PARENTS can take advantage of a new website to find the best care for their child.

Herts County Council have launched the site, which aims to give easy access to more than 2,000 Ofsted-registered childcare providers.

The directory can be found at www.hertsdirect.org/fis

IT’S not an everyday property deal, and being entrusted with the sale of the 400 acres that make up the former racing horse training and breeding stables of Walter Swinburn and Peter Harris – at a guide price of £9.4 million – is a feather in the cap of long-established agents Cole Flatt & Partners.

Church Farm and Pendley Farm sit on the outskirts of Aldbury and take up the land on most of the run from Tring’s railway station to the sought-after, most of which lies in a designated area of outstanding natural beauty.

Cole Flatt & Partners agent Josie Brown says that it’s rare to have such a huge chunk of land come on to the market at once.

In the late 1970s entrepreneur and trainer Mr Harris bought up the estates to live out his racing passions.

Pendley Farm, which he bought in in 1977, had been a sheep farm and before that parkland for Pendley Manor.

He took on the larger Church Farm Estate in 1979 and in the late 1980s successfully pioneered the all inclusive partnership plan where people could own part of a racehorse.

For years the estates were home to many trophy winning racehorses as well as a substantial staff who worked as stable lads and grooms.

In 2004 Peter handed over the training reins to his son-in-law Walter Swinburn, famed for his Grand National win on Shergar in 1981.

Sitting in the Church Farm owners reception area over a coffee Peter said: “At our peak we had 120 race horses in training, many owned by partnerships of up to 12 people. This place was buzzing with owners because it was open for them to visit whenever they wanted.

“They would meet here, usually to watch the horses being trained.

“Some brought their family or came on their own depending on whether they had told their spouses they had bought a share in a racehorse!”

Church Farm was home to more than 1,000 winners. Peter’s most memorable was Primo Valentino, bred and trained to win the 1999 Middle Park Stakes. A framed painting of the horse and jockey hang over the fireplace in the reception salon.

It is the grandest of spaces, with impressive medieval arched beams on the ceiling.

This was where guests came to socialise, so it is decorated with soft carpets, racing memorabilia and upholstered chairs.

Church Farm covers 300 acres and as well as the plush reception suite, it includes a three-bedroom cottage, a four-bedroom house, another reception area, a building split into seven self-contained one-to-three bedroom apartments, a common room, 63 stables, tacking rooms, office block and a variety of other outbuildings.

Just off Station Road on the way to Pendley Farm, Westlands Farm sits overlooking the sprawling countryside. It has a bungalow, five stables and a barn and has a stipulation that its new owner must keep horses.

Pendley Farm totals 133 acres and has a Georgian-style farmhouse, indoor riding school, racing track, 66 stables, granny annexe and outbuildings.

Money would have to be spent on redecorating some areas but the sort of person who has £9.4 million in the first place will probably be happy to take on the cost of refreshing where needed.

There’s no denying that it’s a perfect base for breeding and training racehorses – but the racing industry is going through tough times due to the economic downturn.

“Prize money is decreasing and expenses are increasing,” Peter explained.

He remembers two recessions during his racing career and says he couldn’t remember either being as long as the current crunch.

“It’s impossible to say what the estates could be used for,” he said.

“The problem is this is commuter land, which makes accommodation too expensive for stable lads to afford so the trainer has to provide homes for them, which comes at an expense.

“Most trainers need a fair bit of capital to finance the yard and Aldbury is a particularly expensive area – that’s the difference between here and Newmarket.”

One of the advantages of setting up in Aldbury is that there aren’t a lot of trainers nearby to compete with.

He said: “We have bred numerous Group One winners here and they are not easy to breed.

“The land here is ideal for breeding as well as for training. I think the estates could suit someone who wants to train and has some big contacts in the City – we had owners who would come to watch horses train at 7am and be at their desks by 9am.

“I would say we have the ideal set-up, proved by a successful record – and tough economic times don’t last forever, do they?”

When the racing estates went on the market last week, agent Josie said she was expecting to see a lot of interest from potential buyers.

She said: “Peter and Walter are big names, and let’s not forget the estates can be sold as a whole or in lots.

