festive

Summer has barely begun, but Wowcher are already helping Brits to plan festive-themed escapes, with a £99 per person deal that could see you snag a bargain break to a destination such as Lapland

Wowcher’s mystery holidays have become a social media hit, with hundreds of videos circulating of Brits finding out their mystery sun-soaked beach or city break destinations.

But now the voucher site has given its mystery holiday packages a festive twist, offering a variety of Christmas market destinations across Europe, as well as the chance to snag a break in New York or Lapland for just £99 per person.

While most of us are looking forward to the upcoming sunny weather and planning activities for the six week school holidays, dedicated Christmas fans can already book a festive mystery holiday with Wowcher. The package includes a minimum two-night stay, return flights, and accommodation of at least three-stars.

And while the C-word is pretty far from our minds right now, the deal includes a number of destinations that will no doubt be more appealing once you’re in a festive mood. You could find yourself browsing Christmas markets in cities such as Paris, Rome, Prague, Vienna, Krakow, or Berlin.

A small number of lucky winners will find themselves in Lapland visiting Santa’s Village for a once-in-a-lifetime break, or staying under a glass dome and watching the stars in Finland. You may even find yourself all the way in New York, ice skating at the Rockefeller Center or watching the world-famous Radio City Christmas Spectacular featuring the Rockettes.

Booking your break is easy. Just choose the number of passengers and pay for your mystery holiday on Wowcher. You’ll then be sent a link to redeem your code, and can choose your airport region and travel dates. Get your camera ready, as you’ll no doubt want to film your reaction as your mystery destination is revealed on-screen.

However, with these kinds of breaks it’s worth remembering there are a number of terms and conditions attached, so make sure you read the fine print before you book. One thing to note if you’re not in the south east is that departures from non-London regional airports will incur a supplement of £40 per person.

Breaks are either two or three-nights long, and Wowcher promise a minimum of 40 hours at your destination when departing from London or Manchester, 36 hours from all other UK airports, and 60 hours for selected 3-night stays.

It’s worth remembering that these mystery holidays are a gamble, and while there are lots of positive reviews out there, not everyone ends up happy with their destination. Around November and December, you can also sometimes find cheap deals and book your own break, giving you more control over your destination.

Also, check the dates for Christmas markets in your destination. Some cities only have markets running on limited dates or on weekends, so if you travel in late-November or early-December, it’s worth keeping in mind that these festive events may not be open. However, you can of course still enjoy your destination without exploring a market.

Find out more about these festive mystery breaks or book online with Wowcher.

There are other companies that offer mystery holidays, such as the simply named mysteryholiday.co.uk.

Have a story you want to share? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com

It was a brotherly battle at UCLA’s spring football game on a clear Saturday afternoon at the Rose Bowl.

At the helm of the opposing white and blue teams, respectively, quarterbacks Nico and Madden Iamaleava led the split halves of the Bruins squad during a well-attended end to the first spring camp under the direction of new coach Bob Chesney.

Fittingly, Madden tossed the go-ahead touchdown pass from near the logo to a wide-open Kenneth Moore III, putting his blue team up 24-17, the eventual final score.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen him just play football,” Nico said of his brother. “So it was fun seeing him out there operate.”

UCLA defensive back Osiris Gilbert knocks the ball out of the hand of UCLA receiver Shane Rosenthal during the spring game at the Rose Bowl on Saturday.

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

Nico’s team, with play-calling help from Bruins women’s basketball coach Cori Close throughout the second half, got to fourth-and-goal situations twice as the game wound down. One ended in a missed field goal by Mateo Orosco, who had made a 57-yarder, and the other concluded with the blue team storming the field after a pass from quarterback Ty Dieffenbach was incomplete with 10 seconds left.

The addition of the guest play-callers, Close and women’s water polo coach Adam Wright, led to a variety of trick plays throughout the game. Multiple flea-flickers went for big yards, and offensive lineman Mike McDonald took a rushing attempt as a part of the fun atmosphere that Chesney said he wanted to foster at the game.

