Despite the days becoming shorter and the nights turning chilly, there’s good news for those looking to escape the gloom of the British winter. Six airlines have announced ten new sun and ski destinations from Stansted this winter, offering more choice for passengers. easyJet is launching its first new route from Stansted for two years with a twice-weekly service to Fuerteventura while Ryanair has announced new routes to both Norway and Spain.

Blue Air has new routes to Romania and Greece, Turkish Airlines is flying to Istanbul Sabihagokcen and Iceland Express is back with flights to its home country. On the ski scene Snowjet, a charter service operated by Titan Airways, is flying to Switzerland and France from Stansted this year. So, whether you’re looking for a short break or a Christmas/New Year holiday, Stansted has something to suit every taste and budget.

Nick Barton, Stansted’s commercial and development director, told ‘Connected’: ‘Despite these challenging times for the aviation industry, the launch of these new routes just shows what our airline partners can do as they adapt to the changing market conditions and continue to thrive by offering the passenger what they want – value for money and improved choice. ‘I’m delighted that easyJet, Ryanair and Iceland Express are showing great confidence in Stansted.and I’m also proud to welcome Snowjet to Stansted for the first time this winter season.’

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Alzheimer’s Society has announced that easyJet and its passengers have raised over £420,000 to help the charity fight dementia. The funds were raised from in-flight collections of passengers left over currency between July/September 2009. EasyJet chose Alzheimer’s Society as its charity of the year after a vote by 7,000 members of staff from across Europe. It will continue to collect funds for Alzheimer’s Society in 2010 and has pledged to raise £1million in total for the charity.

Lynda Bellingham, Alzheimer’s Society Ambassador and ‘Loose Women’ presenter who launched the collections, shared her thoughts with ‘Connected’: ‘I am delighted that easyJet and their passengers have raised over £420,000. This will help people live well with dementia today and fund research to find a cure for tomorrow. I know the impact that dementia has on the whole family, having cared for my mum when she was ill. Alzheimer’s Society relies upon the generosity of organisations like easyJet, their staff and passengers, to continue to provide information, education, support and care to families when they need it most.’ You can donate now by calling 0845 306 0898 or visiting www.alzheimers.org.uk

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L’Albereta Relais & Chateaux in Lombardy, Italy has won ‘The Most Excellent Luxury Spa Hotel’ in Europe and the Mediterranean area award in the Condé Nast Johansens 2010 Awards for Excellence.The judges were effusive and described the hotel thus: ‘This superb hideaway, immersed in the Franciacorta vineyards, is heaven for the body and the spirit. Impossible to resist to the flavorful temptations of pleasures of the palate, provided by the seductive cuisine of Maestro Gualtiero Marchesi, the father of modern Italian cuisine.’

If you’re looking for some serious pampering this is one Spa you really won’t want to miss. Prices at L’Albereta start from £151 for a standard room on a single basis or from £176 on a double basis. www.albereta.it Fly direct to Verona with Ryanair.

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No.1 Lounges and London Stansted have announced the launch of two striking new lounges, which will give the discerning traveller the opportunity to relax in style before they fly. This marks the first time in the history of Stansted Airport that passengers flying with any airline, to any international destination,will be able to escape to the comfort, and welcoming surroundings, of a lounge – so that waiting at the airport can now be a real pleasure. At a time when many more people are choosing to fly with low-cost airlines, No.1 provides a way to enhance the journey. As well as all the traditional benefits of a VIP lounge (including complimentary newspapers, magazines, television and light refreshments), No.1 Lounges offers great value to the traveller by including within the price of entry: Complimentary Wi-Fi; A fully licensed bar; A selection of freshly prepared hot dishes; Table service; Board games and entertainment and Fast Track through security.*

For those really wishing to indulge, tailor made cocktails and a selection of fine champagnes are available for purchase. A team of welcoming and attentive hosts will provide table service, so that guests needn’t lift a finger. No.1 trialled its first lounge at Stansted in September this year after 12 months of research and planning. This stylish new lounge is surrounded by floor to ceiling glass, providing a spectacular panorama of the runway and blends contemporary design with classic touches. The lounge is situated adjacent to Gate 16 and served all passengers on international flights except, due to its location, those travelling with Ryanair. No.1 Lounges has now confirmed its second lounge at Stansted, which will extend the same outstanding service and facilities already offered by No.1 to all international Ryanair flights. Nick Barton, London Stansted’s Commercial and Development Director, told ‘Connected’: ‘We welcome No.1 Lounges to Stansted as an excellent addition to the services we provide for customers.