“It could go to a developer. I could see a few executive homes here.”

CRIME: A thief stole two portable TVs and a computer chair left under some boxes outside a house in Hazel Road, Berkhamsted.

The theft was overnight between Thursday and Friday.

POLICE are warning businesses to be on the look-out after a second diesel theft within 10 days.

The first was from the tank of a lorry, parked at the A41’s Bourne End service station, while its driver was sleeping inside, between Wednesday, January 25 and the following day.

Thieves pinched 500 litres of the fuel, worth about £700.

The second theft was from Northbridge Road in Berkhamsted between Tuesday and Wednesday last week.

That time, crooks stole 750 litres of stored diesel worth more than £1,000 from a company called Independent Hire and Sales.

Sgt Peter Huffer said: “Local businesses who keep or stock diesel are reminded that this is the second theft of diesel in 10 days.

“The current price of diesel makes it a desirable commodity.

“Businesses are reminded to take suitable security precautions and ensure that they double lock their diesel tanks where possible.”

Anyone who has any information on either of the thefts is asked to call police on 101, citing crime reference number D2/12/93.

A YOUNG merlin will be one of the stars in the sky as visitors flock to see a zoo’s first Birds of the World Show.

Ten-month-old Belle – member of the falcon family and the UK’s smallest bird of prey – will show off her airborne antics at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo.

She will join feathered friends, including a bald eagle, a barn owl, a vulture, hawks and buzzards in the Bird Arena at 1.30pm every day of next week.

Birds trainer Liz Brown said: “Belle is doing really well with her training.

“We’ve been teaching her to fly to the lure, which is swung around for her to try and catch.

“We’re very pleased with her and looking forward to her first show.”

Merlins rarely stand more than 33cm tall or have a wingspan greater than 67cm.

During half-term, the zoo will be open from 10am to 5pm with a variety of animal talks.

Click on the video to see the birds in action.

REGULARS at a pub that was branded a “zoo” during a review of its licence have responded with fury at the allegation.

The Gazette reported Nathaniel McDowell’s complaint about The George in Berkhamsted High Street, which he lives next-door to, in the front page headline of last week’s paper.

Now 140 of its regulars have signed a petition, demanding an apology for being made to feel like animals.

Their petition says: “We all feel that the way one man has been allowed to portray our pub is scandalous.”

Nathaniel McDowell, 43, said he would have to think about apologising for his “zoo” comment.

Read the full story, and more response from George regulars, in this week’s Berkhamsted & Tring Gazette, out on Wednesday, February 8.

A 15 year old schoolboy who went missing from his home yesterday afternoon (Monday) has been found safe and well.

Earlier today police appealed for the public’s help to find missing James Greenall from Tring.

His family had become worried after the teenager failed to return home.

AH, the power of the press – it’s so gratifying when random musings get taken up by the wider world, isn’t it?

Admittedly the likes of Jeremy Clarkson get much more exposure when they rashly recommend that public sector strikers should be shot or that people who park in disabled bays should have their legs broken, but plain Fred Goodwin, among others, has reason to rue the ripples that spread out from this humble column.

It only took two weeks of nagging away at the knotty problem of Fred’s tarnished knighthood and lo, it is gone.

But more interesting is that my proposal that there should be an alternative honours list giving public recognition to rascals, idiots and passengers who sit in the back of the rickety rowing boat that is our society, loudly complaining as they scoff all the food and expect the rest of us to handle the rowing, has been taken up by other pundits in the national prints.

My idea that anyone with a knighthood who comes a cropper shouldn’t necessarily lose that title but be forced to use a modified one which brought to the world’s attention the scale of their shame, if only for a specified period of public purgatory, is gathering favour, too.

If at any time in the future the chap ahead of you in the queue for something official mumbles that his name is Slur Fred Nobleedingoodwin just remember where you read it first.

But I’m not one to rest on my laurels, so let’s move on to this week’s big idea, which I hope will sort out that knotty problem of individual human rights weighed against wider society’s needs. See, it’s not just ranting on about things that get on my wick.

