SEASONS TO BE FIRST SPONSOR OF MAJOR HORSE RACE
It was an historic day for both Cheltenham Racecourse and Seasons Holidays Plc, when it was announced on January 9th that the company is to be the first-ever sponsor of the Queen Mother Champion Chase, due to take place on Wednesday, March 14, 2007.

The announcement took place at trainer Alan King's Wiltshire stables, as he paraded ante-post favourite Voy Por Ustedes.

The two-mile championship contest is to be run as the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase and is one of the four major championship events over the four days of The Cheltenham Festival, one of Europe's most important dates on the racing calendar.

The race, which was first run in 1959 and re-titled the Queen Mother Champion Chase in 1980 to celebrate the Queen Mother's 80th birthday, has consistently produced thrilling contests between some of the best-loved and admired horses in training.

With a prize fund of £310,000, this will be the feature event of the festival's second day, with presentations being made by Seasons chairman, Barry Hurley (pictured above right), accompanying the Princess Royal.

Edward Gillespie, Cheltenham's Managing Director, said: "The Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase is the last of the championship feature races at The Festival to be open for commercial sponsorship. We are very pleased to have found a dynamic British-based consumer brand, Seasons Holidays, that we can work with to take the great race forward."

Season's Holidays Chairman Barry Hurley commented: "We are delighted to have concluded sponsorship of such a prestigious race. The Cheltenham Festival is the highlight of the racing calendar. I have been buying and breeding racehorses over the last 10 years and this opportunity enables me to combine my lifelong passion for racing with an attractive commercial opportunity to promote Seasons Holidays across the British Isles and around the world."

CHRISTMAS AT WHITBARROW
Only three months ago, franchisees Wayne and Nichola Robley and her family took over the running of Mallards Restaurant and the Saddleback Bar at Whitbarrow Village. Since then, they have provided a warm and friendly atmosphere and on Christmas Day, they made sure that everything went with a real bang, with fantastic food.

Guests Marlene Prosser and family left a letter with reception going into great detail of their wonderful experience. The story begins at Marlene's place of work, telling her team 'five and counting'. When they asked 'five to what? five hours to lunch?' she replied 'no, five hours to Whitbarrow!'.

Then she went on to describe the beautiful ambience as she strolled around the resort on Christmas Eve. 'The temperature outside was minus two degrees and the trees and plants were rimmed with frost, making it all look magical, with the mulled wine indoors as a lovely mellowing touch'. Christmas dinner was praised in the letter, as she overheard people commenting with remarks such as: 'the best Christmas meal they had ever experienced' and 'we will certainly be back next year'. But the most pleasing comment was undoubtedly: 'you can stay at a hotel and you are just a moving commodity, but here you are a member of a club - a friend'.

Marlene concluded her letter in appreciation of all the hard work that went into creating such a special day, with a special mention for 'Shirley the chef, Alasdair the resort manager and Nichola, plus Wayne in his bah humbug hat, cracking a smile and keeping customers happy at the bar.'

HALF PRICE SPRING SHORT BREAKS
Here's an unrepeatable offer to all our members, with plenty of opportunities for either three night weekend or four night midweek breaks at Brunston Castle in Scotland, Laugharne Park in Wales, and Whitbarrow Village in the Lake District only.

The offer applies to arrivals at the resort between Friday 2nd March and Monday 26th March 2007. For instance, a midweek break in a two bedroom unit for four nights for up to six people would be a total of just £61! How can you resist the temptation?
Simply call Reservations on 01994 426000 (9am-7pm Monday to Friday) to book your break now.

Please note that this offer is for new bookings only. Existing short break booking rules apply. All bookings are subject to availability.

'ARCHERS' STARS TO ENJOY ALPINUS HOLIDAY
A husband and wife team who play two of the leading roles in Britain's longest running UK radio serial, 'The Archers', recently paid the highest bid at a charity auction for a week's holiday at the Alpinus resort, donated by Seasons Holidays.

The event was held by the Institute of Sales Promotions after their Christmas lunch at London's Four Seasons Hotel, and the couple's £1,500 bid was one of the most generous contributions made during the afternoon.

Charles Collingwood (above), who plays Brian Aldridge and his wife Judy, who plays Shula Hebden Lloyd, have never visited the Algarve before and are looking forward to their holiday, when their professional commitments allow them to travel.

So who knows? You may end up as a neighbour of the Archers while you are on holiday in Portugal this year! And by the way, Charles would be interested to know if anyone knows of another couple of actors who have shared both a marriage and the same programme for over 25 years? It certainly sounds like a record run to us!

CALLING ALL RED WEEK OWNERS
Don't forget that you can swap ONE of your red weeks for TWO yellow weeks or THREE green weeks - and all you will have to pay is the single management fee on your one red week!

Please note that we currently have good availability of Yellow time in Scotland and Wales during March 2007. So why not enjoy a week's holiday now, then a bonus week in the autumn? Or perhaps you would prefer a two week spring break?

Whatever you decide, be sure to phone 01994 426000 and ask for details of availability at your favourite Seasons resorts!

