As a Brummie I was intrigued by this research from SACO, who offer serviced apartments in Birmingham. They found that 66% of Birmingham residents have fond childhood memories of holidays in Britain and 41% said that some of their best holidays have been in the UK. 63% of respondents said that they want to create similar memories for their own children and grandchildren. Certainly that’s been my experience as well.
My childhood holidays were centered around Portmadoc in Wales, where my great-uncle ran a small hotel. Meanwhile my son has fond memories of holidays around Barmouth, just a little way down Cardigan Bay.
A national survey of 1500 British adults found that a cosy gastro pub in the heart of the Cotswolds was the preferred choice of people from Birmingham. It was closely followed by eating an ice cream on Brighton Beach (22.6%) and hiking around the picturesque Lake District (22%).
But when it comes to choosing a staycation destination, most people from Birmingham opted for Cornwall and Devon. The scenery is so lovely there and there are so many lovely food treats like cream teas. In fact, food seems to play a big role in happiness, with 57% saying that eating fish and chips by the sea is an absolute must. A further 53% also liked going for pub lunches while on a staycation, and I’m certainly all for that. According to SACO’s research, the top 10 happy places for Birmingham residents were:
- Pub lunch in the Cotswolds
- Eating ice cream on Brighton Beach
- Walking / hiking in the Lake District
- Eating fish and chips in Padstow
- Walking in the Peak District
- Enjoying a pasty in St Ives
- Admiring the white sandy beaches of the Hebrides
- Enjoying a cream tea in the Isles of Scilly
- Visiting the Roman baths at Bath
- Eating candy floss on Blackpool Pleasure Beach
I can certainly relate to quite a few on this list, in fact it’s only number 7 that I have yet to do and I hope to put that right before too long.
It got me thinking of my own happy places in the UK, and I’ve come up with my own top 5:
- A beach day at Borth-y-Gest
- A day walking near Barmouth
- Fish and chips by the sea in Padstow
- Visiting Tresco Abbey Gardens in the Isles of Scilly
- Climbing the Clent Hills
For me there’s a definite seaside theme going on as 4 out of 5 are by the sea or within a stone’s throw.
Click on the infographic below to see the full list of 100 happy places.
Disclosure: This post is in association with SACO.
Great must do activities. I love a cream tea
Lots of lovely ideas, a great variety for all of the family, and the pics are beautiful too xXx
Oh, lovely! Holidays in the UK can be glorious.
What a lovely post. I find it wonderful that Brits enjoy the seaside and seaside activities even when the weather is ghastly.