So let’s get straight to it – everyone starts off with the same human rights, but you can bump up the level of consideration you deserve by putting yourself out a bit and slip down the ladder if you’re a bit of a scrote.

Suppose we all start off at level three, which is about where we are at the moment.

But if you’re convicted of a crime that’s serious enough for you to be banged up, that would knock you straight down the level two, at which time your pleas to be addressed with respect and have free wi-fi would get short shrift.

And if you erred off the straight and narrow again, you’d be busted down to level one, which would basically mean there would be a guarantee that you wouldn’t be banged up in solitary without a fair trial, but as far as manicures and access to culturally-significant foodstuffs was concerned you’d be on your own.

At the other end of the ladder, if there was a knotty planning application that was dividing a community, the consultation would take into account the calibre of the complaints.

That would mean 10 of those moaning munchers I talked about earlier would find their views easily outweighed by a couple who gave blood, had a standing order to a non-animal charity, looked out for the old dear next door and always cleared the pavement outside their house after a snowfall. Good people. People like you and me.

It’s got a smack of the McDonald’s star system about it at the moment, and a taste of Scientology if I’m honest. But it’s early days, I’m just putting it out there to see if anyone picks it up.

A snap shot of the 1970s is superbly recreated at Milton Keynes Theatre this week with the production of All the Fun of the Fair which highlights the trials and tribulations of travelling fairground folk.

With a storyline penned by Jon Conway, who himself was born to parents while touring with Billy Smart’s Circus, the show is set in and around a traditional East London funfair and features the songs of the show’s star, David Essex.

But rather than just trawling through a back catalogue of David’s self-penned hits stretching back to the early 1970s – although they play a big part in the show – he has written all the music and lyrics to a number of other catchy numbers which cement the whole production, inspired by his earlier album, All the Fun of the Fair.

The show opens with fortune teller Rosa (Louise English) singing on of David’s most popular songs, ‘Winter’s Tale’, before the curtain rises on a brightly lit, sparkling fairground backdrop where showman Levi Lee (David) and the whole cast set the scene with the the rousing ‘All the Fun of the Fair’.

With Levi’s rebellious dodgem operating son Jack (Rob Compton) having an eye for the ladies, he makes a play for flirty teenage blonde Alice (Tanya Robb) whose father Harvey (David Burrows) comes looking for her to take her back home.

With three dodgem cars circulating on stage and the whole cast jumping in and out of them during a great dance routine, Harvey is furious when he spots the two ‘lovers’ together.

He throws a string of insults and threats at the lad – the politically contentious ‘pikey’ and ‘didecoys’ among them after his loved-up daughter had sung ‘He Noticed Me’ – Levi comes to Jack’s defence.

But with Alice due to celebrate her 18th birthday the next day, she persuades her father to let her spend it with her friends back at the funfair. And with £100 ‘cash’ changing hands (after a bit of haggling), Harvey warns her to stay well away from Jack the lad – and order which she is clearly going to ignore.

With roundabout horses, candy floss and all the things you associate with old fashioned fairgrounds, Levi’s funfair is in financial trouble while we also learn that he was recently widowed.

His wife had been killed while riding the Wall of Death just hours after finding out that her husband had been having an affair with Irish mystic Rosa.

And with Levi having taken the decision that the motorbikes would never be used again, Jack argues that the ‘Wall’ was the only real attraction at the fair and that without those thrills, the fairground will never be popular or profitable again.

After Harvey and his hardman minder Druid (Barry Bloxham) comes looking for Alice (who has left the fair with Jack to go to a nightclub), her Cockney father brings a gang of his East End cronies to smash up Levi’s funfair.

The fairground folk rally round to clear up the mess while Levi sings ‘It’s Gonna Be Alright’ while the first act ends with a rousing version of ‘Gonna Make You a Star’ ... that’s after Levi relents and says the Wall of Death will be reintroduced.

Levis also declares that Jonny (Tom Newman), who adores Jack but is a simpleton orphan whom Levi has looked after since he was a toddler, will be allowed to ride one of the motorbikes.

