Hiring a Car? - Better Read This.....

Motorists are being warned to be aware of changes taking effect in just over two weeks time as the paper counterpart for the driving licence will no longer be issued by the DVLA.

The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) fears many motorists are still confused or unaware of the implications of the paper counterpart no longer having any legal status from June 8. The paper counterpart was used alongside the photo card driving licence when the latter was introduced in 1998 to include details that could not be included on the card itself, such as any endorsements and which category of vehicles people are entitled to drive. Before 1998 motorists just had the paper part of the license. 

 However, from next month, this information will be stored electronically and not be shown on any written documentation drivers will have. These details can be only be obtained via the DVLA driver record system and be checked online or in writing by post. As of June 8, the paper counterpart, or an old-style paper driving licence, cannot be relied upon to carry correct or up-to-date information about endorsements or categories of vehicle someone can drive. What is also changing is the court procedure if motorists have to surrender their driving licence in the event of an endorsement. The court will take the photocard and if drivers include the paper counterpart with their submission, the photocard will be returned to them but the counterpart will not. However, drivers will be expected to pay their fine in the normal way. 

Another change is how to provide proof of your driving record to an employer or car hire firm, as the photocard or paper licence will not be enough in itself any more. Drivers will be expected to access the details themselves and print those off for submission to a car hire firm or employer. Or they can call the DVLA and give a third party permission to check their driving record verbally. If drivers are hiring a vehicle, it is important to check with the car hire firm beforehand what information they need. Motorists can also obtain a special code from www.gov.uk which allows the hire firm access to your record for 72 hours to make the necessary checks. 

Sarah Sillars, IAM chief executive officer, said: “People are not aware of how many of the current procedures are changing. The onus is very much on the individual to obtain the information they need beforehand. “So we very much hope people will not be caught unawares, especially if they don’t want a nasty surprise when arriving to collect their car at the start of their holiday.”

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Places To Visit In England - Part Three

Welcome to the final part to The Telegraph's guide to England

Cornwall

Cornwall is defined by its magnificent coastline with 300 miles of dunes and cliffs, medieval harbours and oak-forested creeks – and every mile accessible on foot. Such an unspoilt coastline inspires Enid Blyton-style adventures: take a picnic and the dog through fields fringed in wildflowers to a remote beach; clamber down stepping-stone cliffs to rock pools that are works of marine art; swim with seals and harmless basking sharks. Surfing is big draw, for all ages – bodyboarding too – and lessons are available on most north-coast beaches. Cornwall is also known for its artistic heritage. Painters, sculptors and potters of international renown come for the big skies, the rugged beauty of the boulder-strewn moorland, and the intense light that turns the sea cerulean blue even in mid-winter.

Cornwall is defined by its magnificent coastline with 300 miles of dunes and cliffs.

Norfolk

Norfolk's undulating countryside and sleepy, flint-built villages are perfect for gentle cycling, walking or touring by car. Stately homes, ruined castles, medieval churches and half-timbered wool-towns with fascinating museums make enjoyable days out. Although East Anglia gets less rain than many other holiday destinations in the UK, northerly and easterly winds over the North Sea can keep temperatures low. But even on cold, bright days in winter, the beach car parks can be busy with dog-walkers and hikers.

There’s also a good variety of shopping in lively Georgian towns such as Burnham Market and Holt in North Norfolk. 

Norfolk's undulating countryside and sleepy, flint-built villages are perfect for gentle cycling.

Suffolk

The beaches fringing the curved Norfolk and Suffolk coastline are the chief draw for visitors to the region. Even on the busiest summer’s day, there is always space for games, kite-flying or a quiet family picnic in the dunes. It’s also a wild landscape of dense pine forest, open heathland and great expanses of salt marsh. Bird life is astonishingly rich and coastal wild flowers include yellow-horned poppies and purple-flowering sea pea, while the unique wetlands of the Broads, one of England’s 10 designated National Parks, is home to more than 400 rare species, including butterflies, dragonflies, moths and snails.

Wherever you are, you’re never far from a cosy, pamment-floored pub serving local ales or an excellent delicatessen selling the region’s specialities – pungent cheeses, smoked fish or honey. 

Suffolk's beaches are the chief draw for visitors to the region.

