UK Ferry Tickets

My girlfriend rents out a rather nice flat in south London for around £800 a month. I’m not sure of the exact amount as she likes to keep her finances to herself, but I know it covers the mortgage and gives her a bit over. Don’t worry, the taxman knows all about it.

I also know her tenants are very happy so, on that basis, I was thinking of hiring those tactful negotiators at the South Bank Centre to storm round to the flat to tell them the rent has gone up by a multiple of 38 times to £30,400 a month.

Ridiculous? Not if you run the SBC. They decided their tenants, London Eye, were not paying enough rent and should cough up £2.5 million a year – 38 times more than the £65,000 they currently pay – or see the attraction dismantled.

At the time of writing the negotiations were still ongoing, but whatever happens the SBC’s initial demands were outrageous.

Yes, the London Eye has been a great success and I’m sure a little rent increase is in order. But those demands were staggeringly greedy. Does the SBC not realise that it benefits from all the visitors who come to one of the truly great attractions in the capital?

Eye or no eye, London is a fantastic place to be in the summer and VisitBritain is naturally chuffed that domestic tourism is on the increase.

I recently moderated a conference on the subject. We had a panel of experts, including a rather tanned and beaming Michael Bedingfield (no relation to Natasha). There’s no way he’s got that colour by spending his vast salary on a beach holiday over here, I thought, so I’ll highlight the hypocrisy of promoting this country while flying off as far away as possible. Journalists are such a caring bunch.

“Mike, you’re looking very well,” I said as an opening comment. “Would you like to tell everyone where you got that tan?”

“Brighton,” he responded as quick as a flash and went on to talk enthusiastically about spending a sunny Bank holiday on the coast. The audience immediately warmed to him and were visibly glad he’d got one over me. Oh well, you can’t win them all.

From then on, the only way was up, as they say, and we were given a fascinating insight into why holidays in the UK are back in vogue. Mere mortals are flooding to our cities and beaches while celebrities like Hugh Grant, Kate Moss and Elizabeth Hurley all love a bit of the UK.

Why? Undoubtedly, there has been a massive improvement in the quality of holidays available.

As I said in a recent posting, the beaches are cleaner than they’ve ever been. Meanwhile, holiday resorts are just that, rather than holiday camps, while caravans and mobile homes have improved so much they are completely different products from those offered a decade ago.

The marketing of the country is also so much better these days. Previously, tourism boffins wanted to promote the East Midlands as one region. Come to the East Midlands. Or come to the Caribbean. Hard choice, isn’t it?

Now, they are a bit smarter, promoting clubbing weekends in Nottingham and food and drink breaks in Leicestershire. I have no idea whether food and drink is a speciality in Leicestershire, but it sounds a lot better than asking people to go to the East Midlands.

Although I love travelling, the more I go abroad, the more I also enjoy the UK. You can’t beat a weekend break in Blighty.

Guest Article by Jeremy Skidmore

Monday, May 30th, 2005