SEASONS CHELTENHAM SPONSORSHIP SUCCESS
As promised in our last issue of eNews, the inaugural two mile Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase proved to be a real nail biter. The crowd of well over 55,000 were on the edge of their seats at Cheltenham on Wednesday March 14th and the TV audience for the live coverage on Channel 4 was estimated at around one million viewers.

Voy Por Ustedes continued an excellent Cheltenham Festival performance when running out an impressive 5 to 1 winner for owner Sir Robert Ogden, trainer Alan King and jockey Robert Thornton.
The winner, successful in last season's The Irish Independent Arkle Trophy, jumped brilliantly and had too much speed for his rivals, flashing past the winning post with a length and a half to spare over Dempsey, with River City five lengths back in third.  He also helped Robert Thornton to win the 'Racing Post Leading Rider Award' at the 2007 Festival.

Speaking at a celebratory dinner that night, held at the exclusive Lucknam House Hotel near Bath, Peter Hutchinson - managing director of Hutchinson and Co. Trust Company Limited - said:  "I can honestly say that I never expected to see the timeshare industry in such high profile at such a prestigious international race meeting, and I was particularly proud to see Seasons chief executive, Barry Hurley, accompanying the Princess Royal in the Royal Box."

Responding to Peter's congratulations, Barry Hurley stated: "Today was probably the proudest day of my life, and to see dozens of Seasons Holidays banners all over the course of one of the highest profile racing venues in the world was an incredible experience.   I also felt immensely privileged to stand beside the Princess Royal as she presented the very deserving winner with the trophy for what had been a thrilling race.  I could not be more delighted."

PRIZE DRAW WINNERS
The names of the two lucky winners of a VIP day out for two on March 12th 2008 at the Cheltenham Festival as guests of Seasons, including a pair of tickets and lunch for two in the Champions Drive restaurant, are Mr and Mrs D. Hills, of Market Rasen, Lincolnshire and Anne Wilde, who lives in Downend, Bristol.  Many congratulations to you both!

UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY
Seasons have a further 50 pairs of Cheltenham Festival entrance tickets for use in March 2008, worth Œ£130 per pair, to give away to the first 50 members to refer customers to Seasons during April 2007!  This is on top of your normal referrals bonus, so to register your interest in this exciting offer, simply phone Referrals on 01209 833101 and ask for Mike.  This offer closes at 6pm on April 30th 2007.

ELTON JOHN LINK TO WHITBARROW
The Cumbrians may be getting justifiably excited because in June, Sir Elton John is performing live at Carlisle United Football ground.  But even more excited is the staff at Whitbarrow Village - and for a very good reason:

Mark Hawkins is a very talented entertainer who appears regularly twice a week at the resort and he has been invited to be Sir Elton's support act prior to Elton coming on stage! Commenting on the news, Laura J, Entertainment Manager at Whitbarrow, said: "Not only is it a great boost for Mark (pictured) to be in the limelight at such a prestigious and high exposure event,  it's enormously exciting for Seasons Holidays and its members that we have an act at the resort who is recognised as being of such a high standard'.

Guests at Whitbarrow can see Mark every Sunday night, when he does his ever-popular request show, giving guests the chance to hear him sing from a repertoire of more than 14,000 songs. He is also on the bill for Season's Big Fun Night every Wednesday, when he and Laura J play to a packed house, with games, songs and competitions all evening.

If you are coming to Whitbarrow, be sure to look out for Mark -  when you can chat to him about his forthcoming meeting with one of the world's greatest superstars.

COCKTAILS AT ALPINUS
From the sound of things, Phil, Kathleen and Elizabeth Goddard of Swindon thoroughly enjoyed their winter sunshine holiday in the Algarve:

'We decided to take a week's break in February to get away from the English weather.  We plumped for Alpinus on the Algarve, we have been members of Seasons for eleven years but had never been to this resort before.  Oh how easy it was to book our week, the flight and the new transfer by Concordia.  We arrived at Faro and there waiting for us was the transfer,what a fantastic service!
On arrival at Alpinus, we were greeted by Petula from Guest Relations - a fantastic, bubbly young lady in whose company you can't help but be happy.  The apartment was top class, with everything you could wish for and a balcony view of the golf driving range.  The weather was really nice, very warm with broken clouds and the beach is really something to be admired. The entertainment every night was of the highest order, with Ricky Francis leading a host of entertainment. Singers, guitarists, Portuguese dancers and my favourite - a fantastic magician.  The quiz night was excellently presented by MD Steve (now at Club Tahiti), with a blend of humour and knowledge.