London

There can be few more cosmopolitan cities on earth. People pour in from across the world to visit, work or live. Londoners are used to hoardings marking the progress of colossal infrastructure projects such as Crossrail and the revitalisation of King’s Cross-St Pancras, and new skyscrapers, even entire new areas, such as the Embassy Quarter and Battersea Power Station south of the river, are transforming the skyline. Restaurants, bars and theatres are buzzing and the range of events on offer – from sport to food pop-ups, from music festivals to theatre – is unbeatable.

There can be few more cosmopolitan cities on earth.

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Places To Visit In England Part Two

Devon

Craggy coves and cream teas, surf breaks and strolls, picnics and pints in pub gardens – holidays in Devon are wholesome, simple and scenic. Most people are drawn to the magnificent beaches on the south and north coasts, but inland Devon has its appeal, too.

A visit here mixes two of life’s loveliest pleasures: good food and the great outdoors. Devon folk make the most of the rich larder of food on their doorstep. Lamb, venison, pheasant, pork and seafood are staples, and the county’s farmers’ markets are full of artisan producers selling delicious cider, apple juice, cheese and ice cream.

A visit to Devon mixes two of life's loveliest pleasures: good food and the great outdoors.

Lake District

Visit the Lake District for Britain’s finest scenery, greenest countryside and grandest views. Its picturesque patchwork of lakes, valleys, woodlands and fells make it one of the best places in Britain to get out and experience the great outdoors, whether it’s on a leisurely bike ride down country lanes or a day-long hike across the hills.

The Lake District also has numerous artistic and literary connections, most famously William Wordsworth, who was born in Cockermouth in 1770 and drew much of his poetic inspiration from the surrounding landscape. And while the weather is notoriously unpredictable (locals will tell you that it’s not unusual to experience all four seasons in a single day), showers and racing clouds only emphasise the grandeur of the magnificent scenery. 

The Lake District has some of Britain's grandest views.

Brighton

Visit Brighton because you need never get bored in this loveably eccentric city. There’s always something unexpected to enjoy – the secret is to roam freely and keep your eyes peeled. Head to the boho North Laine, and you find offbeat designers and dingy flea markets happily melding with sleek restaurants and bars. Throw in gentrified Regency squares, oddball museums, and a clutch of well upholstered parks with traditional cafés attached – and you have a city that truly caters for all tastes.

Brighton is a fiercely all-season city. Of course it can be packed on a hot summer’s day – but come September, the crowds thin and the locals take back their town. 

Visit Brighton because you need never get bored in this loveably eccentric city.

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Markets

Casablanca Souk

Whether they are the little flea markets that sell tat or unwanted memorabilia or the colourful, fragrant spice markets in Morocco, they all hold a fascination for me..

A market traders life must be the same worldwide; the pressure to find the goods and the hope of selling out on the day; the search for items that will sell easily and the balance of cost of acquisition against selling price. In no other place is this balance in such open view as the markets of Morocco. Yet everywhere, if you take a moment to stand and watch, wherever you are you will see the price of this search in the stall holders face, the lines around his eyes from the sun and the worry are a testament to the strain of buying and selling. The disappointment of no sale and the welcome joy of a good price leave equal traces on the face of the market trader, as the wind and rain leave patterns in the dunes of the Moroccan beaches.  

Cape Verde's Markets were very crowded...

I always have an urge to head for a market whenever I get to a town or city, I love the sensory attack that accompanies these places, whether indoor or out. The riot of colours shimmering in the air, the sounds and cries, the smells of meat, fish, vegetables, spices - even clothes and books - and recently, on a long cruise I had the chance to head for the stalls in a variety of places. Tenerife, Cape Verde, Agadir, Casablanca and El Ferrol all provided a feast for my hunger of markets and not one of them let me down. Yet even in the UK I migrate to stalls like a traveller makes for the warmest Inn. I look for the book stand, the green grocer, the baker - oh yes the baker - at this one stall alone does the olfactory sense shift into overdrive and I drool physically at the smells and mentally at the ideas, the shapes, the artisan skill and the ingredients, I imagine the bustle of the early morning bakery, the flour dusting the very air and the heat from the ovens as the bread is shaped, patted and baked. 

Oranges By The Cart Load

The Spice stalls in Casablanca were all I hoped they would be, colours ablaze and glowing in the damp sunshine, oranges by the cartload, chillies and peppers, lemons, limes and the muted hues of the mounded spices themselves; the ochre of turmeric, the deep red of ground chilli, whole nutmegs and cinnamon sticks in shades of chestnut and burnt umber, the rich pastel shades of the lentils glistening in the low December sun. 

