Investors with property in the UAE will be pleased to hear that recent figures from the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority show the number of people visiting the Emirate jumped 16 per cent in July compared with the same month the previous year.

July was the ninth consecutive month of double digit guest growth for the Emirates.

For the first time, international market growth of 29 per cent outstripped domestic growth of four per cent.

Commenting on the findings, Nadine Hallak, a spokesperson for Cheapflights.co.uk, said that travel to the UAE had dropped during Dubai’s recession, however, things are now picking up.

She added that high-profile events such as the launch of Formula One in Abu Dhabi and the fact that the recent Sex and the City film was set in the Emirate have boosted its profile with holidaymakers.

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The superjumbo will fly between the two locations twice daily and has already broken the record for the most number of passengers to leave the site on a single flight when it took off on September 1st.

Improved travel links will be welcome news for people with property in the UAE.

"This is a historic moment for Emirates as we bring our 21st century superjumbo to the north-west, 20 years after our first flight from the region," explained executive vice-chairman Maurice Flanagan.

"Our Manchester service has been an incredible success story, and we’re delighted to be opening the next chapter today."

Earlier this week, figures from Dubai International highlighted that the airport has been receiving a record number of passengers.

In July, some 4.3 million passengers were handled by the airport, compared with 3.7 in July 2009.
 

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This follows 0.3 per cent growth in the first three months of the year and the strengthening economy is good news for investors looking for property in Spain, Cyrpus and France.

The eurozone is growing faster than the US, which saw its GDP rise 0.4 per cent between April and June.

Year-on-year, the eurozone economy expanded by 1.9 per cent in the second quarter of the year, higher than original estimates of 1.7 per cent.

"Today’s data signalled that the euro zone recovery strengthened in the second quarter of 2010," Clemente de Lucia, economist at BNP Paribas, told Reuters, adding that activity will probably lose momentum in the second half of the year.

Following the healthy second quarter performance, the European Central Bank has raised its growth forecast for this year and next to 1.6 per cent and 1.4 per cent respectively.
 

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You know what, it’s exactly like it sounds on the Shipping Forecast

What’s going for it? “Never heard of it,” said the petrol station attendant. Really? Really? He had a wicked gleam in his eye. I’m sure it must get annoying to be reminded of the Shipping Forecast by every bleeder up here on holiday. But that’s Cromarty’s fault for sounding – and being – so blinking romantic. From the radio, I’d always imagined it to be a salty, sea-scuffed town, streets of hard stone cottages, stuck out in the waves, Highland mountains in the distance, sandy coves, seals, dolphins and legends aplenty. And you know what? It is. As for the Black Isle, what could sound more Enid Blyton? Just needs lashings of ginger beer. Though it’s not really an isle, but an isthmus, its waist pinched where it joins the mainland. Stand on the top of Mount Eagle, surrounded by woods, moorland and heath with Cromarty Firth to the north, Moray and Beauly Firths to the south, and oil rigs all around, and you might as well be on a magical island. I love this place. Mild, too, for this latitude. Important, that, come January.

The case against Not one little thing. Distance? Bah! It’s far away, but that sort of goes with the territory. Too quiet? Inverness and dancing till dawn are 15 minutes away. Stop moaning.

Well connected? The A9 is the high street/lifeline. Cromarty Rose, the (no joke) two-car ferry goes from Cromarty to Nigg if you can’t be bothered to drive all the way round the firth. The railway north to Wick, south to Inverness (20 minutes, several a day, but infrequently bunched) and beyond, is at the base of the peninsula at Muir of Ord.

Schools Primaries: Culbokie mostly “very good”, says HMIE, Newhall and Muirtown mostly “good” or “very good” and North Kessock mostly “good”. Secondaries: Fortrose Academy mostly “very good”.

Hang out at… Sutor Creek, Cromarty, for pizza and Sunday lunch; The Anderson at Fortrose for whisky, oysters and general cosiness; and the Black Isle Brewery.

Where to buy The small towns – Cromarty, Fortrose, Rosemarkie, Avoch – are delicious: traditional, stone cottages and town houses, crofts, etc. But even the uglier modern stuff looks fine against this magnificent landscape.

Market values Period detacheds (old manses, town houses, etc), £230,000-£400,000. Modern detacheds and bungalows, £150,000-£250,000.

Bargain of the week Lovely old white-painted, four-bed semi-detached Cromarty town house, £159,000, with Your Move.

From the streets

Jane Cooper “Go to the Sutor Creek for wood-fired pizza and fantastic condensed-milk crème brûlée.”

Karen Meikle and Kevin Davis “Cromarty is a quiet, peaceful town with Scottish vernacular architecture and a friendly atmosphere.”

Richard Robinson “Fortrose, on the Black Isle, is a good combination of not too remote but plenty of open space. The Anderson pub is the best – a beer and whisky specialist.”

• Live in Cromarty? Join the debate below

• Do you live in Clun, Shropshire? Do you have a favourite haunt or a pet hate? If so, please write, by Tuesday 7 September, to lets.move@guardian.co.uk

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If your idea of cleaning is a quick swipe with a damp cloth, maybe it’s time to up your game. Britain’s top housekeeper, Margaret McMullin, has some insider tips

Polishing is overrated Wood needs polishing only once a year (use natural beeswax rather than silicone polish). The rest of the time, simply buff it vigorously with a lint-free cloth. Remove sticky fingerprints with a drop of diluted white vinegar.

