Try Anglia

As an unreconstructed Northerner, I had always considered East Anglia part of the South, and just like that region's beer - flat and boring. But a trip to Great Yarmouth last year with my wife Marion and four-year-old daughter Bethany had dispelled those myths. So the chance to return during the recent autumn half-term break was gleefully accepted.

On the Norfolk coast just north of Great Yarmouth is the unspoilt village of Caister, and just outside Caister, almost in the shadow of the ruins of Caister Castle at West Caister, was our cottage.

As we arrived, after a lengthy drive, twilight was falling and wintry showers were chasing the autumn leaves down the lane which led to Glebe Cottage. All we wanted was somewhere cosy and a steaming cup of tea - and we weren't disappointed. The central heating was on to welcome us as we moved our bags inside for our short break. Glebe Cottage is one of dozens of similar properties which can be found in the 2001 Hoseasons Holidays brochure.

Hoseasons have accommodation at holiday parks, luxury caravans, timber lodges, cottages and bungalows at locations across the UK and Ireland. Many are available all year round and are ideal for a short off-season break.

Next morning, I pulled on my wellies and ventured outside to find out if the natives were friendly. I didn't meet any natives, but I did discover that Glebe Cottage lived up to its name. A glebe is a piece of land forming part of a clergyman's living, and right next door was the tiny church of St Edmund. I went cautiously inside, and found a charming interior, many of the church artefacts displaying the strong links with the sea. And in the garden to the rear of our cottage was another striking piece of history - a huge pillar of flint-face stone, apparently the ruins of St Edmund's monastery.

With the weather staying fine, and with the tang of the sea in the air, we drove into Caister to stretch our limbs on the beach.

Norfolk's unspoilt beaches put Yorkshire's grubby examples to shame - miles of fine and clean pale sand, under a big sky. As a pale sun forced its way through the cloud, we idly passed the morning, Marion collecting shells and pebbles while Bethany scoured the horizon through her toy binoculars.

Away from the sea, this part of Norfolk is not short of family attractions, and just down the road was Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens. The hall is a solid-looking Georgian manor house, built in 1736 and probably designed by Joshua Smith, whose work also included Norwich Assembly Rooms. Thrigby began a new era in 1979 as a wildlife park, and today has a key role in the worldwide network of zoos which are becoming a last refuge for threatened species.

The pride of the park's collection are the Sumatran tigers, and their enclosure has been planned to give the animals space and privacy, while offering visitors an exciting view.

We felt like intrepid explorers as we took to the treetop tiger walk, a narrow wooden walkway through the trees which gave a bird's-eye view of the enclosure. On the other side, an under-ground "bunker" allowed a privileged glimpse of the magnificent beasts.

Cats seem to be something of a speciality at Thrigby Hall. We spotted clouded leopards and amur leopards, but coolest cats of all were the snow leopards, unruffled by the attention from the half-term holiday crowds.

The crowds at Pleasurewood Hills fun park, near Lowestoft, were getting their final fix of excitement before the attraction closed for the winter. But Bethany prefers the smaller rides, and to be honest, her dad does too, so we squeezed past the queues for the Cannonball Express and Rattlesnake Coaster, and instead jumped on to the "teacups", followed swiftly by the Fairytale Fantasy.

Then we took in the series of shows given throughout the day by the hardworking park staff before joining the throngs heading for the exits, and returning to our cosy cottage.

Fact file

Accommodation: Good ****

Food: Plenty of choice ***

Value for money: Good ****

Things to do: Lots of seaside pursuits *****

More information: For more information on Hoseasons holidays, telephone 01502 500 500, or click on to the virtual brochure at www.hoseasons.co.uk

Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens is near Filby, on the A1064 between Norwich and Great Yarmouth. Tel 01493 369477.

Pleasurewood Hills is situated off the A12 between Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft. Tel 01502 586000.