** PRESS RELEASE ** 22 Apr 13

Exclusive, Luxurious Properties, Blue Flag Beach & One Of The World’s Best Walks!

Some say that Salcombe has it’s own micro climate with early spring flowers and late September sunshine but don’t take our word for it, come and see for yourself. The narrow winding streets are bursting with excellent clothing shops, cafes and restaurants, the town itself sits right alongside an estuary of Outstanding Natural Beauty; a haven for sailing, rowing and paddle-boarding and of course fabulous soft sandy beaches – (South Sands has just received Blue Flag status for 2013!) not forgetting the South West Coastal path, rated by Lonely Planet as one of the 12 best walks in the world!

Stay in Salcombe’s most exclusive luxurious properties with Salcombe Holiday Homes’ Big Houses selection; fabulous houses with wonderful sea or harbour views (there’s even a couple with private swimming pools!) just part of our extensive portfolio of over 175 beautiful coastal properties: exclusive houses, cosy cottages and contemporary waterside apartments providing great accommodation for couples looking for a romantic hideaway, families in search of great beaches or perhaps for a get together with friends.

Probably one of the most historic properties in the town is the Tower – a Grade II listed crenellated stone house, a well known Salcombe landmark dating back to 1795. Centrally located and recently extended the property has been extensively refurbished and now provides the excellent family accommodation sleeping 14 (12 adults) in six bedrooms and an abundance of shower/bathrooms (many en-suite) wet room and wooden and slate floors throughout. The Tower’s large glazed areas and extensive decking offer wonderful views across the estuary to the sandy beaches of East Portlemouth and harbour mouth. 7 nights from £1150 (low season)

If you’re looking to stay somewhere special, somewhere that has been handpicked and is regularly personally inspected take a look at www.bighousesalcombe.com or give us a call on 01548 843485, tell us what you’re looking for and we’ll do our very best to match your requirements for a great holiday in a stunning location!

NOTE TO EDITORS : Writing a feature and looking for somewhere to stay? Contact Sue Bowern shh@salcombe.com or call 01548 843485.

Well. November is upon us and the clocks have changed. Early evening darkness and some depression. Even in Salcombe, the sunniest place in Britain, the year’s weather has been pretty dismal. Happily, this does not seem to have reduced the number of visitors, but the lavish spending of the past was not there and local traders report a downturn in sales.

Salcombe Sailing

Salcombe needs to publicise itself more and the Salcombe Town Association/Tourist Information Centre have done just that by employing LEX PR & Marketing. This is a big step, given the shortage of funds available to TIC and with absolutely no help towards tourism available from local government (or, for that matter, National Government in the opinion of the writer!) but we are not downcast. Salcombe has more than its fair share of visitors; which is hardly surprising in view of the beauty of the place.

Salcombe Sun

Salcombe Holiday Homes has had its best year ever with more excellent properties and more bookings. The rush to rebook for next year is greater than at the same stage in the past and we hope that this augurs well for the Town in 2013.

So. The seagulls have to look to the sea for their food, rather than bins and the harbour is largely left to the fishermen and intrepid sailors.

Christmas will soon be here. This is a very special place then – do come. The girls at Salcombe Holiday Homes await your call.

Well, not under the bridge exactly, but onto the fields and into the estuary.  Small lakes have developed on the roads.  What a pity that the drainage system is not better, channelling water towards reservoirs rather than going to waste.  The French do it properly. 

French Flag

They have well maintained culverts to storage ponds and no free standing water on the roads.  How can this be? 
Well, one would think that this is at least one thing at which the French are better than us.  But this can’t be right as the French own most of our water companies!
Whenever i want one of them i seem to get sidetracked.  I suppose because i was looking out of the window at our visitors arriving for their holidays and putting up umbrellas as they get out of their cars.  This is clearly a practice for tomorrow when the umbrellas are selected to become parasols; protecting against the usual Salcombe sun.

Salcombe Sun

The town, particularly Salcombe Holiday Homes, is booking well for June onwards.
We have two properties left for Jubilee week, which is going to be a great occassion here,  Take a look at our excellent Tourist Information Centre website http://www.salcombeinformation.co.uk for the full programme.  The alternative Jubilee will be at SHH office on Island Street.  We hope that several numbers of the family will be visiting us.

