The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows, is one of the world’s premier aerobatic display teams.

Representing the speed, agility and precision of the Royal Air Force, the team is the public face of the service. They assist in recruiting to the Armed Forces, act as ambassadors for the United Kingdom at home and overseas and promote the best of British.

Flying distinctive Hawk fast-jets, the team is made up of pilots, engineers and essential support staff with frontline, operational experience. Together, they demonstrate the excellence and capabilities of the Royal Air Force and the Service’s skilled, talented people.

Often with their trademark Diamond Nine shape, and combination of close formations and precision flying, the Red Arrows have been displaying since 1965.

All Red Arrows display pilots have flown operationally, in frontline aircraft such as the advanced Typhoon, and helped the Royal Air Force to secure the skies every day of the year.

Based at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire, the Red Arrows had flown almost 5,000 displays in 57 countries, by the beginning of 2023 – the team’s 59th season, including the Bournemouth Air Festival 2023.

Every year, they take part in Europe’s largest free air festival and this year is no different. The display times have been released and can be seen below.

The RAF Red Arrows Display Times

Thursday 31st August: 17:30
Friday 1st September: 17:00
Saturday 2nd September: 17:00
Sunday 3rd September: 14:45

Why not make your experience more memorable. VIP daytime hospitality, live music evenings with dusk flying and pre-booked dedicated seating with bar and facilities included, all right on the beach and on the central flight line in an exclusive area. Prices start from £25 per person.

Ticket prices include:

• Exclusive marquee and viewing area
• Glass of bubbly on arrival
• Two course lunch
• Afternoon cream tea
• Access to VIP bar and viewing decking throughout the day
• Private toilets
• There may also be the opportunity to meet passing display teams who pop into the marquee for refreshments!For more information and to book, click here.

Short Stay Homes offer some fantastic properties for guests, that sleep 6 – 29 people.

If you have a celebration or large get together planned, consider some of our beautiful properties.

We have some great offers in the Last Minute Offers page and during August, if you book Criddlestyle Cottage in August for a break before the end of March 2024, you will receive the hot tub usage for free.

Picture: Galtons Cottage, West Moors, Dorset.

The inaugural New Forest Food Festival, taking place on the weekend of the 5th and 6th of August, at the Hinton Admiral Event Field, on the Hinton Admiral Estate, will be bursting at the seams with local produce!

Discover a selection of glorious New Forest and regional produce, with a mix of artisan bread, cheese, chilli jams, cakes, chocolates, gluten-free snacks, shortbread, craft ales, New Forest Cider, speciality gins, and much more.

There are now over 100 traders waiting to display their wares, and in additional to the food stalls, 15 pop-up restaurants, chef demonstrations and bars – including a ale brewed on-site at the festival – there will also be classic fairground stalls – including a coconut shy – and a chance for the kids to learn circus skills.

Richard Shirley, one of the organisers of the festival commented, “Whilst the focus of the festival is food, we wanted to make sure there were plenty of other things to keep the young ones entertained. We will have a dedicated ‘kids’ zone’ with lots going on and we anticipate a lot of interest in the circus skills. There will also be a chance to your hand at bush craft which is highly appropriate here in the New Forest.”

Another feature of the festival will be the Craft Market, which will showcase work from local and regional crafters, with a wide and diverse array of stalls. They will include crafts such as textiles, jewellery, soft toys, paintings, wood craft, collectables, ceramics, sculpture, soft furnishings to name just some.

Whilst enjoying the food and drink of the festival, enjoy live music and other entertainment, including popular local skiffle group Dr. Beatroot and Krista Green and The Bee’s.

You can save 20% on your admission fee, by purchasing your ticket in advance. Under 16s are free of charge. To book your ticket, click here.

If you are interested in a group holiday to New Forest, we have a number of properties here at Short Stay Homes which can sleep from 6 to 29 guests. Take a look at our New Forest Breaks here.

As we head in to the school holidays this Summer, travellers from the UK may be looking with concern at planned trips to the Mediterranean, as they look to avoid the extreme heat engulfs the region.

As the busiest summer getaway since 2019 begins, travellers to southern Europe are likely to experience extreme heat. An area of high pressure appears to have settled over the Med with little sign of abating.

The “Cerberus” heatwave (so named by Italian meteorologists) is gripping southern France, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Greece and Turkey, as well as smaller countries in the Mediterranean region.

