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Monthly Archives: August 2010

Are we Brits completely obsessed by tea?

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Posted by trev on August 19, 2010 – 7:39 pm
Filed under Eating & Drinking

It’s an interesting question as for generations one thing everyone from outside these shores would say when asked about the Brits is – they’re tea obsessed!

Some would say with our busy lifestyles and all the marketting of soft drinks this isn’t the case, but going by the Tea Palace in Covent Garden I might beg to differ. For those who enjoy their tea, this has to be paradise with what they claim is the widest selection of tea in the country.

Did you know for example that France and Germany play an important part in some teas, as good quality oranges are needed for certain blends and these countries are well reowned for the quality of their fruit. Or for more modern teas with anti-viral properties, you need Orange Myrtal from the rainforests of Australia.

So if you want to go beyond your supermarket tea and impress your friends with your knowledge on the subject, or just fancy a good cuppa, try the Tea Palace web site.

The RAF Museums in Cosford and London

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Posted by trev on August 19, 2010 – 7:00 pm
Filed under Attractions

The RAF have two major museums – one in Cosford near Birmingham and the other at Hendon’s London Aerodrome in Colindale, North London.

Between them they feature over 180 aircraft with interactive displays detailing everything from the earliest days of the RAF right through to the modern day aircraft such as the Eurofighter – the fighter jet that shouldn’t be able to fly.

The London museum was opened in 1972 by Her Majesty the Queen, and includes not only over 100 aircraft on display but also a 3D cinema.

The Cosford museum has a varied selection of exhibitions including War Planes, Missiles, Transport & Training and Research & Development collections.

For full details and directions, see the RAF Museum web site.

The hidden world of the Camden Catacombs

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Posted by trev on August 19, 2010 – 6:09 pm
Filed under Attractions, Miscellaneous

Hidden below Camden in London are a long forgotten network of tunnels created by the Victorians as stables and access points for warehouses around Camden Dock and markets.

The tunnels have lain empty for many years, but for those looking carefully around the area there is still evidence of their paths by following mysterious grates spaced at regular intervals around the market area. Those who visit Euston Station are also walking above the tunnels, although most will never realise.

Situated around 21 feet below the surface, the tunnels even have a canal basin for connecting the docks to the warehouses, presumably to allow easier access for goods to be transported in and out of the market area.

Access to the tunnels is now restricted due to the risks of flooding, but several web sites document the tunnels including the Camden Guide.

Bag yourself an out-of-season, self-catering bargain!

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Posted by Paul on August 19, 2010 – 5:42 pm
Filed under Accommodation

Some of the UK’s most popular tourist locations are at the prettiest out of season when they’re free from crowds, the Autumn colours are turning or the crisp Winter air looms.  The other great thing about this time of year is that self-catering accommodation providers will often take short breaks rather than their usual Friday-Friday or Saturday-Saturday weekly lets.  And what’s more, it’s invariably the cheapest time to go!

Self-catering really is a no-brainer, too.  You invariably get more space, more privacy and a far better rate when you work it out per person per night. With a little forward planning, you can get some great deals for a pre- or post-Christmas break, or perhaps even a Valentines treat.  Have a browse of sites such as the UK cottage website for an idea of what’s available.

Paul Johnson is a Director at Kendal Holiday Cottages Ltd. which offers luxury self-catering accommodation between the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales

Why is the Elephant & Castle so named?

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Posted by trev on August 19, 2010 – 4:59 pm
Filed under Miscellaneous

One thing that has always puzzled me about London is the slightly bizarrely named area “Elephant & Castle” which I assumed for years was just a nickname, but apparently not.

Doing a little research I’ve come across the top 3 most popular reasons for the name, although whether any of these are right, well you tell me…

1) This one made least sense to me, but some claim it’s simply an anglisised corruption of corruption of  “la Infanta de Castile” which is generally regarded as the Spanish for Eleanor of Castile who was Edward I’s wife. In Spanish and Portuguese a monarch’s daughter is referred to as a “Infanta”.

That one has been pretty much dismissed by the etymologists (people who study the history of words) as not a very likely reason.

2) The area took the name of the pub which stands in the middle of the area and has done in one form or another since the 18th Century. However although pubs do often have odd names, there’s the question – where did the name of the pub come from? Plus there’s documented evidence that this name was around in the 17th Century.

3) The best one I’ve found mostly for quirkiness was a story from the 1600’s when a resident of London was said to have stood on London Bridge, looked into the sky and seen a cloud shaped like an elephant with a castle riding upon it’s back. Other people would then “see” this, and the idea grew.
Of course it is just possible that someone was, as some say today, “thinking outside the box” and has been confusing everyone for the next several hundred years…?

The Geffrye Museum of how we lived

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Posted by trev on August 19, 2010 – 4:47 pm
Filed under Attractions

There are countless museums showing how the aristocratic classes lived at various times in the past, but very little is shown about general public have changed their tastes over the years.

