Wonderful holiday cottages across England, Wales and Northern Ireland are available. When you choose your next holiday cottage, the following may strike your eyes.

    Large holiday cottages for special occasions

    We have over 30 cottages for eight or more people. These are great for celebrations with friends and family. You could head to Devon and stay in one of the county's most important houses, Shute Barton, where we can even provide details of the local cook that can come to the cottage and cook a delicious meal to make your stay even more special. One of our newest cottages is Thorington Hall in Suffolk, and it's the largest in our collection. If you fancy something a little bit different, you can visit the Lighthouse Keeper's Cottage.

    Dog friendly cottages In Cornwall

    Cornwall is a great place for dog walking with miles of coastline and beaches waiting to be explored and our dog friendly holiday cottages are on the doorstep on some of these places. We share just a selection of our dog friendly cottages across Cornwall. Click here to see the full range of dog friendly cottages in Cornwall.

    Easter bank holiday cottage

    We have cottages perfect for a gathering with family or friends if you're looking for some peaceful time away. You could spend the Easter bank holiday weekend in a holiday cottage on the beautiful coast around Cornwall or Pembrokeshire.

    Songbird Hideaway

    This cosy heart-warming cottage is the perfect romantic retreat, situated near the hamlet of Penrhos and close to the town of Pwllheli, featuring appealing views towards Cardigan Bay. Couples can escape the busyness of their everyday lifestyle and enjoy the delights of this compact yet beautifully presented accommodation.

    Teens and younger children are reading a lot less for fun, according to a Common Sense Media report published Monday.

    While the decline over the past decade is steep for teen readers, some data in the report shows that reading remains a big part of many children's lives, and indicates how parents might help encourage more reading.

    According to the report's key findings, “the proportion (比例) who say they 'hardly ever' read for fun has gone from 8 percent of 13-year-olds and 9 percent of 17-year-olds in 1984 to 22 percent and 27 percent respectively today.”

    The report data shows that pleasure reading levels for younger children, ages 2-8, remain largely the same. But the amount of time spent in reading each session has declined, from closer to an hour or more to closer to a half hour per session.

    When it comes to technology and reading, the report does little to counsel(建议) parents looking for data about the effect of e-readers and tablets on reading. It does point out that many parents still limit electronic reading, mainly due to concerns about increased screen time.

    The most hopeful data shared in the report shows clear evidence of parents serving as examples and important guides for their kids when it comes to reading. Data shows that kids and teens who do read frequently, compared to infrequent readers, have more books in the home, more books purchased for them, parents who read more often, and parents who set aside time for them to read.

    As the end of school approaches, and school vacation reading lists loom(逼近) ahead, parents might take this chance to step in and make their own summer reading list and plan a family trip to the library or bookstore.

Emilia Dobek traces her interest in space and the universe back to third grade when she and her father watched a blood moon—a total lunar eclipse (月蚀)—on the roof of their house.

    Now a seventh-grader at East Prairie Elementary School, Dobek recently won the national Discovery Education Lockheed-Martin Beyond Challenge by designing a space station for travelling to Mars.

    She says that night watching the lunar eclipse started a strong desire in her that has yet to run out of fuel. So when her teacher Andrea Smeeton received information about the national challenge, Smeeton said she immediately had one student in mind.

    "I knew she would love the challenge and that she would go way beyond in her search," Smeeton said. "She immediately started researching bone density (密度) of astronauts and how to have food on Mars."

    "My design will ensure the safety of the astronauts but also make sure their comfort is out of this world," Dobek says.

    Dobek's design calls for building the MSS or Mars Storage Station to put the supplies in. It also includes the SGF or Self-Crowing Farm, and she details how it would work with the elements on Mars.

    Then there is physical and leisure activity for the astronauts under Dobek's design. A simulation (模拟装置) allows astronauts to choose their exercise machine and virtual (虚拟的) reality environment. Rooms have circular ceilings so astronauts will be able to watch downloaded shows and even see places on Earth, such as their homes.

    "I want to tell other kids to follow their passions." Dobek said. "Whatever they want to do they should push for it and always try their best."

    Police Officer Tidwell left the station just after 8 a.m. on Sunday June 4. He had spent a boring night on duty and was looking forward to his day of rest. By habit he took a short-cut down the path behind Dugby Hall road and after a minute or two he saw a man climbing down a drainpipe (雨水管)from an open bedroom window of Number 29. In silence, Tidwell crept into the garden. The man reached the ground and was dusting himself down when he felt his arm caught.

    "It's 8:15 on a Sunday morning," said the officer, "and this sort of thing seems an unlikely adventure at such a time. Would you mind explaining?"

The man was obviously scared but tried to keep calm. He said, "I know what you are thinking, officer, but it isn't true. This is a funny mistake."

    "It's part of my job to take an interest in unusual events. I think you've just left this house in a manner other than the customary one. That may be quite innocent, but I'd like to make sure." Tidwell took out his notebook and a pen. "Name, address and occupation and then, please, tell me your story..."

    "Charlie Crane, lorry driver, from Nottingham, 51 Breton Street. My story..."

    "Yes. What were you doing like a fly on that wall, Mr. Crane?"

    "Well, I had a breakdown yesterday and had to stay the night here. Bed and breakfast. The land-lady's name is Mrs. Fern. She gave me breakfast at seven, and I was out of he: mthe right way and down at the lorry by half past seven. Only when I felt around for a cigarette did I realize I'd left $80 in my envelope under the pillow here at number 29. I always put it under my pillow at night. It's a habit I've got into. I even do it at home...

    "I see. Why didn't you miss it when you went to pay Mrs.... What's her name?"

    "I'd paid her last night. You've got to pay when you take the room, see? So I came rushing back, but it's Sunday, and she'd gone back to bed, and could I wake her? I rang the bell and banged on the front door for ten minutes before I came round here to the back and spotted my bedroom window still open. Up I went, then, up this pipe. It's a trick I learned in the army. She didn't make the bed、and money was still there. You know the rest, I hope you believe it because... "

    "Mr. Crane, whatever are you doing here? I thought you'd gone an hour ago." It was Mrs.  Fem, speaking from the kitchen at the corner of the house.

    Taking your pulse during physical activity allows you to measure how hard you are exercising. You should exercise to stay within your target heart range.

    Increasing your heart rate is a key part of exercise but it is important that your heart rate is not too high or too low. If you are a beginner, you should also be able to breathe comfortably while exercising. This will ensure that you are exercising at a level that is safe and effective for your body.

    The chart below illustrates target heart rate ranges for exercise based on the maximal heart rate for selected ages. Here are the steps for using the chart: