Grandparents save summer holidays

More family holidays are being bank-rolled by grandparents this summer as families can't afford a summer holiday, according to a grandparent advice website.

Juliet Hambro, of www.grannylook.com, said they are receiving a lot of enquiries from grandparents wanting advice about taking their grandchildren on holiday.

"Couples with children – especially younger parents – cannot cope right now and are having to go cap in hand to their own parents for cash," she explained.

This may mean the return of the old-fashioned British family holiday, with extended families taking longer breaks together – often renting accommodation in the UK rather than abroad.

Another trend is parents taking cheaper holidays on their own, leaving the children with the grandparents.

"The truth is most children don't care whether they are playing on a beach in Spain, Florida or Norfolk," Hambro commented.

"What they really enjoy is being with their grandparents as they get spoiled rotten."