The second act opens with Jack and his dad sharing the poignant ‘Father and Son’ and although Jack keeps coming back to his first love – Rosa’s daughter Mary (Susan Hallam-Wright) – he decides to run away and elope with Alice. But on Doncaster railway station they have a change of heart and return to the fairground.

With Jonny beaten up and having his face cut by Druid’s flick-knife after he refuses to divulge where Alice has gone (Druid secretly has life-long a crush on her), the tale works itself round to the memorable Wall of Death sequence.

However that is preceded by a big fight while Jonny (who runs the fair’s shooting gallery) fires a saw-off shotgun to try and end the trouble. Unfortunately in doing so he accidently shoots Jack dead.

But ‘the show must go on’ and when Levi and Jonny apprear in their leathers on opposite sides of the stage on their motorbikes with headlight blazing, suddenly the ghost of Jack appears high above the audience (it’s almost 3D-like) on his bike, the trio sing an upbeat version of ‘Silver Dream Machine’.

There was a rousing opening night curtain call after the final ‘Here We Are All Together’ with the David taking enormous credit for what is a very personal two hour 15 minute show.

All the Fun of the Fair finally made its debut on a nationwide tour back in September 2008 although its premiere was delayed for many months after David was tempted away to play a lead (George) in Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s revived Aspect of Love.

The show finally opened to rave review in Bromley in 2008 and after a countrywide tour, it enjoyed a successful West End run at the Garrick Theatre where it was nominated as Best New West End Musical in 2010 by What’s On Stage.

A legendary singer, actor, composer and lyricist in his own right, David Essex’s fan base has grown over the years from his early hits like ‘Hold Me Close’ and ‘Rock On’ to his theatre work which started in the early 1970s when he was chosen to playJesus in Godspell.

His other musical show credits include playing the revolutionary Che Guvara in Evita and Fletcher Christian in Mutiny, the musical version of Mutiny of the Bounty.

Awarded an OBE by the Queen for services to the musical theatre and his charity work, David is also a patron of the Gypsy Council of Great Britain.

More recently his appearance on television as Eddie Moon in EastEnders came to an end when All The Fun of the Fair went back on the road with a 25 theatre tour last September. It is due to appear next week in Darlington, then Coventry before closing in mid-April in Wolverhampton.

It’s a real roller-coaster of a show and apart from the excellent performance of David Essex – even through his voice has never been a particular favourite of mine, but it’s certainly unique– Tom Newman’s reprise of his West End performance as Jonny was a show stopper (he was nominated as Best Supporting Actor in a Musical in 2010) as was David Burrows’ ‘Mr Nasty’ role of Harvey, the protective father.

With several members of the original West End cast having returned for the current tour, Louise English (Me and My Girl), Tanya Robb (Mamma Mia and We Will Rock You) and Susan Hallam Wright (42nd Street and Anything Goes) all have excellent voices.

The show runs until this Saturday (February 11) so you can get your money ready to see the main attraction by calling the Milton Keynes Theatre Box Office on 0844 8717652 or visit www.atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes

Alan Wooding

KEEN young skiers and snowboarders don’t just have to enjoy the snow outside.

The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead is holding half-term courses next week.

The sessions, available for children aged four-to-six years old, seven-to-10 and 11-to-16, aim to give children confidence on the snow in a fun, safe environment.

The courses will teach and develop children’s skills and technique in skiing or snowboarding with extended one-to-two-hour sessions over four days.

Four-day half-term courses cost from £75 and booking is recommended.

Find out more by visiting www.thesnowcentre.com or call 0845 258 9000.

THE husband of a singer who raised money for a hospice has thanked the charity for the care it gave her, which enabled her to perform at fundraising events during her cancer fight.

Amanda Findlow from Tring, who passed away on Sunday, January 29, was a singer with Mr Kite’s Benefit Band and performed at Pepper Concerts to raise funds for Iain Rennie Hospice at Home and The Pepper Nurses.

During her 17 years volunteering for the band she helped it raise more than £75,000 to provide hospice at home services for adults and children in the area.

The 40-year-old was able to continue performing at benefit gigs while suffering with liver cancer because of the care she received from the Iain Rennie nurses.

Her husband Stuart said: “I will always be indebted to Iain Rennie. Together with Amanda, it will have a special place in my heart and memories.