We were going to hire a car to get about but found it more relaxing to go places by taxi. Albufeira and the Algarve Shopping are two places we recommend to visit.  We used the local restaurants and they were all fantastic for presentation and value for money.  We also ate at Alpinus and the food was top class.  Relaxing with drinks before dinner in the pool bar and watching the entertainment later all added to a fantastic week.  The two Bruno's behind the bar were experts at cocktails. Elizabeth's favourite was 'Pink Butterfly' (see photo) and the staff at Apinus were only too happy to assist in our needs.  We took advantage of visiting Guest Relations and were surprised at the information they delivered to us - well done, I thought.  All too soon it came to an end but as at the beginning of our visit, the transfer was on time, making our departure as smooth as our arrival. Thanks to all the Seasons and Alpinus staff for making this winter break so enjoyable - we hope to go back very soon.'
  
LINDA ROBSON'S RED NOSE EXPERIENCES
Well, despite the best efforts of Linda Robson, Seasons member and star of stage and TV, she only managed to last for the first three nights of the 'Comic Relief Does Fame Academy' show, which raised more than Σ700,000 from the phone voting.

"I thought I would have done a little bit better," she said, "but I enjoyed it all tremendously and definitely have no ambitions to appear in musicals from now on.  Sometimes I hit the right key and sometimes I don't!"

She admitted that it had been very stressful - not least for her family sitting in the audience - especially since the bottom three contestants had to sing the same song a second time in order for the remaining 10 to decide which one should be dropped on that night.  But all in all, she said she had loved the experience of working with a top tutor and choreographer and was very proud to have been part of the programme.

Linda also commented that although Tricia Penrose (of 'Heartbeat') had by far the best voice from the start, she was immensely impressed at how Tara Palmer-Tomkinson had blossomed under the tutelage of the voice coach, and she said that the final night - attended by all 13 of the original contestants - had been very exciting.

She was also keen to point out that, whereas a lot of people originally used to begrudge contributing to Comic Relief because they believed that all the money went abroad, in fact this year, 60% went to Africa and 40% went to the UK.

As part of her efforts on behalf of the fund-raising, Linda visited two of the UK charities which are supported to a large degree by Comic Relief.  One of these was the Spires Centre in South London, which helps hundreds of homeless and disadvantaged people, especially the increasing number of young girls who are being lured into the sex trade, with all the accompanying physical and mental problems.
"The Spires Centre gives them hot food and provides counsellors, someone to listen to their problems without judging them and sound advice as to how to get out of their situation."

She also flew to Belfast, to visit one of the 10 women's refuges set up by Comic Relief around Northern Ireland, which was a real eye-opener to her.

"I was expecting somewhere really depressing, instead of which it was a lovely place, and each room had an en suite bathroom, to give some privacy. All the kids go to school together locally and there's a playroom for them in the house, to keep their lives as normal as possible.   Nobody hands out advice and the women always feel that they can return to the house if they decide to go back home at any time and it doesn't work out."

Summing up, Linda said that she was just so impressed that the whole Comic Relief team kept so involved during the two years between each massive fund-raising operation, and that they were really hands on in ensuring that the money was spent in the most advantageous way.

HIGH TIMES AT FOREST HILLS
This happy group, taken earlier this month at the ever-popular Forest Hills, near Estepona, sums up the ambience of the resort and no doubt explains why so many Seasons members keep returning year after year.

In the centre is resident entertainer Ian Roberts, who not only plays and sings but also keeps guests laughing throughout their holiday with his whacky sense of humour.  To his right is Drew Murdoch, European Sales Manager, and on the far right of the picture (back row) is Ralph Jakobson, who has recently joined Forest Hills in the Guest Relations department, along with Peggy Bleyl (third from left, back row).  Next to Peggy is Glenys Nightingale, who works in the bar - and all the rest are happy Seasons holidaymakers!  It's just warming up nicely on the Costa del Sol, so if you haven't fallen under the spell of Forest Hills yet, now's your chance.

FOREST HILLS FANS
Despite the fact that they live less than a mile away from Burn Park, Pauline and Larry Goodson, of Stratton near Bude in Cornwall have obviously been entranced by Seasons Costa del Sol resort, sitting high on the foothills of the Sierra de Ronda range, near Estepona:

"We have just returned from our third visit to Seasons at Forest Hills and this time I thought I must write and say what a 'treasure' the place is. So many resorts are modern concrete blocks with no character in the midst of other similar buildings. Forest Hills is quirky and fun and Elaine and her staff are wonderfully welcoming and helpful and more than make up for the minor disadvantages that such an unusual building inevitably presents. The location is stunning, set amongst the hills behind Estepona and yes, you do need a car and advanced driving skills to enjoy the amazing scenery, little white villages and very Spanish restaurants with views to die for, but if you want more from a holiday than to lie on a beach and want to experience the real Andalucia, then Forest Hills is for you." Our picture shows Larry at a restaurant in the hills at Benalauria.

