasons Club Tahiti, we had a fantastic holiday and the staff were excellent. We also took David, who is nine years old and he was very well entertained by the Children's Club organiser (so much so that he didn't want to leave the site).

Although we are Seasons members, we had picked up a ‘Getaway’ through Interval International.  On arriving, we had been allocated an upstairs apartment, which my mother found difficult to get to, but within 15 minutes of arriving and without us requesting to move, we were offered a transfer to a downstairs apartment, which was excellent. We visited most of the island by car that we had hired at the airport and my mother loved her visit.  We were also able to hire a wheelchair, which the front desk organised for us. I would recommend Club Tahiti to everyone, the staff are so friendly.  We were very impressed with the how clean the apartments were kept and also the prompt service of the maintenance department. In fact we could not fault any part of our holiday.  Thank you to the resort staff for the excellent service they provide.’

‘TOUGH GOING’ FOR N.Y. MARATHON
As promised in our April 2005 eNews Update, we can now report that, despite the fact that he was severely hampered by a knee injury suffered during training, Adam Griffiths (son of Seasons members Ray and Jorie), showed true grit in finishing the New York Marathon last November.
The family, who live in Penruddock, near Whitbarrow Village, said they were most grateful for the sponsorship of Seasons Holidays and a number of other local businesses, and that it was Ian’s dogged determination to raise the promised £2,400 for his favourite charity, Cancer Research, that kept him going.

Ian was number 12,376 of 36,000 runners from around the world and was given a predicted time of 3 hours 30 minutes to complete the race.  However, he sensed that all was not well when his knee started playing up after only five miles and by eight miles, he had to head into one of the race’s medical centres for painkilling gel, which worked for a while.  Then he reported:  “At 11 miles I felt something give in my knee, a flash of pain and it seized.  After a few abusive words and adding some cold water to it I was off again.”

At 16 miles he was in such pain that he had to visit another medical tent.  “Here I was given more gel and some little red drugs.  I headed out of the tent ready to go again but it was no good, every time I accelerated it felt like my knee was ripping itself apart. I started walking, with 10.2 miles to go.  If I wasn’t going to be able to run this marathon then I WAS going to finish it!”

To cut a long story short, he walked the rest of the race, despite increasing pain. “At one point I was overtaken by a little old lady wearing a clown suit but I was beyond caring.  The last two miles were really tough, but the idea of giving up scared me more than finishing. The last 400 metres, I could see the finish line around the corner and I decided, I may not have run the whole race but I was going to finish it running! The last 100 metres came and I accelerated, everything screamed back at me but I had made it through the finish line running.”

We are sure that all our readers will join us in saying “well done, Ian” and we are particularly proud of the fact that he  made up the shortfall to the charity from the money he earned working at Rheged during the university summer vacation.

Our picture (above) shows Adam with Assistant Manager Alison Watson at Whitbarrow Village, selecting the winner of the prize draw which formed part of Adam’s fund-raising activities.  Will Morgan won the one week accommodation at Alpinus for four people, donated by Seasons Holidays.

RESORT SURVEY RESULTS ‘POSITIVE’
More than 5,000 surveys were returned to Seasons during 2005 and we are pleased to report that typically, 80% of the scores were either “excellent” or “good”.  As we reported last November, the Resort Managers meet regularly every three months and the results from the comments sheets are discussed in great detail, with many decisions being based on their content. Speaking about the results of the survey, Burn Park manager Gill Kaye said: “The results are also used to pass on praise to our staff and as a training tool for areas that need improvement.  Over the last year, we have seen all resorts pull into line and are all now scoring similar results.  Generally speaking, this is a good way to give the management teams guidelines as to the needs of our members.  All in all, it is important to complete these questionnaires with either compliments, complaints or suggestions for improvements, as I can assure members that we really do listen – and act!”

AFRICAN DREAM HOLIDAY
Even Seasons  well-travelled Edinburgh members, Sheila and John Thomson, were happy to admit to being absolutely enthralled by their experiences when staying at two of the Seasons South African affiliated resorts recently:
‘We have just recently returned from two weeks holiday in South Africa.  We have done many exchanges through RCI and latterly Interval International, but this was our first within the Seasons affiliates programme and I must admit I was a bit apprehensive.  However, I needn’t have been. The two resorts, Sanbonani (Kruger National Park) and Strand Pavilion (Cape Town), were in different but equally spectacular settings.

On our first night at Sanbonani, a dark shape appeared from the river in front of our lodge – a real live hippo no less!  We had to keep our distance of course but it was a wonderful experience.  Many happy hours were spent on our verandah relaxing and bird spotting. The pool at the resort was one of the best I have seen and we managed to fit in a swim in between visiting Kruger, eating pancakes at Graskop, doing a couple of walks in ‘Jock of the Buschveldt’ country, as well as staying away overnight at a private safari park.  When the management complete the refurb programme, which is already underway, this will be a truly first class resort - we were reluctant to leave.

