Last week's Turner Prize ceremony at Tate Liverpool - the first time it has taken place outside London - was just a tiny foretaste of the cultural events of the 12 months to come, says Angie Sammons
Good food, good friends, good times - and above all a top-notch setting. Jane Dunford and Liz Bird offer their pick of holiday homes to rent for a festive celebration. Some are still available for this Christmas or New Year, so round up extended family or a gang of mates and plan a party to remember
The volcanoes of Sicily and the Aeolian islands provide a spectacular backdrop for a holiday. But will walking to the paper shop be adequate preparation for climbing Mount Etna? Phil Hogan finds out
If a trip to the Arctic Circle is beyond your means, don't despair. Head instead to Stockeld Park in Wetherby, Yorkshire between now and 27 January and you'll find it transformed into a Swedish-style winter wonderland. Sort of.
Fed up with grotty shoeboxes in modern ski resorts, Edward Marriott heads to a cosy cabin beside the piste, high above the Austrian resort of Schladming