“Amanda wanted to help people who were less fortunate and towards the end, singing at a gig for her was like running a marathon but she knew it mattered to raise the money for the charity and that’s what drove her on.”

Read the full story in this week’s Gazette

LOTS of people, young and old, donned wellies and hit the streets on Sunday to enjoy the freshly fallen snow.

Many grabbed their sledges and took to the hills while others got busy creating snowmen.

But some took the task more seriously than others.

Builder pals Paul Toland and Jason Lynch, who live together in Horsecroft Road, Boxmoor, spent seven hours creating an igloo on Blackbirds Moor in Boxmoor (pictured below).

The pair, who say not a drop of alcohol had passed their lips that night because they have given up booze for two months following the New Year festivities, set to work at 11.30pm on Saturday and worked through until 6.30am the following day.

“We had a fit of madness,” said Jason, 27. “We haven’t grown up yet.”

They also created an igloo man, blue whale and polar bear on Blackbirds Moor, much to the delight of passing children.

“The children and their parents loved it, they were very impressed,” said Jason.

The friends, who run their own construction firms, were not the only ones to get creative in the snow over the weekend.

Doctor Who fan Corey Holohan, six, created a dalek at his home on Highfield, Hemel Hempstead, while the Holden-White family made a snow queen complete with crown and jewels and 12-year-old Daniel Cutmore created a snow bar outside Martins Pond in Potten End.

CHILDREN have the chance to show off their colouring skills in a bid to win their family a ticket to see CBeebies Live!

London Midland is running the competition alongside its Great Escape scheme – which offers two-for-one offers for a range of British tourist attractions.

The rail company hopes the contest will keep younger travellers entertained on the journeys.

As part of the deal, which runs until Sunday, February 19, railcard holders can travel for a fee of £10 for adults and £2 for accompanied children.

The choice of destinations can be viewed on the London Midland website along with full details about the colouring competition, which closes on Monday, February 27.

FEATHERED fun will keep children busy over the half-term holiday.

Pets at Home in Hemel Hempstead is holding free workshops from Monday to Friday next week to inform them of the importance of supporting garden birds.

The sessions will explain the needs of a variety of birds, how their diets change and which ones need our help.

Every child there gets a free gift and can take part in a colour competition.

PEOPLE who don’t pay their dues are being hunted down by the taxman.

Two new campaigns are being launched by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) during the next year aimed at tax dodgers in construction and building work and those who buy and sell goods direct to others, or from the commission on sales.

HMRC will use new technology to search the internet for information about specified, targeted people and businesses.

Marian Wilson, of HMRC’s risk and intelligence, said: “Using new technology, we have been able to analyse returns to HMRC covering a range of taxes and to cross-reference these with other information to build a picture of where we believe we have taxpayers with missing returns.

“We will use the same technology to analyse information gathered to support the following two campaigns and for each campaign, after the opportunity has closed, we will use the information we have to pursue those who choose not to use the chances we provide to put their affairs in order.

“We are offering all the people targeted the opportunity to come forward. Penalties will be higher if we come and find people after the opportunity. A criminal investigation may also result. I therefore urge them to disclose unpaid tax voluntarily.”

Previous campaigns have targeted offshore investments, medical professionals, plumbers, VAT defaulters and private tutors. More than £500m has been raised by HMRC from voluntary disclosures and a further £105m from follow-up activity.

Information on campaigns for 2012, including how people can work with HMRC to influence their development, can be found at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ris/hmrc-campaigns.htm

SO, Daniel Radcliffe, you’ve got millions in the bank thanks to that lengthy stint as H. Potter, boy sorcerer of this parish, but you yearn to be taken seriously as an actor.

You’ve paid you dues on the stage, and now you want to start putting Hogwarts behind you.

But maybe starring in The Woman In Black, a period ghost story which features elegant costumes and the supernatural isn’t a huge leap.

Our fresh-faced hero is a young lawyer who has to head north to a remote house where affairs need putting in order.

After a series of terrifying apparitions he uncovers the village’s dark and tragic history and finds out that children are dying under mysterious circumstances.