With forecasters predicting the heatwave could last for up to two weeks, concerns are growing about the risks to health.

For travellers contemplating their options, why not consider a staycation here in the United Kingdom, with highs in the coming weeks of around 24°C, you can enjoy the Summer sunshine and share time with loved ones.

Below, we take a look at some of the benefits of avoiding the current Mediterranean heat wave and enjoying a staycation in Southern England, on top of avoiding airfares and potential cancellations. Further to this, we have some great locations for fishing and golfing breaks.

Short Stay Homes owns some wonderful properties across New Forest, Dorset and Wiltshire. Sleeping 6 – 29 guests, we have something for everyone, from large family gatherings to escaping the city and university reunions to celebratory occasions.

All of our properties are dog-friendly locations. Plenty of room for your dog to run around, be taken on walks and some properties have secure gardens with your dog in mind.
Here are 5 reasons why you should take your dog on holiday.

Every property has a hot tub in place for you to relax and unwind. Here are 7 benefits to hot tub usage. We also have glamping accommodation and games rooms at select locations.

Avoid the strikes this summer by taking your holiday in the United Kingdom.

Heathrow have announced that security officers will be taking strike action over the summer months, which could affect travellers at the UK’s biggest airport. The strikes could lead to longer queues through security and airlines will be looking at whether any flights require cancellation.

Between 24th June and 27th August, 2,000 officers will walkout for 31 different days, including peak times such as Eid festival, the beginning of the summer holidays and August bank holiday.

Avoid the strikes by looking at your summer holiday in the UK, whether celebrating some family time together, a special celebration or sharing Eid together in a mutual location, we have a number of properties in Devon, Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire and New Forest that may interest you here.

Book today and you will be eligible for our fantastic May and June offer!

New Forest is one of Europe’s most important locations for nature and conservation and is home to many rare species of plant and wildlife. with over 500sq kilometres to explore, it is also home to 8 beaches and many cycle paths, walking routes and free roaming wildlife. View our New Forest properties here.

June Offer
50% off hot tubs and additional accommodation for bookings up to the end of March 2024 if booked by the end of June 2023.

Click here to book now.

New Forest Tour launched this Summer!

The New Forest Tour has returned this Summer and will be running between 1st July and 17th September 2023, where you can enjoy some of the wonderful views of the New Forest National Park, including wondering ponies and horses, magical landscapes and quintessential villages.

Three routes will be provided this year, and these can be found here.
You will be able to hope on and off wherever you like, catching the next tour bus or switching between routes all on the same ticket! Audio commentary will be provided, offering an insight in to the people, places and animals of the New Forest, bringing the tour to life.

You can also take in a walking or bicycle tour and dogs are welcome!

Tickets are available to purchase online or from the bus driver, with prices starting at £11 for children, £16.50 for concessions and £19.50 for adults. These can be purchased from the MoreBus website.

New Forest Tours will have three routes available: Red, Green and Blue. The map of these routes can be found here. If you would like to see the timetable for each route, these can be found here.

New Forest is a fantastic location for a short family break, whether an excuse to get together or it is time to celebrate a special occasion, check out our New Forest accommodation here.

New Forest has many things to see and do and we are sure you will find something for yourself or your group. The New Forest Wildlife Park is one of those attractions, you can find more information on the wildlife park here.

OUR JUNE OFFER IS HERE!

We are delighted to announce that June is here and we have a fantastic offer for you!
There is 50% off the price of our hot tubs, when you book this month for a stay with us any time before the end of March 2024. Every one of our properties has a wonderful hot tub for you to enjoy!

This offer also extends to those properties with ancillary buildings, and you can get 50% off the Shepherd’s Huts and Glamping Pods too! We are also delighted to extend our May offer, you can check that out here.

As the sun continues to shine in the coming weeks, whether you’re thinking about a last minute holiday, some time with friends or family, or you have a celebration coming up this year, then why not head to our property page and book your holiday this month.

The 50% off additional accommodation offer isn’t applicable to Riverside Lodge, Quay House and Corner, Criddlestyle Cottage and Forest Drove Cottage. Jessica, the VW Camper is not included in this offer.

The 50% off hot tub offer is applicable to all of our properties as you will find a 6 person hot tub at each.