Where to this year?

With the worst weather for days one and two of a Test Match for 48 years, this may not be the most appropriate time, but I have been thinking about holidays.  That's not to say that I've come to any conclusions - far from it!  But I have been thinking.  A few weeks ago I found in my post a flyer about the Holiday Property Bond, and I decided to ask for more information.  I found that the product of what I could afford to invest wouldn't actually generate entitlement to a holiday per year, and even if it did, there would be still additional expenses to pay.  This idea was parked as 'one step beyond my means.'

Soon afterwards, a well-known supermarket reminded me that I had some of their loyalty points which would shortly expire.  Looking further, I discovered that I could multiply their value by converting them into 'day-out vouchers.'  These would either pay for, or substantially reduce the cost of, admission to a variety of tourist attractions across the country.  While there isn't sufficient concentration of these in any particular area to occupy me anywhere for the traditional week away, a number of regional groupings did emerge.

One question that has become apparent to me in all this is, what do I actually want to do with my holiday anyway?  There are many possibilities that I immediately reject because they are for families, and are aimed at keeping children occupied.  Many more are focused on eating or drinking, neither of which appeals to me as the focus of a holiday, since I should be travelling alone, and it is my considered opinion that (bodily necessity apart) these activities are best followed at a group or couple level!

My next thought was to explore some extension of a regular interest.  Bellringing? no; it needs a whole team of others, or else it can only be incorporated into a holiday - as I have done many times before - as an evening diversion, going along to regular ringing practices in the area.  It's not an end of itself.  What about family history?  In its narrowest sense, I could plan a visit to distant points of research, archives or record offices, and that indeed I might do, but if there is actually to be any summer weather this year, I would like to enjoy some of it outside, rather than through the dimmed windows of a research room.  At a broader level, almost anything historic is of interest to me, and can provide background to and enlightenment of the study of family history

So, without as yet planning anything specific, I'm thinking that I might locate a convenient B&B in the general area of two or three of the places where I can use these day-out vouchers, and visit a selection of stately homes, castles or museums of some kind of social history.  I have the advantage of not being bound by the need to use a week at a time, so a few days here and there - or just there! - can be balanced by the odd research journey on another occasion, to search for some snippet of information or background detail that I can't find on the internet.

The main thing is not to spend 52 weeks working and then wonder what to do with the other ... oh dear, there aren't any more this year!