£25 WINNING LETTER
SEASONS MEMBERS LEAD THE DISNEY PARADE
Not many of Seasons members enjoy two holidays within one month - which is impressive in itself - and we were highly delighted to hear that long-standing Seasons owners, Peter and Christine Rowe, of Launceston, were picked out for a very special honour during their visit to Florida:

'At the beginning of November, we were amongst the very first of Seasons owners to have a weekend break at Clowance, where we shared a beautifully laid out and spacious log cabin with Mark Sheppard and Annie, two other Seasons owners. This was a wonderfully relaxing and enjoyable weekend, where the most arduous activity was walking around the beautiful landscaped parkland and the lake, and swimming in the pool. It was lovely to meet up with Seasons' Jane Thompson again, too, after getting to know her and Steve at Forest Hills. The Mediterranean-style restaurant, Caesars, with its very varied menu and an excellent choice of seafood served in sophisticated surroundings, provides the ideal end to the day's activities.

The second holiday, a week later, was to Seasons affiliated resort of ImperiaLakes in Florida. This resort is situated one hour's drive away from the bustling resort of Orlando, in the Lakeland region of central Florida. This is a peaceful haven offering tranquility, with spectacular scenery and diverse bird life.

Whilst on our return visit to Disney's MGM Studios, from where we were evacuated on 9/11, we were looking at the map of the complex to decide in which order we would take the rides when we were approached by Joshua, of Customer Relations, and asked if we were enjoying ourselves and could he help with our stay in the park. He asked if we would be there for the Grand Parade at 3.00pm, and we said we would. Joshua then asked us if we would like to take part in the Parade. We replied that we would be happy to do this, thinking that it would be an experience and fun.

When we met him again later, he took us into the Executive Guest Relations suite, and then took us to the start of the parade. When we asked where the others were who were taking part in the parade, Joshua told them it was just the pair of us!

We then found that we were the special couple in the first car and led the parade, and we were the days' couple celebrating the Year of a Million Dreams, and encompassed the maxim of "Where Dreams Come True".

This was an amazing experience, as the loud speakers proclaimed that we were from the UK, and we were cheered the length of the parade. At the end, we stood on a dais and all the characters in the parade came over and spoke to us. We were given a certificate for our participation, and feel that we must be one of the very few UK people to have this honour. Our comment: "It was just magic!"'

Have YOU got a story about your Seasons holiday or short break that you would like to share? Simply email it to insight@seasonsholidays.comand 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!

CHRISTMAS AT BRUNSTON CASTLE
Santa visits Brunston CastleOn his way from Lapland, Santa Claus unexpectedly stopped off at Brunston Castle in his sleigh. He arrived at the welcome meeting on Saturday 23rd December and went into his grotto, where all guests big and small received presents and hopefully their wishes came true. While everybody else was enjoying a glass of bucks fizz, Santa had to refuse the offer, as he and Rudolph and the elves had a long drive ahead. But they did accept the mince pies and shortbread. He stayed for a little while, and had his picture taken with two lady guests from Glasgow, before everybody waved him off for his busy nights ahead.

NEW RESERVATIONS NUMBER
The good news is that we have a new telephone system for Seasons Holidays Reservations and, with effect from February 1st 2007, you can call them on 01994 426 000.

Unfortunately, we experienced some major telephone problems for the week commencing 15th January, partly due to changing to the new software for the new Reservations number. We apologise for any inconvenience and sincerely thank everyone affected for bearing with us. We confidently expect the new software and phone system to be working properly by the time you receive this edition of eNews!

For your convenience, Reservations on 0870 429 88 44 will also continue to function throughout most of 2007.

Members may recall that we inherited the 0870 number when Reservations was moved to Blackpool for a couple of years and we can reassure you that Seasons Holidays plc has earned no revenue from this number. In fact, retaining it enabled Reservations to transfer to Wales without inconveniencing members and the service provider offered a number of call-tracking and monitoring benefits to help improve our service to members, at no extra cost. However, within our operating budget, we have now installed new and even more efficient telephone equipment and management software, in order to focus on Reservations' most important role – arranging holidays for our Members!

Please make a note of the new Reservations number 01994 426 000 and do not call offices in St Albans or Bristol to arrange holidays, as the staff cannot help you or transfer calls to Reservations.

SEASONS TRAVEL CLUB NEW DIRECT NUMBER
For all member enquiries to Seasons 'one stop holiday shop', from flights and airport parking to travel insurance, please note that the new direct number will be
01253 299 123 (Monday to Friday 9am-7pm, Saturday 9.30am-5.30pm)

HALF CASH PRIZE DONATED TO CHARITY
Marisa and Michael Littlejohns of Hartland were absolutely thrilled to be winners of the Seasons £1000 cash draw, held at Clowance on December 14th. They immediately decided that they would donate £500 to the Helston-based charity 'Shelter Box', which is well known for sending boxes of equipment to disaster areas all over the world. Marisa and Michael thanked Seasons both for their much appreciated prize and for a great holiday.

