Welcome to this week's Picks. Suddenly August is upon us and the subject of holidays is beginning to loom large in our semi-consciousness. No rest for us, however. We remain shackled to our desks while, in the words of the poet Banjo Paterson (our our old Aussie mate): the foetid air and gritty of the dusty, dirty city, through the open window floating spreads its foulness overall. Still, mustn't grumble.

So, while dreaming of taking a break from the mundane bump and grind of the daily office round, we remember the character from Douglas Adams' Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy who spent his lunch-times cruising a digital simulation of the universe in his office. The web can't quite offer virtual vacations of that sophistication yet, but there is no shortage of resources for those wishing to jet off for rather more planet-bound R&R.

Among the best is Emap's Bargainholidays.com, a self-updating database detailing more than 70,000 departures from the UK. A network of computers continuously polls the mainframe systems of 26 of Britain's leading holiday firms, allowing you to choose anything from bed and breakfast in Benidorm to windsurfing in Windhoek, all at up-to-the-minute prices.

Alternatively you could opt to discover some of Britain's secret places, aided by the Official British Tourist Authority website. There are sections dealing with places to stay and sights to see, as well as facts and figures and a gallery of images of the UK. There is also a special offers section with a range of goodies to choose from.

There are places one probably wouldn't choose to put at the top of a list of holiday destinations and, with due apologies to its inhabitants, Harrogate may well be one of them. It's not that we have anything against the town in particular, it's just that many of us expect holiday destinations to be exciting and mysterious in a way that Harrogate doesn't seem to be -- at first glance. But now Ben Jewitt has launched The Moribund Times, whose avowed aim is to expose the town's seething underbelly of satanic corruption beneath what he sees as a thin veneer of respectability.

See if you can spot where Ben's coming from the following sentence: "The Moribund Times' real (i.e./ non-demonic crap) mission on this earth it to reveal the petty Bourgeois attitude of Harrogate and it's militant right wing army of old women who sit in Betty's tea rooms (dank den of the upper- middle classes) and foam on about how the youth of today are all lefty communist fools who act like Goths and ruin the 'status' of the town like angst ridden adolescent rebels."

Little more than several extended rants strung together, this site is a must for anyone who grew up in a smaller British town. Oh, and it also has one of the best disclaimer messages ever.

It's a sad fact that some emergency services only really come to our attention when we're on holiday. While the Police, Ambulance and Fire Brigades manage to maintain a high profile simply because they're seen on a daily basis, the same cannot be said of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. It's no surprise to discover that we're currently slap-bang in their busy period, as countless ill-prepared summer sailors, as intrepid as they are inexperienced, prepare to hoist their mainbraces and weigh their anchors.

Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews have saved over 129,500 lives. Its website aims to continue this work, providing useful advice to landlubbers planning maiden voyages. It also has information about the services' structure, its vessels and Storm Force, its youth wing.

Not all accidents are the result of crass stupidity and the only way to be sure that you're taking no risks at all is to book a fortnight on your own sofa and veg out in front of the TV. The BBC's website -- beeb -- is designed to complement the experience, offering interactivity and information built on programme strands such as Formula One Racing (though the BBC no longer actually broadcasts the races), current cult hit This Life. In addition its The Score section provides detailed sports coverage, while Have Your Say provides an opportunity to say what you like or hate about the site.

Well, that's enough building sandcastles in the air. We'll be back next week and until then ... bonnes vacances!

Sites featured in Picks of the Week

• Bargainholidays.com - the cheapest holidays on the web.
  
• The Official British Tourist Authority Website - hidden Britain revealed.
  
• The Moribund Times - the harrowing experience that is Harrogate.
  
• Royal National Lifeboat Institution - saving lives at sea.
  
• beeb - note 'stylish' use of lower case to show the BBC isn't filled with crumblies.

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