INTRODUCING SONNY SEASONS FAMILY TIME
As the brainchild of Burn Park Resort Manager Gill Kaye and popular International Entertainments Manager, Ricky Francis, the new 'Sonny Seasons Family Time' aims to co-ordinate the activities of all the Seasons resorts in the British Isles and Europe, standardising the children's entertainment programme, so that whichever resort they visit, they know they can look forward to the same level of fun and entertainment.

Commenting on the new initiative, Ricky said: "As from this Easter, our staff will all be dressed in the Sonny Seasons caps and T shirts and there will be special Sonny Seasons children's menus in the restaurants, plus the kids will receive a Sonny Seasons certificate at the end of their holiday.

"Obviously the activities at each resort will vary, depending on which country they are in and what time of year it is, but we aim to keep the kids busy and happy - which is bound to enhance the holiday experiences of the parents!

"Every child who joins in the activities from Easter onwards will be given a Sonny Seasons badge and in the summer, we plan to sell children's hats and T shirts at very reasonable cost, so that the kids can all feel part of our great big Seasons experience."

He was joined by European Entertainments Manager, Chris Smith, who is based at Club Tahiti, in saying that Sonny Seasons is designed to help bring families together on holiday, so that they can all enjoy the fun together, rather than being separated,

TWO BREAKFASTS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE!
From April 1st  until 1st September 2007, all Seasons resorts except Brunston Castle and Knocktopher Abbey will be offering two breakfasts for the amazing price of just Œ£6.95!  This includes orange juice, a selection of cereals or grapefruit segments, bacon, egg, sausage, baked beans and toast - plus tea and coffee.  On payment you will be given a voucher for your next breakfast, FREE. So how's that for a value for money start to your day?

BRUNSTON CASTLE VISIT
We were delighted to hear from Ann and Arthur Heslop that when they decided to take their old friends, Ron and Milly Mogford, to Seasons Ayrshire resort for the first time it turned out to be a most memorable holiday for them all:

'We were feeling a little apprehensive, after all we were coming from Southampton, who knew what the weather would be like? One potential problem solved by Ryan Air was a bargain flight from Bournemouth to Prestwick, with a special offer on car hire at the other end!

Brunston Castle was the only British Seasons resort which we had not visited, apart from Clowance, which hopefully will be next on the list. We decided to ask friends if they would like to come with us, Ron and Milly are our oldest friends, we have known them for close to 50 years. We were all delighted with the cottages at Brunston.  I had phoned in advance to make sure that my somewhat disabled husband was going to be able to cope, and Norma, the manager, said that she would put us in one of the new cottages with an ensuite walk-in shower and no steps to the front door. It was really very luxurious, beautifully furnished and decorated and with beautiful views. In fact Milly would have liked to transport it back to New Milton so that they could live in it permanently!

As it was quite late when we arrived, we were recommended to a restaurant in the village of Dailly. We found it, but were very surprised when we opened the door and saw that it looked like someone's home, just six tables which would seat 20 people at the most. There were a couple of locals there and one couple sitting at the table next to ours. Neil and Liz, the proprietors, were friendly from the outset, and there was rather a lot of banter and laughter during the evening. Of course we got chatting to the couple next to us, they were staying at Brunston as well, and during the course of conversation we discovered that we had grown up, not only in the same city, but also in the same road, Mrs Bond in 100 Stuart Road, Bootle, and myself in number 20. Of course when we discovered that we both support the Reds in Liverpool,  that made things perfect. Several other coincidences emerged during the course of conversation, so a good time was had by all.

We all really enjoyed our short break, the weather was kind and we learned to love that little corner of South West Scotland.

Friday arrived all too soon, and as we arrived at reception to check out, we met our friends from Tilly's restaurant again, they had just checked out. We had another chat and a laugh and they set off for Southport. At reception we got talking to Norma, telling her about our meeting and the coincidences we discovered, only to discover yet another. Norma had found that she had worked for our friend many years ago in Manchester, when she was about 15, during her school holidays! What a small world it is!

Brunston Castle is an excellent resort, the staff are very friendly, we will definitely be going again, it's certainly not a problem going to Scotland in January. Right, now I must phone and see if I can book for Clowance and see if that lives up to the rest of the Season's resorts.'

INTERNET STATIONS AT ALL RESORTS
By popular demand from our members, as from 1st April 2007, seven of the nine Seasons resorts (not Alpinus or Knocktopher Abbey) will provide guests with computer access to the internet for a small charge - similar to an internet cafí©.

The British resorts will be charging £1.00 for 12mins and Forest Hills and Club Tahiti charges will be 1ä‰å for 10 minutes.

