Going to Shetland, Tosh
by Doug Brodie
/1. January
This could only be the Düsseldorf Boat Show, 17th to 25th January. This is the biggest boat show outside the US – think Earl’s Court x 5, it really is that big.
If you haven’t been there before, it has a fine old town (Altstadt) with microbreweries, street bars and small restaurants, including the ‘half in, half out’ Schweine Jane’s. Alternatively, there are no less than fifteen Michelin-starred restaurants, and many, many hotels catering to all levels of expenditure. Take a few days and catch a train down to Cologne for a walk around.
/2. February
Go to Fort William, book a room in a pub and climb Ben Nevis. The sky and air are as clear as mountain water, the exercise will make you ravenous in front of your pub dinner, and if it snows, it is truly magical, without the crowds or the costs of the Alps. Go with chums, walk up as far as you are comfortable. This is the Ben Nevis Inn, the green lump behind it is ‘the hill’, it really is that close!
Take the sleeper to Glasgow or Inverness, then hire a car.
/3. March
If you’re not averse to giggling like a child, head to Grindelwald in Switzerland, a dramatic village / town facing the north face of the Eiger. Climbing and skiing are great if that’s your thing, however, what is unique is that it has the longest toboggan run in Europe, running between 11 and 16 kilometres, and falling a total of 1 kilometre. You can do shorter sections of the run if the very top is just a wee bit too far.
/4. April
Glasgow, Gateshead, Oxford, Southend, London, Birmingham, Bournemouth – our pick is to book a room at the Royal Crescent and see her on Friday 17th in Bath. If you’re in our age group, you know you should.
/5. May
You’ve read the book, watched Tosh, Sandy, Billy and Jimmy Perez on the box, so step across the water to Shetland where you can visit all the sights you’ve seen (it’s not a big place), and catch the folk festival that attracts musicians from all over the world.
/6. June
Ibiza (impress the youngsters). Take in a Stunning Sunset on a Beautiful Island: Sunset Ashram, Ibiza.
Ibiza may still carry its reputation for clubbing and carnage, but the island has become more refined in the last couple of decades. Helped mainly by the fact that it’s no longer quite so accessible (that’s code for prohibitively expensive).
Park up at one of the island’s oldest and most iconic sunset bars, order a perfectly mixed mojito and settle onto the rocks as the sun sets in glorious reds and oranges that fill up the sky.
This is the place for everyone, families lingering after a day on the beach, friends gathering for a few relaxed drinks before starting the night and those simply there to soak up the light, the music and the unmistakably good vibes.
/7. July
Le Mans Classic: you’re lucky, as the event takes place only every two years, and 2026 is one of them. It’s normally the first week of July. You grew up with folk like Jacky Ickx and Derek Bell winning Le Mans’ 24 Hour race, and their cars from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s are brought back to the track. There is everything from 1920s Bugattis to very recent supercars. The lovely thing about this event is that it is so much more relaxed than modern racing, and you can buy tickets to walk around the cars on the grid and in the paddock, where you can chat to the amateurs changing their oil, fixing the broken parts on these beautiful cars.
Quick quiz, on the bottom right picture below there are two cars – let me know if you can identify both of them. Bragging points on offer!
/8. August
Camp Wildfire - summer camps for Adults. Release your inner child and experience the summer camp you always wished you’d had. With a huge range of activities all day, from crafts to raft building and music and dancing late into the night, you’re free to play, explore and reconnect with joy. Leave with new friends and unforgettable moments and memories that will last a lifetime.
/9. September
Now is the time to take an art retreat in the south of France: it’s very warm but not too hot, and most of the roads are free from the hordes of tourists that make it almost unvisit-able in July and August.
Think ‘Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady’, but with better wine and more comfy clothes. Set in beautiful surroundings, this is the chance to properly relax. Ignite your creativity, feel the sun on your face, enjoy the company of like-minded souls and savour excellent cuisine, delicious cheese and long, unhurried days. Ideally accompanied by a chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc and absolutely nowhere you need to be.
/10. October
Sark. You’ll rarely come across anyone who has visited this tiny island, and in October the weather is still fine and warm.
Pop on a flight to either Jersey or Guernsey, perhaps stay a night there, then a 55-minute ferry ride. Sark has no cars; the Old Forge B&B is only 300 meters from the beach with a swimming pool and a “very good breakfast”.
Pourquoi pas?
/11. November
Walk a section of the Salt Path – you’ll get iconic scenery, bad weather is simply dramatic weather, and you can do a five-day walk configured as a five-day pub crawl:
/12. December
Copenhagen has fabulous shopping, world class restaurants and it is small enough to walk around without getting lost.
You’ll need a ferry / tunnel over to Calais (or the Netherlands), however, you can drive to Copenhagen, stopping over in, say, Bruges and/or Hamburg. It is a very colourful city and everyone speaks English, it makes for a very easy long weekend or mid-week break.
Alternatively, dust off the Dunlop Green Flash and pick twelve Parkruns in twelve different cities; whatever you do, make it a fabulous year to talk about, and send us postcards, please!