Diamond Jubilee

Good news that Salcombe Town Council has received a grant from the Department of Communites and Local Government to research, consult and produce a Neighbourhood plan.  There are so many issues to be taken into account but we value our visitors very highly and will aim to further improve the visitor experience in Salcombe.
Must get on.  Hope to see you soon.

What a wonderful day.  Brilliant sun and clear, blue, skies.  An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a Marine Site of Special Scientific Interest, a Marine Local Nature Reserve and a designated Sea Bass Nursery.  But this is the same every day.  OK, not always sunny; but most of the time.

Sea Bass

Boats are beginning to reappear from winter storage; with shining bottoms and dazzling decks.  Dedicated sailors are on the water and competitions will begin to hot up.  The Salcombe Yawl, of course, is the most common sail boat in the estuary but all types of small boats and cruisers are welcome.

Salcombe Sailing

Unfortunately available funds do not allow a Music festival this year but Salcombe intends to celebrate the Queens Jubilee in style and has a programme of events over the four days with emphasis on a flower festival, a party with jazz, barbeque, beacons and fireworks.  Salcombe Holiday Homes will, as usual, fully enter into the spirit of the occasion.  I will say no more, save that the front of our office and neighbouring Salcombe Dairy Ice Cream should not be missed!

Queens Jubilee

We have added some excellent new properties onto our books over the past few weeks:  Windy Heath: within walking distance of the beach, wonderful gardens and views and a heated swimming pool:  Croft Cottage, one minutes walk from the town centre, great value, excellent quality:  Ty Hapys, again excellent quality and value and great across town views: Lealholme,  sleeps 10, totally renovated to exceptional standard, off street parking and close to town.

Croft Cottage

There are more.  Take a look at www.salcombe.com

Love Heart

With only 4 days until VALENTINE’s, have you got any idea what you’ll surprise your LOVEd one with?

The panic is over, let us PROPOSE an idea…We’re offering 20% off selected seaside properties for that special ROMANTIC getaway!

Salcombe Sunset

Think CHAMPAGNE glasses clinking in the SUNSET, three course CANDLELIT dinners on cliff tops, and the sand between your toes!  What more can a LOVEd one ask for?!

Sand between your toes

View our latest offers on http://www.salcombe.com/special-offers/

As I write the sun is shining in Salcombe (usually is) and that Salcombe Holiday Homes are in full swing; carrying out property inspections and flooded with bookings for 2012.  These are strong indications that 2012 will be a ‘stay at home’ year which really has not been the case over the past two years – despite Visit Britain publicity.  I sometimes wonder whether this central body have any idea what is going on outside the environs of London.  A slight digression  –  apologies.

Salcombe Sunshine

2012 is set to be very exciting.  The Queens Jubilee will be the highlight…or should be!  I am sure that I will wax lyrical later in the year but this blog gives one the opportunity to say now that every one of us is hugely indebted to this woman, and her consort, and I hope that the nation really pushes the boat out…especially in Salcombe.  A t Salcombe Holiday Homes we will certainly join in the celebrations and do our best to make Salcombe a special place for our visitors to join in.  A Jubilee Ball is mooted, as well as street decorations, and I feel sure that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will visit the Salcombe Holiday Homes office.

Back to the present.  Great news, that I heard last night, is that Salcombe Dairy Ice Cream, Salcombe Holiday Homes neighbours, have been appointed to supply Virgin and Singapore airlines.  This is great for this truly Salcombe company and also great for Salcombe.  Well done to them and we hope that publicity rubs off on all of us.

Salcombe Dairy Ice Cream

Work on the Salcombe Harbour Hotel seems to have stalled but they are still optimistic about a late summer opening.  The town really needs a central, first class, hotel with a quality chef and we hope that competition will not be delayed.

Sadly there will be a considerable turnover in shops over the next few months.  A number have closed, as has HSBC bank and Dusters Bistro.  Happily, Lloyds is more customer – focused than HSBC and has not abandoned their Salcombe – based clients and visitors to the town.  We badly need a local bank and really hope that Lloyds stays.  Hopefully Salcombe will support them sufficiently to make their presence worthwhile. 

