National Ferry Fortnight is taking place between Saturday 9th and Friday 22nd May 2009.

National Ferry Fortnight is a brand new initiative set up by the Passenger Shipping Association to celebrate the advancements made in ferry travel and highlight just how easy it is to take a ferry holiday. This is underlined by the fact that there are around 40 million passenger journeys made by ferry every year.

Living on a collection of islands, ferry travel is an integral part of our transport network just to visit the rest of UK, never mind channel hopping across to Europe. But when it comes to family holidays in Europe, loading up the car and using a ferry is quite often a cheaper alternative to booking flights and hire cars.

The Passenger Shipping Association represents leading ferry operators who run services to European and UK destinations and with a billion pounds of investment planned between now and 2011 for new services and ships, the expectation is that the whole “ferry experience” can only get better and better.

To celebrate the first National Ferry Fortnight, there are a whole host of great offers and discounts to both European and UK destinations. Visit sailanddrive.com for further information.

Just don’t forget your sun lotion!

With the steady growth of Swine Flu cases being reported in the UK, up to 28 so far today, the Government is starting to mobilise the support infrastructure in readiness for a possible increase in both the number and severity of cases.

Every household in the country will have a leaflet through their door giving information on the disease and what to do in the event of someone showing symptoms.

However, perhaps the best “old fashioned advice” is that “prevention is better than cure”, as one of the key messages in the leaflet is on page 8 as follows:

Q: WHAT CAN I DO TO PROTECT MYSELF AND OTHERS AGAINST FLU?

A: The best thing you can do to protect yourself is to follow good hygiene practices. These will help to slow the spread of the virus and will be the single most effective thing you can do to protect yourself and others from infection.  When you cough or sneeze it is especially important to follow the rules of good hygiene to prevent the spread of germs:

• Always carry tissues
• Use clean tissues to cover your mouth and nose when you cough and sneeze
• Bin the tissues after one use
• Wash your hands with soap and hot water or a sanitiser gel often

There’s a simple way to remember this:

CATCH IT, BIN IT, KILL IT.

That is where our range of anti-bacterial hand wipes and hand sanitiser gels come to the fore. These pocket size / handbag size hygiene products will provide the peace of mind that you can clean your hands wherever and whenever you want – without the need for soap and water. They come in a range of packs and sizes, so see which ones are the best fit for you:

Carex Travel Size Hand Gel, Carex Travel Size Hand Gel with Aloe Vera, Cuticura Anti-Bacterial Hand Hygiene Lotion, Anti-Bacterial Hand Wipes, Hygienics Anti-Bacterial Moisturising Hand Gel

The Government leaflet can be downloaded here  Swine Flu Information Leaflet

Mexico Travel Advice Summary from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Below is the latest summary advice from the UK FCO for British Citizens considering travel to Mexico.

In line with the Government’s initiative to improve standards of personal hygeine in public you may also want to consider carrying and regularly using our travel sized mini bottles of Hygienics Anti-Bacterial Moisturising Hand Gel.

• The World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised its Pandemic Threat Alert Phase to Level 5.  See the WHO website at http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html for further details.
• We are now advising against all but essential travel to Mexico.
• Routine Consular and all Visa Services at the Embassy in Mexico City have been suspended until further notice.  British Nationals in Mexico, who have an urgent consular issue should call the Embassy on (01 55) 5242 8500 for assistance.
• British nationals resident in or visiting Mexico may wish to consider whether they should remain in Mexico at this time.
• British Nationals should continue to follow local advice on precautions to take to avoid exposure to the influenza.
• Cases of swine influenza have been reported in Mexico City and a number of other locations across the country.  Travellers should consult a doctor immediately if they show signs of flu-like symptoms.

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