At Strand Pavilion, we enjoyed a comfortable, spacious flat overlooking False Bay with its beautiful beaches, ideal for a 6am walk.  This time we spent our week seeing all the things we had missed or had wanted to re-visit on a previous visit to Cape Town.  The Kirstenbosch Gardens were at their best. The proteas were magnificent with brightly coloured sunbirds sipping nectar from the blooms.  We also visited Hermanus twice to watch the Southern Right Whales as they rested and fed on their journey to the Antarctic.  A visit to the wine producing area around Stellenbosch was on the agenda, as was a day in Franshoek, not forgetting a day’s shopping at the Waterfront in Cape Town.  The Strand was an excellent focus for reaching all these areas (with a car) and was also convenient for the airport.’

‘NO SMOKING’ POLICY FROM FEBRUARY 1ST
Following the latest round of discussions with Seasons Owners Consultative Committee (SOCC), the decision has been taken that, as from February 1st 2006, there will be a strict ‘no smoking’ policy in the clubhouses and restaurants of all of Seasons English resorts.  This is in line with the new no smoking laws enforced in Scotland and the Republic of  Ireland, which state that smoking is not allowed in the workplace at Brunston Castle or Knocktopher Abbey, nor in the Brunston Castle Golf clubhouse.  In addition, at Brunston Castle and Knocktopher, the legislation extends to the resort reception areas and to the holiday cottages and apartments themselves.  This is because, for legal purposes, they are treated as enclosed places of work, since housekeeping has to clean the accommodation every week. We will be placing suitable ashtrays near the units at all affected resorts for members who wish to smoke.

MAKE USE OF SEASONS OFFERS
Joan and John Thompson did just that and it sounds as if they had a great time.  They were also mighty impressed by the newly built cottages at Whitbarrow Village:
‘In the October eNews, Seasons offered low season weeks at Whitbarrow, our nearest resort, which is usually red all year. I was on the phone like a flash because this meant as Elite Club members, we could use our free short break.  We booked a sleep six hoping friends would join us. Everyone else was too wrapped up in Christmas shopping and other preparations to take up the opportunity. We knew we were taking a chance with the weather so took plenty to occupy us – the Christmas cards, reading, swimming gear etc. On arrival at Whitbarrow we were surprised to be put in one of the new units. It was with great excitement that we entered the door. It was one of the upside down ones! The three bedrooms downstairs were well appointed and looked really great. Upstairs was stunning. The kitchen and dinning room on one level and the lounge with the bed settee one step down. It was beautiful. It felt spacious and had fantastic views of the surrounding area.

(Pictured - Mountain view of The Lakes)

We really enjoy walking and the Lake District offers all levels, so when Saturday dawned dank and grey, we picked out a forest walk on the Dodd. Although there was moisture in the air it did not mature into rain. The sun came through the clouds at times giving spectacular lighting effects. A really enjoyable day followed by a swim and an excellent meal in the restaurant over the Saddle back bar. Sunday dawn was sunny and the sky was blue with some cloud. We picked out a walk at about 600m above Derwent Water which included Bleaberry Fell and High Seat. The views to the north of Derwent Water, Bassenthwaite, Skidaw, and Blencathra were spectacular. The view up Borrowdale was cloudy and looked pretty grim but we were in sunshine. We could not believe our luck.  Monday dawn was even better – not a cloud in the sky. Causey Pike 637m was our aim and from that we would decide on time and light how much more we did. The little rock scramble at the top of Causey pike made us feel we had really climbed a mountain! We made the walk into a horseshoe by including Style End and Barrow. The views were exceptional. The colours were magnificent on Derwent Water, Bassenthwaite, Skiddaw, and  Blencathra but looking into the main body of the Lakes District the sun put everything into shades of  silhouette. A brilliant and exceptional day. We are really glad we responded to the offer that Seasons made. The weather was fantastic but if it had rained all weekend we had a wonderful unit in which to relax with plenty to do on site. Thanks Seasons.’

REFURBISHMENTS ALMOST FINISHED
We are delighted to announce that the extensive refurbishment programmes at Burn Park and Laugharne Park
are due to be fully completed by March 31st this year.

£25 WINNING LETTER
MEETING UP, SEASONS STYLE
Amazingly, Elite Member Isobel Turnbull and her husband Bryan from Glasgow seem to have discovered that meeting up with old friends from southern England is easier to arrange at a  Seasons resort overseas than it is in the UK!:
‘I am back in touch with a friend I had when at school through the Friends Reunited Website and we have spoken often on the telephone and kept in touch by email too.   My husband and I had booked for the last week in May at Alpinus in Portugal and I invited my friend Christine and her husband Raymond to join us as we have a two bed apartment.   After some persuasion with her husband, they decided to join us.   They live in Surrey so we all flew from our respective nearest airports and met up in Portugal.   We had a lovely time together and fortunately all got on well, so much so, they are coming to Club Tahati in Lanzarote in March with us and once again we will meet up abroad - which seems to be easier than meeting in this country.   Both husbands were somewhat apprehensive, but the four of us had such a laugh together! The photo shows Christine (right) and myself, taken at Lagos, which is a beautiful place. I hope they all like Lanzarote as much! We also met up with another couple whom we had met at Brunston Castle at New Year and the six of us had a meal out together in Albufeira, which was great fun. It’s lovely when you can meet up with friends whom you have known before and bring them on a Seasons Holiday with you, and know they will enjoy themselves and the accommodation will be excellent and the staff very helpful.’