Commenting on the new service, Whitbarrow Village resort manager, Alasdair Sunter said: "For a long time now guests have been coming and wanting to surf the World Wide Web, send home e-cards, check e-mail or even catch up with what's going on at the office with work while staying with us. Bringing your laptop has not always worked, as although all 104 lodges have a phone link, guests have experienced difficulties connecting to their server for various reasons. So, to meet our guests demand, we have recently installed our E-Station. When I heard how successful the initial installation at our Brunston Castle resort was, I could not resist giving this same service to my guests. We now often have a queue waiting to get onto the computer which is situated in reception. Guests love it and really find it of great benefit during their break with us'.

RED NOSES ALL ROUND AT WHITBARROW
Friday 16th March saw the entire village embrace the spirit of Comic Relief, with events taking place over the whole course of the day.

Staff were encouraged to come to work dressed in red and got to pay £1 for the privilege, Those that did not, got fined £2.  Staff and guests were encouraged to donate money on a competition run from reception to find the hidden face wearing full 'red nose day' gear, including red plastic ears and an enormous red nose. The Guest Relations team all entered into the spirit of the event with many of them, being seen to wearing red noses - some of which were apparently natural! Guests in the evening saw a special comedy act in the restaurant, again accompanied by bucket rattling and donations over the bar, which resulted in us having raised a total of £269.20 on the day.

Deputy Manager Alison Watson said: "It was a great day for both guests and staff alike across the resort and it brought everyone together. Even 10-year-old Adam Robley, the restaurant and bar franchise owners' son, insisted in dressing up for the night, which cost his mother a small fortune just to be seen as Mr Incredible, which he insisted she bought him when shopping in ASDA the week before!  An enormous thanks goes to guests and staff alike for all the hard work, effort and imagination that went into making our contribution to the £40 million that was raised nationally."

MISSING EMAILS TO INSIGHT
Unfortunately, towards the end of February and during the first week in March, we were unable to receive emails sent to the Insight address.  Not only was it beyond our control, but we were also unaware of the fact, until we realized that we had received no mail at all, following the dispatch of the February issue.  The problem has been solved now, but if any of our readers sent stories and/or pictures around that time (which have totally disappeared into the ether), do please take the time to re-send them - as you might be in line for a £25 prize!

CLOWANCE OWNERS ENJOYED ALPINUS

Since acquiring Clowance Estate and Country Club last August, many Clowance owners have enjoyed Seasons special offer of a week at Alpinus in the Algarve.  Among them were Paul and Marian Barr, who live in Alicante, Spain:

First of all, a very big thank you for your offer to give us, Clowance owners, a holiday at Alpinus.    My wife and I took my sister and sister-in-law to share this holiday with us even though we had no idea what to expect except that the reports in your online magazine suggested good entertainment, friendly staff and excellent accommodation - reports which we didn't fully believe.  We live on the Costa Blanca on the east coast of Spain, so we spent two days driving to Alpinus.

Three days before our check-in on Sunday, we had a telephone call from Sean to check that we were coming and asking our arrival time, so when we found the hotel and parked outside the front door,we asked for Sean.   He quickly arrived in Reception and took care of the formalities for us.   He then showed us to our apartment, checked that we could operate the equipment and reported a couple of faults which were fixed within the hour.  The apartment was spacious with a bathroom for each of the two bedrooms and far better than our wildest dreams.

 Then things got better! As the week went by, we enjoyed some excellent evening entertainment after being looked after by the very efficient restaurant staff.   By day, whilst we were out exploring the nearby beaches and towns, our apartment was very efficiently cleaned.   It did not take long to realise that the reports I had read were not exaggerations.  Although the weather was mixed, we had a great time at Alpinus, far better than we had expected.   Once again, thank you for the experience which we hope to repeat at some future date.'
 
DATES FOR WHITBARROW REFURBISHMENTS
For all members planning to visit Whitbarrow Village, please note that we now have firm dates for the construction work for Phases 4 and 5 of our developments.

In the next few weeks, Reception will move to a Portakabin in the front car park and will be housed there until December 2007. The leisure building will close to public and staff on Monday 16th April, in order to give the use of the facilities over the Easter Holiday period. Then as detailed in the last issue of eNews, as of 16th April, alternative leisure arrangements have been made with the Lodore Falls Hotel at Borrowdale www.lakedistricthotels.net/lodorefalls .
If all runs according to plan, we should return to the fully refurbished leisure building in time for Christmas.   This will then house the new Reception, together with the upgraded leisure facilities and the new restaurant and bar facilities, closely followed by the opening of the 33 new one bedroom Ullswater Residences.

Whitbarrow resort manager, Alasdair Sunter said: "Naturally, we apologise in advance for any disruption to our members and guests, but we assure everyone that building works are being kept to a tight timescale and the short term pain will result in a spectacular long term gain.  We will endeavour to run the resort as normally as possible and nothing will ever change the very warm welcome that guests have come to expect from the Whitbarrow team."
For further information, please do not hesitate to contact Whitbarrow reception on 01768 483797.

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.