Picture shows: left to right Michael, Marisa and Guest Relations Manager Neil Thomas

INTERVAL INTERNATIONAL FEE INCREASES

Seasons members who are also members of Interval International should be aware that, with effect from 1st January 2007, the company has announced that their exchange fees will be increased as follows, in line with growing operating expenses:

The domestic exchange fee rises from £95 to £99 and the international exchange fee from £105 to £114. It should be noted that residents of the UK and Europe pay the domestic fee for travel within the UK and Europe.

At the same time, a £15 New Member Getaway Discount is being introduced for all bookings made by phone or online during the first year of membership. Interval Gold Getaway discounts will also apply.

NEW LAKESIDE DECKING AREA AT CLOWANCE
The new decking area at ClowanceDecember 23rd saw the opening of a new 'lily pad' effect decking area, which has been built out into and over the lake. The grounds team, led by Head Gardener Phil Martin, arranged the surprise ceremony, which was carried out just before dark.

Over the radio came a message from Phil, asking International Operations Manager Jane Thompson and Resort Manager Michelle Kirk if they would go down to the new decking area. On arrival, they found the entrance chained off with a piece of tinsel and Jane and Michelle were asked to carry out the 'official' opening. The grounds team then asked them to take a seat and produced hot mulled wine and mince pies from a hamper.

Commenting on the development, Michelle said: "It will be a lovely feature, especially on a summer's evening, to step out and feel that you are actually on the lake, particularly for any of our owners or guests who may have a disability that prevents them from using the boat."
Our picture shows (left to right): Phil Martin, Phil Squires, Michelle Kirk, Benny Doerfer, Jane Thompson, Anthony Reynolds and Bevan Stephens

EARLY SPRING AT BURN PARK
Spring came early at Burn ParkAs you see from the photograph, the new year started at Burn Park with an extremely confused daffodil. The picture was literally taken on 1st January 2007 and commenting on the phenomenon, resort manager Gill Kay said: "It only goes to prove what a sunny disposition we all have down here in Cornwall!"



UNEXPECTED HELP AT CHRISTMAS LUNCH
Santa and his 'little' helperAlthough Richard and Ancois Palethorpe of Palethorpe Catering only took up the catering franchise at Clowance just six weeks before Christmas, the lunch was a very successful affair and great fun for all. Especially after a little unexpected help from Father Christmas and his 'little helper' - a 6 foot 5 inch 'elf' by the name of Phil!






SEASONS MATCH MONEY RAISED FOR C.L.I.C.
Seasons Fundraisers at ClowanceMore than £1,300 was raised by Clowance staff at a raffle held at the Clowance Staff Christmas Party.

All proceeds went to the C.L.I.C. charity (Cancer and Leukaemia in Children) and, thanks to the Seasons directors matching the money raised, the grand total donation was £2,600. Seasons also kindly donated the main prize of a two week holiday, along with 54 other prizes donated by local business.

Particularly noteworthy was the enthusiasm of new trainee manager Jessica Norman, who badgered everyone from the Cornwall Chamber of Commerce to owners, guests and staff alike, until she had relieved them of a few pounds, so well done to her.

SPEEDING UP AFFILIATE BOOKINGS
In order to help speed up the process for any members wishing to make email requests for holidays at affiliated resorts, we have introduced the following dedicated address: affiliates@seasonsholidays.com.

And while this added benefit should prove particularly useful at this very busy time of year, it is intended to facilitate affiliate enquiries all year round.
Alternatively, of course, members can still ring 01994 426000 if they prefer.

BE AWARE OF SCAMS
According to Office of Fair Trading research, bogus holiday scams worth £1.17 billion a year are affecting 400,000 UK residents.

The effect of the so-called Discount Travel Membership Clubs emerged during a round table discussion, involving the Organisation for Timeshare in Europe, the OFT and the Madrid-based European Consumer Centre. And while only five or six companies are behind the majority of rip-offs, it was agreed that the problem could be more effectively dealt with through better enforcement and smarter legislation, such as a new Unfair Commercial Practices Directive.

The OTE argues that timeshare companies build quality holiday resorts, whereas holiday clubs, which do not own or control the accommodation offered, charge a substantial fee for what amounts to little more than a booking service and consumers may find the discounts offered amount to nothing.

The ECC is preparing to take a more significant role in the policing and enforcement of bogus holiday clubs in Spain and the OFT has issued a list of the top 16 scams affecting UK consumers - with bogus holiday clubs representing the most significant in terms of individual British loss.

MarÃ-a Luz Peñacoba, director of the ECC Spain, revealed the extent of the work still to be carried out to bring rogue holiday clubs to justice.

" The policing and the enforcement of these bogus holiday clubs cannot be carried out under the current timeshare regulations as these are not timeshare," he admitted.

" Timeshare is now a mature and respectable industry, with high consumer satisfaction levels and employing a huge workforce across Spain.

In the past successful prosecution has been rare, due to the difficulties in taking action against fraudulent operators targeting British consumers on holiday in Spain.

But by strengthening relations between the UK and Spain and creating a focused cross-border team working to bring a small band of perpetrators to justice, consumers will benefit, the OFT believes.

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