Seasons Owners Consultative Committee (SOCC)
SOCC has sent this summary report on its recent meeting with Seasons management, when a number of issues arising from member contacts to SOCC were discussed.

• Booking line: transfer back to Laugharne had gone fairly smoothly, with some delays in handling the heavy numbers of calls over the Christmas/New Year period. Seasons will be looking to make further improvements in call handling and wait times. (Note: the booking line number remains the same – 0870 429 8844).
• No Smoking policy: this was discussed in the light of legislation already in place in Scotland and Ireland, and that currently before Parliament which will apply to England. Knocktopher is already non-smoking, and Brunston will become non-smoking effective 26th March. Seasons said they would consider moving to non-smoking in public areas at English resorts in advance of the likely date for legal compliance. It was noted that there are notices in all resort units requesting smoker members to kindly refrain from smoking within the units out of consideration for other users.
• Resort satisfaction surveys: Seasons presented the results of ongoing surveys, based on over 5,000 responses in 2005. The results were considered generally satisfactory, with typically 80% being either “excellent” or “good” scores for the various aspects surveyed.
• Resales: sometimes members may decide to sell their weeks because of changing personal circumstances. In such cases members are encouraged to contact SOCC for independent advice.
• Booking issues: whilst members may state a preference for a specific unit at time of booking, and such requests will be noted, Seasons do not guarantee that a specific unit will be allocated. Priority is, however, given in respect of members with particular requirements, such as disabilities (units with disabled facilities are now in place at most UK resorts). Members should please ensure that any requests are clearly communicated at time of booking.

If you have anything you would like to refer to SOCC, you may contact the committee in confidence by email on mail@socc.org.uk, or by writing to SOCC, c/o Seasons Holidays plc, Brotherswood Court, Bradley Stoke, Bristol BS32 4QW (mail is forwarded to SOCC unopened).

OUT-OF-SEASON ALPINUS  ‘EXCELLENT’
Although Mark Adams admits to being first in line to complain if things go wrong, he and his wife Margaret, from Pontypridd, were so impressed by their week at Alpinus in the second week in December that he felt moved to write and say so!
‘I would like to say thank you for an excellent week my wife and I have spent in Alpinus. It was our first visit to an overseas Seasons resort and one that we thoroughly enjoyed.  The facilities are first class and the staff were friendly and approachable at all times.  Can I make a special mention of Rod Maguire (why doesn’t he do stand up comedy – he’d be good at it!) and Georgia in Customer Relations, who gave us a lot of good advice about the local area.  Even thought it was a quite time of year, there was still enough going on to keep us entertained – much better than shivering at home. It is certainly a venue we would plan to visit in the future.  I freely admit to being among the first to complain when things go wrong (and have done so to Seasons in the past) but there are also times when I feel it is appropriate to say thank you when one receives excellent service – so thank you very much.’

SHEER POETRY!
Seasons member Ray Morris, of Stockton-on-Tees, was so impressed by the treatment he received at Brunston Castle before Christmas that he sent manager Norma Docherty the following poem, which is now proudly on display in reception:

‘A SEASONS VISIT’

Have you been to Ayrshire, and visited its coastal town?
We also visited ‘Brunston Castle’ a Seasons resort renown.
The staff they were smiling, inviting, at everyone’s beck and call.
Their faces full of character, the facts before us all.
But the vision that most impressed me, was the walk along a country lane, Dailly Lane.
Now the leaves are falling to the ground below,
So there is no foliage to hold the winter snow.
The birds they are assembled for their winter flight,
The squirrel, like other animals, has prepared its winter stock,
In a tree will be sleeping, that the winter gales will rock.
Snow will come blanket, all the earth around,
And tell-tale footprints will confirm that fox can still be found.
Soon the church bells will be summoning us, on Christmas Day,
To celebrate the birth of Jesus, born in Bethlehem that day.

ONE NUMBER FOR ALL BOOKINGS
Will members please note that, for your added convenience, you will only need to dial a single number for both Reservations and Membership Services from now on. 
ALL BOOKING ENQUIRIES should be directed to 0870 429 8844, including Seasons member resorts, short breaks, affiliate bookings and exchange requests. Reservation/Membership Services hours are Monday to Friday, 9 am to 7 pm. 
Once bookings are confirmed, we can transfer you to the Travel Club, or if you have any travel only enquiries, please call on their new telephone number, 0870 429 8666.


SEASONS IMPORTANT EMAIL ADDRESSES

• To make bookings at any of the 5 Seasons UK or 4 sunshine resorts, or to book value for money Seasons midweek or weekend breaks email reservations@seasonsholidays.com
• For any general enquiries about your membership and to make bookings at Seasons affiliated resorts worldwide email memservices@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

BACK ISSUES OF eNEWS
Members wishing to read previous issues of Seasons eNews Update should visit www.seasonsholidays.com, go to the Members page and click on ‘Members News’.

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