Top screenwriter Jane Goldman has adapted Susan Hill’s timeless ghost story – also a long-running West End hit – and Eden Lake director James Watkins calls the shots. It wants to be creepy, but the memory of Harry does get in the way a bit.

> There are dependable laughs to be had in The Muppets, in which the TV puppet back return for their first big screen outing in a dozen years.

Kermit’s living in a mansion, Fozzie is scratching out a living as leader of a tribute troupe and Miss Piggy is working for Vogue in Paris.

But when evil oil tycoon Chris Cooper plans to demolish their old theatre, the gang gets back together for a telethon.

It’s reassuring that in these days of super-realistic computer animation and 3D effects a cast which relies on blokes sticking their arms up fun-fur creatures can still tickle the funnybone. A new generation of fans is about to be charmed by, and chuckle at, Jim Henson’s creations.

> Valentine’s Day is just around the corner so we obviously need a love story.

The Vow finds Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams as a lovely dovey couple whose lives are turned upside down by a car crash. She loses her memory and can’t remember him at all – she thinls she’s still engaged to her ex. Eeek!

That means Channing has to patiently make her fall in love with him again.

Inspired by a true story, apparently, and shameless reaching out to tweak your tear ducts.

> So what’s so big about Big Miracle? It’s another true story, this time in Free Willy territory.

At the back end of nowwhere in Alaska a family of grey whales find themselves surrounded by rapidly forming ice.

Tree-hugging Drew Barrymore springs into action, but the rescue plan needs the help of those pesky Russkie just across the Bering Strait and the US government doesn’t want to play ball.

The feelgood tale aims to show just what can be achieved when people set aside their differences – it’s just a good job they didn’t ask the Japanese to join in as well, or else the air could have been thick with harpoons.

A DISABLED man has hit out at council chiefs after he was told to stay with his carer while repairs are carried out following a burst pipe in his home.

Adam Dobie, who suffers with multiple sclerosis and other health problems, wants the council to re-house him while the work is carried out at his one bedroom flat.

He returned to his home in Loxley Road, Berkhamsted, on Sunday morning to discover burst pipes in the kitchen had flooded the ground floor council-owned property.

“It is absolutely saturated with water,” said the 42-year-old, who does not work due to his poor health.

“They want me to stay with my carer but she has only got a three bedroom house. She has got two children and her eldest daughter living with her.

“It is not fair on her to have to put me up.

“I can’t stay in a wet flat. It is damp, it is horrible and it smells.”

Mr Dobie, who has lived in the flat for more than three years, does not have contents insurance and says much of his furniture has been ruined.

“I just didn’t get any [insurance], I just didn’t think about it,” he said.

Mr Dobie usually stays with his carer three times a week, from Friday to Sunday, when he sleeps on a mattress in the lounge.

Fiona Williamson from Dacorum Borough Council’s property department said: “We do not comment on individual cases.

“If a tenant reports a water leak, we will repair it within one day and provide dehumidifiers. Where a boiler is affected and can not be repaired, we will provide the tenant with temporary heaters and an immersion so that hot water is available until new heating can be installed.

“We are committed to keeping the tenant informed at all stages.

“We would only provide temporary accommodation in the event of an emergency and where the tenant is unable to make alternative arrangements.

“We advise tenants to take out their own household insurance.”

Learn to fall in love again with a Valentine’s inspired getaway. From laid-back lovers to long-term soul mates, Sarah Marshall rounds up a selection of breaks to suit every type of couple.

Best for... die-hard romantics

:: Rome Cavalieri, Rome, Italy

Most suitors seek a key to their loved one’s heart, but couples in Rome take the opposite approach. As a declaration of eternal love, they attach a padlock to a railing on the Ponte Milvio in Rome, tossing the key into the River Tiber below.

The famous bridge, dating back to 207BC, is now covered with bunches of colourful locks, each one emblazoned with the initials of hopeful young lovers. And despite attempts by authorities to quell the phenomenon, it’s now more popular than ever.

For Valentine’s Day, five-star hotel Rome Cavalieri is offering guests an opportunity to take part in the ritual, which was originally inspired by author Federico Moccia in his 2006 bestseller Ho Voglia di Te (I Want You).

