How to write a good UK/Ireland opinion what a task, the category is so diverse you could be writing about a pub, hotel, restaurant, town, city, beauty spot, museum, theatre, piece of public art or numerous other topics so where do you begin and what qualifies me to offer advice? I’m not a category guide, I don’t consider myself to be one of the great dooyoo writers and I’m certainly not a prolific opinion writer, I’ve been around for nine month and this is only my forty-third opinion.

Well after marandina and jillmurphy suggested in my comment thread that they would like to read my thoughts on this topic, I thought I might as well give it a go; I have written ten UK/Ireland opinions, all rated very useful and eight have crowns so I’ll try to explain the format I use without being too long or boring.

I try to write about an attraction/town/ city/hostelry I either know well or that has had a real impact on me whether it is good or bad, although I do find it easier to write a positive rather than negative opinion. I’ll try and break this category down into different areas.

Pubs. Hotels, Restaurants

If I were reading an opinion with a view to visiting a certain pub, hotel or restaurant I would want to know what the parking was like or how easy is it to reach by public transport. Another important point would be the ambience, is it boisterous, or dull, is there music playing and if so what kind, are the staff friendly and attentive, is it warm, clean and welcoming? What is the standard of food like and the portions given, are children welcome, you don’t have to have a child with you to know this just look around, are there any children sitting around, are there any high chairs available, do they have a children’s menu?

If it’s a hotel what are the bedrooms like? I don’t need a break down of every item of furniture but I do want to now if they were clean and comfort
able. I also like to now whether the bathroom has a bath or shower and if the towels are changed daily. You can get a good idea about a place by the cleanliness of public places and especially public toilets so I would like to know about these.

I would also like to know about other facilities both inside and outside, such as pool tables, any children’s play area, beer garden and what the building is next to, has it got an interesting view?

Villages, Towns and Cities

There is so much helpful information you can give here, what are the links with other towns and cities like, what are the shopping areas like, are there any parks and recreation areas, what is the nightlife like and which age groups does it appeal to, are there any museums, cinemas, art galleries and are there any areas of historical value? You don’t need to go into great detail about any of the above but they are what makes the village, town or city what it is and everywhere no matter how small has something to offer a visitor, it could be the picturesque village church, the beautiful park in the little town or the brilliant nightlife of the big city.

Museums and Art Galleries

What is of particular interest here and is it a place for all age groups? When you visited the museum or art gallery what stood out for you and why? What age groups were there, were there families there with children and if so did the children look bored or were they interested, perhaps even excited about certain things? Was there an entrance fee and if so did you think it was value for money? Were there guides or attendants around willing to give you further information about an exhibit if required and was the building accessible and user friendly for the disabled? What are the opening times, do you think a certain time of day is best to visit and are they closed on bank holidays?

Theatres and Cinemas

Here I would be interested in access to public transpor
t or car parking facilities, what the auditorium is like, approximate width of aisles, access to fire exits, what the disabled facilities are like, what the service in the bar was like during the interval, are there any restaurants or coffee bars and what are the prices like?

Public Art

Thanks to Lottery Funding and the regeneration of inner city areas new pieces of public art are springing up all over. What does it say to you and what does it say to other people who view it? as they say one man's meat is another man's poison. Tell us about the piece of art, who the artist is and a little information about the artist, tell us what the local response to the public art was initially and has this changed, what does the sculpture say to you, do you understand it? Try to explain what the artist was trying to achieve and what the local authority was hoping to portray.

Local Beauty Spots

When I write about a local beauty spot I like to sit and take in the area, I think about the views, the aromas, the noises around, is it a colourful place and how safe is it for children. I look at shops and kiosks in the area, what facilities are there for refreshments, what the public toilets are like and are there any other amenities available.

If I’m writing about a coastal area I look at what the beach is like, whether it consists of sand or pebbles, is the sea safe to paddle in, does the beach shelve gently into the sea or drop away steeply.

I like to know whether the beauty spot is well cared for and kept clean, are there picnic areas with benches and waste bins, are there areas for family games and can children run around safely, if dogs are allowed to run wild or are they welcome on a lead?

What is the main attraction of the beauty spot and does it offer anything else to the visitor and how do you get to it?

To Sum Up

Think about your local area, places you have probably visited over a
nd over again for years, places you take for granted, visit them again and really look at them. Most people forget about what is on their own doorstep and yet locals know so much about the places of interest in their area, what improvements have been made, memories you have and local myths and legends, they are all of interest to visitors. If you are writing about an attraction you visited on holiday did you talk to any of the locals about it and if so did they have an interesting story to tell?

No matter what your opinion is about also tell us what is special for you or what you disliked, put something of yourself into your opinion and try to give as vivid a picture as possible but be truthful, in effect the reader is blind to the attraction you are reviewing and you have to paint a mental view for us.

Well as I said at the start I’m no expert, everyone has different ideas of what makes a good opinion and there are no hard and fast rules, I have tried to outline how I write in this category and the type of opinions I find very useful without going on too long, this obviously does not cover every topic but I hope it is of some help.