As it is now January I am trying to get my summer holiday sorted early. However I have not reckoned on my children.

We cannot agree on anything it seems. My daughter is easiest to please. For now. I think my son has had his head turned by the cruise he undertook last year. His horizon's have spread to vista's far afield. No more staycations for him. When asked what his ideal holiday would be he only talked of Inca trails and barrier reefs! Teenagers!

My salary, though comfortable, will not stretch to inter continental holidays. He was not interested in caravans in Cornwall.

Looks like he won't get any say what happens this summer if he doesn't down size his expectations

Another thing that bothers me is his assertion that all of England looks the same where ever you go. Now I know there are people out there who don't find England interesting but most of them are French. For an Englishman to not find any beauty in the country of his birth is sad, no, impossible surely.

I like foreign travel as much as the next man but I still think that my own country has areas of great beauty. Some pretty dodgy areas too. From the plain ugly (Southampton!) to the truly desolate (Manchester) I jest of course except for the bit about Southampton.