Will I have to give up my membership of this group?

This summer my step-daughter graduates from university as an early years primary school teacher.  We're massively proud of her, so we've planned to take her and her family on a once-in-a-lifetime holiday this August.

But boy oh boy, has it been painful.  We've been planned to go to Sri Lanka, Bali, Mexico and Turkey (and I've missed a few out there), but we've ended up booking for Egypt.

That's 'at the moment'.  Frankly, we've had to cancel so many that we'd already booked, as well as others we'd had firmly pencilled in, that it almost feels ridiculous we can consider this as something that's definitely happening.  I'll believe it when the wheels touch down.

Hartlepool? Blackoool? Liverpool? With sea views and boat rides.

We have also been looking elsewhere this summer, probably be a last minute job as I want to get the house sold and move to Torquay before sorting a holiday out. Hence its unlikely to be Skiathos and we were thinking of a break this year anyway especially if we decide to get married in Skiathos next year. By coincidence we were also looking at possibility of flying to Milan and getting a car then driving down Amalfi coast after doing Pompei. I'd just have to grit my teeth with the driving. We are also looking at Sicily maybe just a cheap package. As I say it will probably be a case of once I'm settled in Devon then we will look at something last minute so could be anywhere really. I probably won't have found a job yet so we could be flexible about going at short notice.

Mum however is going to Skiathos, technically on her own but we've made sure someone she knows overlaps with her holiday in June.

Practice Italian parking Kev, you reverse into a parking slot go back until you hit the car behind . Then go forward until you hit the car in front then reverse slightly. Then fling open car door without looking if any scooters passing! We used to sit in a bar on main square in the evening drinking limoncello , watching the young men drive up and down , tops down on there cars, checking their hair in rear view mirror. What was nice was seeing groups young people sitting around in bars chatting, never saw anyone drunk or loud, often just drinking Pepsi and all dressed smartly.

Amendment to parking advice Kev. From my experience over 50 years ago, you MUST check for passing scooters, at least in those days scooters carried pillion passengers who snatched bags and valuables from both pedestrians and cars - a popular practice from Naples to Sorento. They had hugely impressive fireworks in Italy everywhere we went, Capri had a lovely chair lift cross country ride and we didn’t meet Gracie Fields or see her grave. Rome has fountains in every square and they all have free freezing cold drinking water spouting out. There’s a woman driver in Pisa who will chase you down the road if you’re doing less than 70 in the back streets and Venice means walking all day. Look in Venice for a shop with a wooden full size model of a motorbike in a shop window. And keep your speed up or the other woman will chase you with horn blaring!