We hear that there will not be a Salcombe Festival this year, due to the lack of funds.  These things take so much organisation and support and a number of core Salcombe citizens have worked hard to arrange the Festival in the past: with great success.  A group of younger people are needed to resurrect such a successful Salcombe event.

Salcombe Holiday Homes has been approached to let some wonderful new properties this year.  Take a look at Arran, Lealholme, Cabin to whet the appetite for a Salcombe Holiday.  But hurry,  this year is booking fast – without summer discounts.

Arran

The crowds are gone.  The harbour deserted.  The Christmas lights are on.  Santa has been once.  I am reliably informed that he will be back.  Carols have been sung under the tree.  Our Christmas and New Year visitors will be with us shortly.  ‘Summer’ shops are closed.  The pharmacist is doing good business – ‘coughs and sneezes…’  Coleman’s, the master butcher, is well stocked with turkeys.  The brilliant girls in the Tourist Information Centre continue to help visitors and advertise the town.

Christmas in Salcombe

Salcombe Holiday Homes still have some great offers for the festive season.  New Year at the amazing Cooks Boathouse.  The Church will be packed for Christingle.  The days and nights will be warm.  The night sky clear and bright.  Watch out for a sleigh and a reindeer…

Cooks Boathouse

Snowy Kingsbridge

Festive discounts on stunning properties that will make Santa shake in his boots!

Kingsbridge Celebrates Christmas,  Saturday 10th December!!

Street Stalls full of pretty pressies, calorific treats that make your mouth water, carol singers who never hit a bum note, and many more festive surprises…

Oh HOHO, and don’t forget the main man himself, no, not Simon Cowell – FATHER CHRISTMAS will be gracing us with his presence in his glorified mobile grotto for a good old knees up!

Come and join us for a Merry Mulled wine!

Salcombe Christmas Lights

BREAKING NEWS: WE’VE SEEN THE LIGHT!!

Salcombe Town Christmas Lights will be unveiled @ 5:30pm on Tuesday 29^th November.
Wrap up warm, and join us to celebrate the start of the festive season with mulled wine, and mince pies!

Here in Salcombe we have a number of dedicated volunteers for the Lifeboat station. It has operated for nearly 140 years and the crews have received 18 awards for gallantry.  Every year at Christmas, we all get together and sell scrumptious treats, tempting toys, and glorious gifts to raise money for the RNLI.   This year it will be held at the Tides Reach Hotel, on Saturday 3^rd of December, between 10am – 2pm.  Christmas shopping and supporting a local charity all wrapped up!

Fancy indulging in your creative side this Christmas? Come and support our local Picasso’s and Monet’s at the Hope Cove Gallery ‘Open Sale weekend’ between 10am– 6pm, on the 3^rd and 4^th of December.  A Sensational seasonal sale of Jewellery, Photography, Driftwood Mirrors, Ceramics, Paintings, Print making and Glass!

The 20% OFF selected properties between now and Christmas is just the icing on the cake!!

Christmas City Carnage

If that doesn’t tempt you away from the stressful sights and carnage of city centres, I don’t know what will!

Salcombe.   A Town for all Seasons.

I must apologise to regular readers for the long delay in keeping you up to date with goings on in this beautiful harbour town.  Your correspondent has been away and missed some fabulous weather so frequently misreported by supposed meteorological experts.  It really is infuriating that the microclimate of Salcombe cannot be nationally reported.  Perhaps the TIC and SHH websites should pay attention to this.

Enough of these wanderings; however relevant. Summer has almost passed and autumn is upon us.  The vegetation and colours change but so does the harbour.  The huge number of watercraft, of all shapes and sizes, disappear from their moorings and the vista changes. You can see the water! The fishing boats remain of course, but winter storms might cause them to moor in the more tranquil waters of the Bag.

As I write October Half Term fills the town again but next week begins the run up to Christmas.  SHH has been open for 2012 bookings and we have been flooded with requests for 2012; in the summer and other times of the year.  Hopefully, this suggests a strong move to holiday in UK during 2012.  Let’s hope so, for the good of the country. The sun is still shining.  Some juicy news in a few days time.

Salcombe in the snow