60th birthday weekend in the Cotswolds
Shirley Ward, group travel organiser for Shirley Tours in Essex, found the perfect excuse recently for a suprise weekend away for 72 regular group members, family and friends. “My husband Tony was 60 in February and I planned a surprise break in the Cotswolds, co-ordinated by thecoachholiday.com, based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.”
Shirley convinced her husband that they had been invited on a trip to Liverpool with the company and he didn’t find out their real destination until about five minutes from the hotel. She comments, “I was even provided with a brilliant itinerary, that I will try to do in 2008!”
On the journey up, the group stopped at Henley-upon-Thames in Oxfordshire. “This is a brilliant stop as not only are there numerous restaurants, pubs and bars but there is also the River and Rowing Museum, which members enjoyed,” she comments.
The group stayed at the Four Pillars Hotel in Abingdon-on-Thames, near Oxford, and Shirley says, “It was great value for money and the staff and management provided excellent service. The break was a special cabaret themed affair, and the dining room/ballroom was ours for the weekend, with the choice of food excellent. Nothing was too much trouble for the hotel manager.”
A tour of the Cotswolds visiting Burford, Bourton-on-the-Water and Cheltenham was also enjoyed and on the way home after the break, Shirley also arranged a stop in Oxford. “All in all, it was a brilliant weekend – we had such a great time, we want to come back!”