All cities have a history, it's just that some have a more recent, bloodier history than others. We felt quite comfortable taking our kids to see the Bayeux tapestry in France, with all those chopped-off Norman heads and severed Saxon limbs. There was even a children's audio guide, to fill in the details behind the savagery.
Battles don't have to have been fought 10 centuries ago to lose their horror: we've also been on holiday to Normandy, where the Second World War landings on D-Day left an estimated 10,000 dead and we sat at a cafe overlooking the huge, broad sandy beaches on which the bloodshed occurred, not in the least deterred from our coffees and croissants.
Taking the kids to Enniskillen in Northern Ireland, then, seemed perfectly ordinary. In 1987, a bomb exploded on Remembrance Sunday in that small town in County Fermanagh, killing 11. Of course, we weren't going to see the town itself - the memorial to the dead is one of the town's sights. What took us there was Lough Erne, a new resort built on its undulating outskirts in an attempt to put Enniskillen on the map for something other than its unhappy past. But the resort doesn't whitewash over it. There's the Gordon Wilson Library, named after a man whose daughter was killed in the bombing and spent the rest of his life campaigning for peace.
Despite all of this, Lough Erne couldn't be better for families. It's large and lustrous, in the style of a sprawling Victorian estate, all turrets, crenulations and chandeliers. We stayed in a lodge on the lake, stuffed with sofas. It included a small kitchen, so we could boil an egg any time. We played the free DVDs for kids on our laptop, watching the ducks land by the bulrushes through the binoculars. It was very, very peaceful. Even my teenager calmed down, impressed to learn that the band Westlife were already regular guests.
Lough Erne has lofty ambitions. With a world-class golf course; it hopes to be Ireland's answer to Gleneagles. Having stayed in both, I think Lough Erne is far better. Gleneagles is a golf course that happens to have a hotel in the middle of it. Lough Erne is a top-notch family hotel that happens to have a golf course attached.
Did we care about the history of bitterness and strife? I didn't shirk from telling the kids about it. But to be honest, 1987 - before they were born - is almost as distant to them as the Norman conquests. And at a time when travel is sometimes portrayed as an activity in which we ought only hesitantly to engage with the culture of a country, it's important to remember how it can help children learn about life - and help a place rebuild theirs.
Dea and family visited Lough Erne Golf Resort (www.loughernegolfresort.com; 00 44 28 6632 3230).
*Do you have tips and experiences of family travel to share? E-mail Dea at dbirkett@ thenational.ae
Jordan cabinet changes
In
- Raed Mozafar Abu Al Saoud, Minister of Water and Irrigation
- Dr Bassam Samir Al Talhouni, Minister of Justice
- Majd Mohamed Shoueikeh, State Minister of Development of Foundation Performance
- Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research
- Falah Abdalla Al Ammoush, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Basma Moussa Ishakat, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Ghazi Monawar Al Zein, Minister of Health
- Ibrahim Sobhi Alshahahede, Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Environment
- Dr Mohamed Suleiman Aburamman, Minister of Culture and Minister of Youth
Out
- Dr Adel Issa Al Tawissi, Minister of High Education and Scientific Research
- Hala Noaman “Basiso Lattouf”, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Mahmud Yassin Al Sheyab, Minister of Health
- Yahya Moussa Kasbi, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Nayef Hamidi Al Fayez, Minister of Environment
- Majd Mohamed Shoueika, Minister of Public Sector Development
- Khalid Moussa Al Huneifat, Minister of Agriculture
- Dr Awad Abu Jarad Al Mushakiba, Minister of Justice
- Mounir Moussa Ouwais, Minister of Water and Agriculture
- Dr Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education
- Mokarram Mustafa Al Kaysi, Minister of Youth
- Basma Mohamed Al Nousour, Minister of Culture
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
BULKWHIZ PROFILE
Date started: February 2017
Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
Size: 50 employees
Funding: approximately $6m
Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
The Abu Dhabi Awards explained:
What are the awards? They honour anyone who has made a contribution to life in Abu Dhabi.
Are they open to only Emiratis? The awards are open to anyone, regardless of age or nationality, living anywhere in the world.
When do nominations close? The process concludes on December 31.
How do I nominate someone? Through the website.
When is the ceremony? The awards event will take place early next year.
Company%20Profile
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Quick facts on cancer
- Cancer is the second-leading cause of death worldwide, after cardiovascular diseases
- About one in five men and one in six women will develop cancer in their lifetime
- By 2040, global cancer cases are on track to reach 30 million
- 70 per cent of cancer deaths occur in low and middle-income countries
- This rate is expected to increase to 75 per cent by 2030
- At least one third of common cancers are preventable
- Genetic mutations play a role in 5 per cent to 10 per cent of cancers
- Up to 3.7 million lives could be saved annually by implementing the right health
strategies
- The total annual economic cost of cancer is $1.16 trillion
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
The years Ramadan fell in May
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
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