Pastel Shades of Spices

UK fish stalls are fun places, fishmongers having a humour all of their own, but the colours are muted. Mackerel, cod, plaice and salmon are subdued in shade and lack the vivid reds and blues of mullet, snapper and wrasse from the Mediterranean or the frightful appearance of the monkfish and scabbard fish from the Canaries. The spangling sardines from Portugal, the Tuna from St. Vincent and the coin-scaled mullet from Spain are on neat display in rows of bright eyed freshness in most markets. I say most, because a couple of the Tuna that were brought along for inspection for our onboard chef in St Vincent were not as fresh as our local fishermen purported, judging by the limp flaccid flesh and the red eyes of the specimens - they were a day or two old at best. But most of the fish on display are caught that day, brought stiff and fresh straight from the boats. 

Scabbard Fish

Vivid Reds...

 And that's another great thing about markets; you get to inspect the goods, discuss them and haggle if you're brave enough. In the UK haggling isn't really the done thing, we don't argue, discuss or debate the goods on offer, we accept them and buy them - or we don't. That's it. 

All over the world deep, meaningful conversations take place around the efficacy, quality and price of the items. Markets are places to haggle, argue and act insulted, to quibble over cents, pennies and proportions. You spend time comparing and handling, learning to trust the stall holder, relationships are forged or trashed, cemented or destroyed as you spend your time buying your essential items. I was sitting at the indoor market in Bath recently watching the cheese counter as fists were bumped, hands shaken and friendships obviously made through trade were on display. There was a respect, an honest mutual liking and of course money and cheese changed hands as I sat and supped my afternoon tea. 

Colours....

Don't be afraid of markets, respect them certainly, but watch, if you can, over a cup of coffee, tea or a beer and you'll see the exchanges, the colours, hear the sounds and smell the aromas. You'll see friendships, respect and disdain all in one stall, you'll observe peculiarities, oddities and strangeness, but most of all what you're looking at is human nature in its most basic, intrinsic honesty, you're watching life. 

English Market in Cork City

Questions to ask about credit card coverage.

We often hear our clients say, "I need travel insurance from fourth month of my trip.  My credit card insurance will cover me for the first three month." 

Do you really have "proper protection"?  Here are some questions to ask credit card company.


- Is Emergency Hospital & Medical coverage included? If so, how much 
  coverage does my plan offer?
- How many days am I covered for?
- Does my age, medical history, medication, or pre-existing condition 
  affect the coverage?
- Am I covered fro trip cancellation and interruption benefits before 
  and after departure? What else am I covered for? What is the dollar 
  limit for each benefit?
- What reasons can I cancel for?
- Do I have to purchase my trip on my credit card to activate the 
  insurance coverage?              (By courtesy of our partner TIC)


Also, credit card insurance often exclude seniors to cover.   Thestar points out that credit card insurance still have limit in covered age and duration although more credit cards with travel insurance are now extending its coverage to seniors. According to InsurEye's research, the eligibility provisions of Top five cards for 2013 are as below:

1. Desjardins Visa Odyssey Gold
   Age 59 or under:48 days, age60-64:23 days, age65-75:15days,
    age 79 or older:no coverage.
2. National Platinum MasterCard and National World Master Card:
   Age54 or under:60days, age55-64:31days, age65-74:15days.

3. Desjardins Visa Platinum
   Age59 or under:48days, age60-64:23 days, age65-75:15days, 3
   age76- or older:no coverage.
4. Scotiabank Gold Amex
    Under age 65:Up to 25 consecutive days, age65 and older:Up to 10  
   consecutive days.
5. RBC Rewards Visa Preferred
   Under age 65:Up to 31 consecutive days, age 65 & older:Up to 7 consecutive  
   days.

And each card has limitations for pre-existing medical conditions.


Beware of limitations. Ask lots of questions to your credit card company and read through insurance policy.  You can purchase additional or more tailored coverage from travel insurance broker.  Contact us info@biis.ca
 

Source:
- TIC, Travel Insurance Coordinators  
-Thestar.com ,"Read the fine print if you're travelling with credit-card insurance" 2014. http://www.thestar.com/business/personal_finance/2014/01/05/read_the_fine_print_if_youre_travelling_with_creditcard_insurance.html