Couples will be taken on a champagne drive to the bridge, where they’ll have an opportunity to attach their own bespoke padlock to one of the many steel columns.

But the romance doesn’t end there. The hotel, which sits atop one of Rome’s famous hills and is surrounded by umbrella pine trees, offers some of the best views in the city. Wake up to see the pretty lights twinkling over St Peter’s Basilica, or watch a romantic sunset against a silky, pink sky.

Although managed by the Waldorf Astoria group, Cavalieri is still owned by an Italian family and their impressive private art collection decorates the public areas.

The large hotel spa is one of the best in Europe, while the two fine dining restaurants live up to Rome’s gastronomic reputation. In February, artichokes are in season and the L’Uliveto restaurant offers some inventive dishes.

Of course, simply meandering through the backstreets of Trastevere or climbing the Spanish Steps is a romantic experience. And while it’s impossible to explore Rome in a day, unlike the padlocks on Ponte Milvio, its treasures are much easier to unlock.

(Sarah Marshall)

:: The Ponte Milvio package costs 680 Euros per couple and includes one night DBB, spa package with cocktails and engraved padlock. Valid February 1-19 . Visit www.romecavalieri.com or call +39 06 3509 1.

:: EasyJet now flies to Rome up to five times daily, from £59 return in February. Visit www.easyjet.co.uk.

Best for... close-knit couples

:: Horse & Groom Inn, Charlton, Wiltshire

Stressful lives and hectic work schedules often put a strain on a relationship, and sometimes the best way to rekindle romance is to get away from it all.

The idyllic Horse & Groom Inn, located in the sleepy village of Charlton, on the edge of the Cotswolds, ticks along at a wonderfully slow pace.

Passing ramblers are drawn into the cosy bar, attracted by an open log fire and a fine selection of real ales, while foodies from further afield come to sample the restaurant’s carefully crafted menu.

The 16th century, Grade II-listed inn has five rooms, each bursting with historic character but benefiting from tasteful modern touches, such as roll top baths.

The nearby market town of Malmesbury is ideal for an afternoon of idle window shopping, while the Westonbirt Arboretum offers several relaxing walking trails.

But it won’t be long before you’re yearning for the warm fires - and even warmer company - back at the Horse & Groom.

After a hearty meal of British fare, spend an evening relaxing in the comfortable surroundings, before crawling upstairs to a night of good, old-fashioned peace and quiet.

(Polly Weeks)

:: The Valentine’s package costs from £50 per person and includes one night B&B. A four-course dinner for two with champagne cocktails costs from £35 per person. Valid February 11-14. Visit www.bespokehotels.com or call 01666 823 904.

Best for... laid-back lovers

:: Hotel Hermitage Gantois, Lille, France

Paris may be the obvious choice for a romantic getaway, but lesser-known Lille is a chic alternative, with the added bonus of being closer to home.

Near the Belgium border, it’s just an hour and 20 minutes by Eurostar from London St Pancras, making it an easy option for a weekend break.

Reached along a red carpet, the five-star former medieval hospital Hotel Hermitage Gantois is cosy enough for couples without being overbearingly sickly sweet. Rooms tucked into the wooden eaves are perfect for discreet lovers, while a lively bar can provide some welcome relief.

Breakfast is served in front of a roaring fire, with piles of croissants and pain au chocolat to munch on, while the hotel’s L’Estaminet Gantois restaurant is a great introduction to dishes from the local area.

Just a stone’s throw from the hotel is the old gate of Porte de Paris, which is just as impressive as the Arc de Triomphe. Lille’s main square is surrounded by cute little side streets, packed with history; and the cathedral, which looks unfinished from the outside, has an amazing glowing wall of yellow marble.

Culture lovers will enjoy the Palace of Fine Arts, which looks like a fairytale castle and displays work by a number of famous artists, including Rembrandt. It’s the second biggest art collection in France after the Louvre in Paris.

Finish your visit with an aphrodisiac-fuelled meal of oysters and champagne at locals’ favourite haunt, L’Huitriere. Whether they have the desired effect or not, you’ll definitely go home satisfied by a relaxing weekend away.