To come up with one of the plays, Chesney said, Close messaged Rams coach Sean McVay for advice.

“We put some of those plays in so that she would be able to execute what she wanted to. She just came up a little short and I think she did a really good job of motivating her team,” Chesney said of Close’s second-half calls. “Coach Wright just really dialed it in and was able to strike when he had to and put that game away.”

Just before Moore caught his first touchdown in a Bruins uniform, he was running another deep route when he ran into a referee, breaking up what may have been an explosive play.

“Why’d you let the referee cover you?” Chesney asked, posing as a reporter during Moore’s interview.

“That was great defense,” Moore said in response, sporting a smile. “He was so stealthy.”

It had been a few years since the Bruins held a traditional spring game at the Rose Bowl, with previous coaches favoring lower-profile practices that were dubbed spring showcases. This year’s game also comes after the Bruins in February announced that the iconic Pasadena stadium would remain their home, at least this year, amid ongoing litigation over the university’s right to potentially break its lease and play home games at SoFi Stadium.

UCLA receiver Landon Ellis catches a touchdown pass in front of Jhase McMillan (23) and Curtis Gerrand (35) during the spring game at the Rose Bowl Saturday.

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

Chesney said holding a traditional spring game was like a “practice run” for the upcoming season. Ahead of Saturday’s game, the Bruins stayed in a hotel together and had walk-throughs on the field as well as meetings and pretty much anything else they could do to simulate a game. Chesney and many players got their first look at the Rose Bowl lit up at night during a visit Friday.

“To get a chance to walk in here and just feel this and see all of these surroundings and the things that took place in this venue is pretty special,” Chesney said. “We addressed that a little bit last night as a team, and made sure we understand the respect that this place deserves and understand the attitude of gratitude that we should have for the ability to play here.”

Defensive back Cole Martin, a Pasadena native who was on the blue team, called this spring game “magnificent” when asked to compare it to last year’s spring football practice finale. He specifically noted playing at the Rose Bowl as a reason for the strong atmosphere and an important experience for new UCLA players.

“First time in the Rose Bowl, first touchdown as a college player, I mean, it’s awesome,” Martin said, looking at the freshman Moore. “It doesn’t get better than that.”

Walking by reporters during the game, Bob Stiles, who made a famous goal-line stop on a two-point conversion to seal UCLA’s upset win over Michigan State in the 1966 Rose Bowl, concurred. “This is fun,” Stiles said.

Running back Anthony Woods was a standout on the white team, scoring the first touchdown of the game on a six-yard run and going for multiple big gains early.

Receivers Mikey Matthews for white and Landon Ellis for blue scored the other two touchdowns on red zone crossing routes.

The other 10 points, besides the four touchdowns and field goal, were given out equally for victories in side competitions in between the first and second quarters and third and fourth quarters. Both were won by blue, aiding its seven-point win.

On defense, cornerback Osiris Gilbert broke up multiple passes and had a few hard hits, linebacker Samuel Omosigho earned a sack, and linebacker Malaki Soliai-Tui forced a fumble.

Chesney said he was happy with his team’s performance, noting penalties, like the various defensive pass interference calls, as a key area for improvement.

UCLA coach Bob Chesney pats running back Anthony Woods on the helmet during the team’s spring game at the Rose Bowl on Saturday.

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

“It went well,” Chesney said. “I wouldn’t say unbelievable. I wouldn’t say terrible. Most of the time, it was somewhere in between.”

Both Nico Iamaleava, for the offense, and Martin, for the defense, said the units had things to work on, but they were proud of how much they improved during spring camp. With a bit of a break before preparation for the fall ramps up, Iamaleava’s message to the team was simple: “Stay together.”

Chesney echoed the sentiment, saying building on the intensity and development from the spring, rather than starting again during the summer, will be key to the Bruins succeeding during the season.

“We’re back, baby,” Chesney said to fans right before the fourth quarter began. “We’re back.”