We know that business travellers particularly appreciate the opportunity to work or relax in comfortable surroundings away from the general buzz of a busy airport and I am sure our passengers will quickly take up the benefits provided by these new lounges.’ No.1 Lounges is the vision of multi-award winning British theatre producer Phil Cameron. His company opened its first lounge at JFK International Airport in New York, in 2007, and entered the UK market this April with No.1 Gatwick, which has already hosted tens of thousands of passengers. All No.1 lounges can be booked online, in advance, for just £17.50 from www.No1Lounges.com

* Fast Track is only available when booking directly with No.1 Lounges from 7 December 2009, or from selected third parties

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Big-hearted Stansted staff have taken ‘our boys’ to their hearts by supporting the Help for Heroes campaign. London Stansted staff have voted to scrap corporate Christmas cards this year, and instead donate the money to the charity.

This is on top of raising over £2,000 with a raffle and donating £500 to a craft group making duvets for wounded soldiers. The combined total of their efforts so far stands at more than £4,000. Terminal General Manager Neale Jouques OBE, formerly a Lieutenant Colonel with the Royal Logistic Corps in Afghanistan told ‘Connected’: ‘Our troops do an amazing job around the world and we must never forget that. Staff at Stansted have been raising money for Help for Heroes for a while now because it is very close to their hearts, with many having either served in the Armed Forces or with friends and relatives involved. We are proud to be doing our bit for such a worthy cause.’ Stansted Security Officer, Heather Stevens, who formerly served with the Expeditionary Forces Institute (EFI) providing NAAFI facilities in war zones, first got involved in Help for Heroes by collecting old uniform shirts for needleworkers to turn into patchwork quilts.

These quilts have been provided to patients at Hedley Court, the Armed Forces rehabilitation centre in Surrey. In recent weeks, with the support of colleagues, she has organised an airport-wide raffle which raised over £2,000 for the centre. ‘Companies and staff across the airport have been so generous in donating prizes and buying tickets,’ she said. ‘There really is overwhelming support at the airport for the Help for Heroes campaign.’

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The Rose Gardens is an exclusive development of prestigious detached homes set in the village of Thurston, near Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. Built by Michael Howard Homes, the development offers large spacious plots. As the company’s flagship site, The Rose Gardens ticks all the right boxes for the discerning 21st Century property buyer looking for a luxury home of outstanding quality and spacious design within commutable distance of London and under an hour from Stansted Airport.

The developers have combined meticulous research, attention to detail and the use of sympathetic materials to create these outstanding luxury homes. State-of-the-art hand-built kitchens and quality white sanitary ware including a marble top twin vanity unit are just some of the innovative features that make these properties so desirable. There are now only three properties left, all of which offer six spacious bedrooms: Clarence House – priced at £825,000, together with Abbotswood House and Cambridge House both priced at £725,000. You would unquestionably expect to pay in excess of £1 million pounds for this size and calibre of property in London or any of the Home Counties.

All properties carry a full NHBC certification and Michael Howard Homes is firmly committed to ensuring each property owner receives a truly customer-focused service when it comes to After Sales care. For more information on the properties available at The Rose Gardens please contact: Michael Howard Homes, 3b Dedham Vale Business Centre Manningtree Road, Dedham, Colchester CO7 6BL FREE PHONE: 0800 0778852 Sales@michaelhowardhomes.co.uk www.michaelhowardhomes.co.uk

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