Help in Surprising the Family

[iankh]

I am considering buying into DVC.

First, let me explain, ours is a trans-atlantic family. I spent 4 years in the UK 15 years ago, and came back one more person than when I left.

I have a fair number of step-grandchildren, all in the UK.

My question is, when are the school holidays in the UK? I am trying to figure out how many points I would need, and of course vacation time drives this.

Now, you might be wondering, "Why doesns't he just aski the family?"

1. They would suspect that "he's up to something."

2. It might spoil the surprise.

3. I might get my head handed to me.

This is one of those things where there would be much resistance in advance, but much delight if it was already a "done deal."

(Resistance is futile)

 

[Miffy2003]

Hi Ian!

When roughly are you thinking of and where in the UK do they live? School holidays can vary slightly depending on which area you live in but roughly they are:

Feb half term - one week middle of Feb
Easter - 2 weeks around Easter
May Half Term - one week near the end of May
Summer hols - six weeks from middle of July (approx) to start of September
October half term - one week in middle of Oct (some regions have two weeks here now)
Christmas - starts usually around 20th Dec (approx), ends approx 3/4/5th Jan

If you let me know where they live I can look up exact dates on the website for you if you like? Where they live will depend on which website to use; eg I live in Devon so use the Devon County Council website.

 

[KayleeUK]

What a lovely idea

 

[Miffy2003]

Ian, looks like we will be at WDW at the same time!

 

[iankh]

Thanks for the reply. I didn't know that the school holidays changed by location!

Everyone lives in Bath.

 

[Miffy2003]

Hi Ian,

Bath School Term Dates

They do always caveat these with "check with individual schools for exact dates" but broadly this should give you the information you need.

If you have any other questions don't hesitate to ask!

Best wishes

Karen

 

[iankh]

Thanks everyone for the help. I have started looking at resales, and am expecting a mailing from Disney with info regarding buying into SSR from them.

 

[Hilary]

You've already had great info from miffy but one other consideration might be whether the schools in question are state schools or private. If state, then the website miffy's given you will cover the likely dates but, if the children are in private schools, the term dates are often shorter (i.e would give you a slightly wider range of holiday dates).

Your planned surprise sounds great!

 

[iankh]

Thanks Hilary. No, the kids are in state schools, not private school. Funny that, considering growing up in New York I attended, PS 253, or Public School number 253! That's a whole other discussion, like the story of my first time in a Sainsbury when I asked where I could find the napkins ...

 

[Hilary]

like the story of my first time in a Sainsbury when I asked where I could find the napkins ...

LOL! I think most of us have some kind of tale to tell about our 'shared' language and the problems it causes when we cross the Atlantic

 

[iankh]

There's an even funnier story of when I was first sent over. I worked in Amsterdam before the project moved to the UK. It was multi-natioinal. I was working closely with a Swiss woman. One day, she came to my office and asked me something. The request really puzzled me. My reply was, "I'm surprised there they don't have it in the women's bathroom." I took her to a female American colleague's office. I explained to my American colleague what was wanted. She opened her purse and handed her a Tampex. It turned out that my Swiss colleague wanted Tipex! First, the accent threw me, and secondly, we call it White-Out.

 

[trpscooby]

Hi Ian!
It's great that you're planning this surprise for your family!

I'm originally from California but I have lived in Bath now for 13 years. I love it here! We've just bough into DVC and it has been great! Our DD is only 5 so at the moment there's not much of a problem with taking her out during the school term but very soon, we'll also be confined to only taking our holidays during school holiday time!

That story about the Tipex is so funny! And I must admit, I still say 'napkins' when I mean 'kitchen towel' and people always think I must be posh 'cause I want cloth napkins....

Be sure to let us know when you've bought into DVD so we can welcome you home!
Rox

 

[iankh]

I really, really loved living in Bath. I went through culture shock when I returned to Chicago. It took me about a year to readjust to my native culture.

Yes, I found lots of challenges with language, most of which, oddly enough, presented themselves in Sainsbury or Tesco. Supermarket shopping was always an adventure. I remember trying to find Q-Tips, that evolved to cotton swabs and finally to, “They are sticks of cardboard with, with tufts of cotton on the ends and are usually used for cleaning ears.” The response being, “Oh, you mean cotton buds.”

Or in a Homebase when I went looking for window screens as my flat overlooked the park and allotments and I was tired of gnats and flies in the summer… that evolved from “Where are the window screens?” to “They are flexible frames of metal, where one slides into the other so they can be expanded or contracted. They have a fine mesh like a sieve stretched over them. You raise the window sash, expand the frame to fit, then lower the sash onto it, so as to keep out the bugs.”

The response to this was, “Oh that’s a very good idea, but we don’t have anything like that.”

Then there was the time in a store when I asked where if I could try on the pants…

 

[Miffy2003]

if the children are in private schools, the term dates are often shorter

Oh good point Hilary! Sorry Ian, I've no excuse as I went to a private scool myself (though I prefer to call them independent schools, while we're on the subject of different names for things )

I am laughing hysterically at the thought of you asking to try on the pants!!

 

[iankh]

Someone should really start a "Two Nations Separated by a Common Language" thread. I myself am now completely bi-lingual. I can speak both American and Brit.

 

[stevechase]

"That's a whole other discussion, like the story of my first time in a Sainsbury when I asked where I could find the napkins ..."

thats nothing, myself and my wife (gf at the time) went to the US, Disney in 89. A friend of my mons had asked us to get her son some erasers as he collected them (You've guessed it) I get to one of the shops on Main Street and asked a very ammused assistant where they kept the rubbers!

Cheers

Steve