A night in Ireland Where is it?In a valley with mountain views just outside Aughrim Co Wicklow Ireland
Posted in General on 28. Aug, 2010
A night in Ireland
Where is it?In a valley, with mountain views, just outside Aughrim, Co Wicklow, Ireland.
What’s it like?The hotel is part of a self-styled village called Macreddin, which opened in December 1999. Don’t think Oirish theme park – this is more sophisticated.What’s its USP?There are few hotels that hold an organic food market twice a month. It has been building a reputation for its use of organic produce. The “village” also has a craft shop, a smoke-house, a bakery and an organic grocery.Ambience?Quiet and relaxing, with plenty of open fires, sofas and cosy nooks for when the weather is bad.Service?Friendly and obliging.Rooms?A lot of care has gone into the tasteful decoration of the 40 bedrooms Some smaller rooms could benefit from less furniture.
Doubles from IR£75 (£61) per person, based on two sharing.Food?The main restaurant, The Strawberry Tree, is opulently decorated and the modern European cuisine delicious. Breakfast is a treat, with pancakes with maple syrup or full Irish breakfast. There is also a pub in the “village” called Actons serving food. And if you still need a snack, the Waterside lounge serves gargantuan afternoon teas.Clientele?Weekending Dubliners, a good number of visitors from across the Channel and, of course, a strong American contingent.Things to do?There’s an equestrian centre, clay-pigeon shooting and archery and free bikes. Best of all, explore Co Wicklow.Address?The Brook Lodge, Macreddin Village, Aughrim, Co Wicklow, Ireland (tel: 00 353 402 36444; www.brooklodge ).. Lower interest rates might be excellent news for home owners, but savers have little reason to celebrate. Moneynetsavingssearch Lower interest rates might be excellent news for home owners, but savers have little reason to celebrate.
As lenders moved quickly to cut mortgage rates after the Bank of England’s 0.25 per cent cut in the base rate 10 days ago, banks and building societies were also busy slashing savings rates.
And this matters, given that the average household, according to Tesco Personal Finance, has £5,308 in an instant access account. With most savings accounts paying paltry rates of interest, the cash isn’t working for its owners. Research from the internet bank Egg reveals that the average savings rate in the UK is about 3.6 per cent net per annum for the basic-rate taxpayer, dropping to 2.88 per cent for higher-rate taxpayers.If you shop around, a few deals offer better rates. For those with over £5,000 in savings, Birmingham Midshires pays 5.85 per cent gross per annum on its 60-day notice account. Those with a more modest £100 in savings could try Scarborough Building Society’s 60-day notice account, also paying 5.85 per cent interest. Bear in mind that this includes a 1.45 per cent bonus for the first six months; after that, the rate isn’t nearly as impressive.The internet offers better deals than the high street on no-notice accounts, but watch out for the conditions attached to the best rates.
Egg pays 6 per cent interest on its Investor account but only those with an Egg individual savings account (ISA) qualify. Nationwide pays 5.55 per cent on its e-Savings account, but you must have a Flex Account to qualify.There are ways of earning better interest on your savings. One is to use up your mini cash ISA allowance – £3,000 per person this tax year. Despite misconceptions that your money is tied up in a cash ISA, you can get your hands on it quickly. The best bit is that the interest is tax-free, increasing the chances of getting better returns than you would on a standard savings account.Northern Rock pays 6.05 per cent on its mini cash ISA; you have to give 30 days’ notice to get the money and only need a deposit of £1. On the internet, Smile pays 6 per cent – and no notice is required.An increasingly popular way of making your savings work harder is to offset them against your mortgage.