Holiday heaven?

The TV is wall to wall holiday ads at the moment and I have to say it’s beginning to get to me. I wouldn’t mind but the weather has been so bad that I feel as if I can’t shut the winter out. And some days I really can’t escape the damp and dark. The gutter above my bedroom ceiling has sprung a leak, sending water soaking into the wallpaper, so I now have a fascinating damp patch on the wall that looks like Casper the ghost during the peak of the rain and shrinks to a kind of benevolent version of The Scream when the rain calms down to this January’s regulation 24-hour drizzle.

The rain, or possibly, an over-enthusiastic array of fairy lights, has also played havoc with our electrics causing one of our fuses to trip about once a day, plunging half the house – including the kitchen – into darkness. Our lovely electrician is due back from the Bahamas, or wherever it is he has spent his Christmas holidays, any day now…

Meanwhile I’ve become a dab hand at lighting candles and oil lamps, which makes the place look like Downton Abbey’s doll’s house, but is ruining my New Year’s Resolution to keep the place sparkling, starting with a shiny sink courtesy of Flylady.net. Some days I’m Iucky to find the sink in the candlelight, let alone shine it free of tea bag stains.

So for the first time ever I’m not only taking refuge in the holiday ads, I’m actually considering booking a holiday early rather than in a last minute flap disguised as “snapping up a last minute bargain”.

The last time we booked at the last minute we ended up spending the first night of our holiday on the floor of Gatwick airport, where, and I promise you this is true, the kids and I ended up having such a communal melt down at about six in the morning that one of the airport staff asked us if we wanted to make use of their onsite counsellor.

Never again. But on the upside a little birdie tells me even though that was three years ago we can still claim compensation for the delay and inconvenience. According to Martin Lewis of Moneysavingexpert.com passengers who have had their flights cancelled or delayed by more than three hours can still claim compensation as far back as 2005. Compensation generally ranges from between £200-£500 per person, which is more than enough to get us started on this year’s bargain bucket flight. Find out more at http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/flight-delays.

So if you were ever in the same boat, or rather non-existent plane, and had nothing to show for a delayed flight other than four grumpy children and a face that looked as if it should get a starring role on the DFS sofa ads then click on here to see whether you are eligible for any refund or compensation. Last minute bargains? Two can play at that game!

Posted by Amanda Blinkhorn