(Kate Whiting)

:: Double rooms at Hotel Hermitage Gantois start from 159 Euros and breakfast is 19 Euros. Visit www.hotelhermitagegantois.com

:: Eurostar operates up to nine daily services from London St Pancras International to Lille, with return fares from £69. Visit www.eurostar.com or call 08432 186 186.

Best for... serial honeymooners

:: Galley Bay Resort & Spa, Antigua

It’s not often a celebrity chooses to buy a villa next door to an all-inclusive holiday resort; but such is the appeal of Galley Bay on Antigua’s west coast, even Giorgio Armani couldn’t turn it down.

Attracted by the sandy, white stretch of beach, the Italian designer shares his view with the Galley Bay Resort & Spa, which has been welcoming honeymooners and holidaymakers since the early Sixties.

Originally a surfers’ shack, the five-star resort has blossomed into a romantic 100-room hideaway where guests can fulfil the Caribbean dream of walking ten steps from their beachfront villa into the turquoise sea.

With 365 beaches to choose from, there’s no shortage of hotels and resorts in Antigua. What makes Galley Bay Resort so special is it’s strict ‘adults only’ policy. There are no baby buggies next to the pool or children running riot in the restaurants late at night, making it the perfect option for a romantic getaway.

All food and drink (even champagne!) is included in the price, meaning there are no nasty hidden extras. Of the three restaurants available, Gauguin is the most romantic, with fresh fish served in simple thatched huts on the beach.

The Indulge Spa features several tree house treatment rooms, with only white gauze curtains separating guests from the surrounding forest as massages are performed to a soundtrack of gentle birdsong.

It’s easy to see why some guests have been coming here for almost 14 years on the trot; like any good relationship, Galley Bay just gets better as the years go by.

(Sam Wylie-Harris)

:: Kuoni offers seven nights all-inclusive at Galley Bay from £1,885 per person (based on two sharing), including flights and transfers. Visit www.kuoni.co.uk or call 01306 747 008.

A FORMER top cop is taking on a more unusual investigation compared to the crimes he used to tackle in his time on the force.

Terry Cox, who is a former superintendent in with Hertfordshire Constabulary, is also a keen historian, and he needs the public’s help to get to the bottom of a tale from the Great War.

He said: “During the course of the Great War, 85 police officers from Hertfordshire fought in the armed forces, nine of whom were killed.

“Members of the Hertfordshire Constabulary Great War Society have researched the history of many of these volunteers and one story comes up again and again.

“The Chief Constable in 1914 was Major Alfred Letchworth Annie Law, a strong- minded man as befitted those times, and it is said he forbade constables and sergeants to volunteer for service during the Great War.

“Those who went against his wishes were not re-employed upon their return from the front. Allegedly McMullens, the Hertford brewers, were so affronted by this treatment of returning local heroes they offered a pub to every man who lost his job. A wonderful story, but is it really true?

“The mystery deepens when you realise that in 1915 Major Law, a Boer War veteran himself, returned to the army and attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel before returning to the force in 1918.

“Could such a man really have turned away his former colleagues in arms?

“I have been in contact with the McMullen family who can find nothing in the company records but state that their grandfather was an active supporter of the army and the giving of pubs to former police officer ex-soldiers sounds like exactly the sort of thing he would have done.”

Anyone with information can contact Terry at HertsGreatWar@aol.com or via Hertfordshire Constabulary: Terry Cox, c/o Corporate Communication, Police HQ, Stanborough Road, Welwyn Garden City, AL8 6XF.

ABOUT 100 protesters revolted against a plan to draw up town-wide parking permits during a meeting of the scheme’s leaders.

So many of them turned up that Berkhamsted Town Council’s transport and environment committee on Monday had to move into a larger room.

At one stage, Nigel Granger, landlord of The Rising Sun in George Street, Berkhamsted, stormed out after being reprimanded for complaining too much.

He had previously said to the politicians: “This scheme is absolute and utter madness. You should be ashamed of yourselves.”

Read the full story in this week’s Berkhamsted & Tring Gazette, out tomorrow.