But dusting must be done every week Work down from the ceiling to the floor using an ostrich feather duster (the dust will stick to the natural oils in the feathers) and a damp cloth. Clean fragile ornaments with a hairdryer set on cool.

Bicarbonate of soda is an excellent deodoriser For example, after you’ve chopped onions, rub the board with a bicarb paste (two teaspoons bicarb mixed with a little water), leave for 15-30 minutes and wash off with hot or boiling water . To keep drains smelling sweet, each week pour half a cup of bicarb and the same amount of white vinegar down the sink (it’ll froth), then flush with boiling water.

White vinegar is a cleaner’s store cupboard staple It’s the best thing for getting water marks off shower screens and will also bring crusty taps back to their shiny glory. (Just wrap a piece of vinegar-soaked cotton around the tap and leave overnight. Repeat if necessary.)

Nothing beats getting into a freshly laundered bed And it’s worth ironing sheets. I’m a great believer in hospital corners, too, because they stop the sheets moving while you sleep.

To check whether a feather pillow needs replacing, balance it on your hand If it stays in shape, it’s still good, but if the sides start to droop, you need a new one. Buy goose feather if you can afford it.

Towels go hard because washing powder and fabric softeners leave mineral deposits in the fibres, which are then baked in as the towels dry. To ensure you have soft towels at all times, wash in laundry liquid rather than powder, and take out of the dryer or off the line before they’re bone dry. Soaking hard towels in a solution of water and white vinegar (145ml vinegar: 4.5 litres of water) will bring them back to life.

My favourite piece of equipment is a variable-speed vacuum cleaner It can be used for so many things – vacuuming mattresses, for example, is the best way to get rid of mites.

Hiring a steam cleaner every few months will save you time and elbow grease Use it to give shower tiles, ovens and hobs a deep clean.

Cedar blocks make your cupboards smell nice, but they don’t deter moths I hang sachets of Bouchard Anti-Moth Proofer (£2.95, from John Lewis) in my wardrobes to keep them at bay. If you find tiny, papery casings in your carpets, you have carpet beetles and need to call the experts.

I like cleaning silver, because you can sit down to do it And once you’ve finished, it really sparkles – a lovely reward for your hard work. But I hate cleaning windows; it’s exhausting on the shoulders.

I caught the cleaning bug when I was eight My mother was an exceedingly good housewife, and I used to watch her while she worked. In those days, we had open fires that discoloured the paintwork, and I was fascinated by the way she washed it with a solution of water and ammonia. I’d go to house sales with my father, too, and he’d show me beautiful pieces of furniture and explain how to care for them.

Cleaning matters to me because I think a clean, fresh home lifts your mood. If I haven’t cleaned my house for a while, I know I’m either too busy or a bit unhappy, so I make myself do it by putting everything in my bedroom on the bed – it means I can’t go to sleep until I’ve dealt with it.

People don’t think I’m overly fastidious because, although my house is clean, it’s homely, too. I suspect friends probably clean up a bit before I visit, though.

There’s no such thing as a cleaning cheat You can hide mess and disguise stains, but something is either clean or it isn’t. If you have people coming and the place isn’t clean, just tidy up the clutter and focus on the ambience – candles, flowers and low lighting all work wonders. Make time to get yourself ready, too.

Cleaning has to be done, so view it positively It’s great cardiovascular activity, and much cheaper than joining a gym.

We don’t live in hospitals So I’m dead against spraying everything with Dettol.

Cleaning is time-consuming So make everyone in the house responsible for looking after their own space. If they don’t comply, go away for the weekend and leave them to it: believe me, it works much better than moaning.

• Margaret McMullin is director, senior housekeeping tutor and bespoke staff trainer at Greycoat Academy.

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Where can I find a carousel kitchen utensil holder? Plus how do I get rid of bed bugs?

Where can I find a carousel kitchen utensil holder? A friend has one (two tiers with knife slots) dating back to the 80s.
Steptoe’s Antiques, which specialises in vintage retro and antique homewares, will try to source one for you. Alternatively, The Pampered Chef stocks a revolving Tool Turn-About which holds 4.5kg of utensils (£17.75.

I think we have bed bugs. I have a sealed hypoallergic mattress cover – how have they got in? Do I take off the cover to look for them? Help!
“Bedbugs are nasty flat, brown insects that come out at night to feed on your blood,” says our expert, Stephanie Zia. “The telltale sign is itching at night, but not everybody is affected; the other big clue is red blood spots on your sheets and pillows. The bugs are most commonly found nesting in wood – bed frames usually, as they like to be near their source of food (you), but they can also get into wardrobes, drawers, skirting boards, clothing, curtain seams and more. Look for clusters of black dots (the faeces) and smaller white dots (the eggs). Home sprays won’t work – call your council pest control service, which will spray all the wood in your room with a toxic chemical. This will cost around £100. You’ll have to clear out cupboards, under-bed storage etc. The chemical takes several weeks to work. Don’t move anything out of the room that isn’t sealed in a plastic bag or the bugs could spread. If you’re itching, don’t move elsewhere in the night. Move to a different room the next day until the bugs have been eradicated.”

• Got a question for our crack team of domestic experts? Email space@guardian.co.uk

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