This is where the Geffrye Museum is different – it takes a look through the ages from the 1600’s to modern day, but focuses on the so called Middle Classes to give a more balanced view.

The museum itself is split into 11 rooms each featuring furniture and styles from one of the selected periods in time, right up to 1998 loft apartments with 2 to three rooms per period to show changes in tastes during and after each century.

The building in which the museum is housed dates itself from 1714, when it was built at the at the bequest of Sir Robert Geffrye, Lord Mayor of London and Master of the Ironmongers’ Company. An additional sympathetic wing was added in 1998 to house the restaurant and other facilities.

For those travelling around London, the museum is very close to the new Hoxton Station on the extended Northern Line.

The museum has free entry.

Handy links:
Official Geffrye Museum web site
Shoreditch Hotels
More attractions in Shoreditch

Behind the London blue plaques scheme

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Posted by trev on August 19, 2010 – 3:30 pm
Filed under Attractions

There are many plaques on buildings around the country usually signifying where a famous person once lived or an event took place, but the oldest of these schemes is believed to be in London.

Originally setup by the Society of Arts in 1866, later to become the Royal Society of Arts, the London blue plaques are now run by English Heritage and more specifically – the Blue Plaques Panel.

There are over 850 of these blue plaques around the capital although there were over 100 more, most of which were on buildings knocked down for re-development. They cover a wide range of people and in some cases groups and significant events, with the first being put up in 1867 to show the birthplace of Lord Byron in Holles Street.

Can anyone have a blue plaque?

In theory yes, as most of the proposed blue plaques are erected based on suggestions by the public, but there are a number of basic criteria which must be fulfilled before they can be considered.

- If the plaque relates to a person, they must have died 10+ years before.
- The proposed building must have a strong and definitive link.
- The proposed building must not have been significantly altered since the person lived there.
- Any events or group related proposals must have significant national appeal.

If a proposal can pass these then it can be submitted and considered by the panel, but even if it passes this stage the average waiting time from proposal to the plaque going up is 2 – 3 years.

Other London plaque schemes:
As mentioned there are various other schemes even in London.

- Green Plaques are often seen around Westminster which are usually placed by Westminster City Council.
- The Heath and Hampstead Society use black plaques.
- Ones by the British Comedy Society might be confused with the English Heritage plaques as they are also blue.

For full information about London Blue Plaques, see the English Heritage web site.

A taste of Thailand in the Lake District

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Posted by Paul on August 19, 2010 – 3:22 pm
Filed under Accommodation, Eating & Drinking

From 13th to 16th October 2010 Linthwaite House Hotel, overlooking Lake Windermere, will be offering guests a taste of Thailand when the hotel hosts a culinary extravaganza in conjunction with Koh Samui’s original boutique hotel, The Tongsai Bay.

So whilst guest can enjoy the autumn colours of the Lake District by day, by night they will be transported to the flavours of the Far East as Linthwaite’s head chef Richard Kearsley and his experienced team open up their kitchen to Tongsai Bay’s executive chef Alvin Tan Kian Chee and sous chef Jaturan Ounnahasuwan to fuse the exotic flavours of southern Thailand with the highest quality produce from Cumbria, creating exclusive menus and sharing the knowledge of their respective cuisines.

Both Linthwaite and Tongsai Bay have a long tradition of culinary excellence. At Tongsai Bay, the cuisine was overseen for many years by chef Piengchom Darbanand (known as ‘Chom’), a former chef to the Thai Royal household. Although now she is almost in retirement her standards are strictly maintained and her occasional visits to the hotel are much anticipated. Linthwaite is also renowned for its imaginative cuisine, using the best local produce; previously of The Waterside Inn, Mallory Court and Lords of the Manor, Richard Kearsley learnt his trade alongside stars of the culinary world. Both hotels also have a strong connection to the late Keith Floyd, who worked on his legendary ‘Far Flung Floyd’ series with the team at Tongsai Bay, and more recently hosted cookery theatres at Linthwaite.

The chef’s visit will culminate in a series of events at Linthwaite, at which they will present their dishes through cookery demonstrations and exclusive menus.

To celebrate Linthwaite is offering a special two night dinner, bed and breakfast package from £128 per person per night on 13th and 14th or 15th and 16th October 2010. Cost also includes a special afternoon tea with traditional Thai fruit carving.

Paul Johnson is a Director at Kendal Holiday Cottages Ltd. which offers luxury self-catering accommodation between the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales

Useful link:
Tourist attractions in Windermere

Steam off for a great day out from Preston this Summer

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Posted by Paul on August 19, 2010 – 3:19 pm
Filed under Attractions, Eating & Drinking, Transport

School’s still out for summer and parents looking for inspiration on what to do with the kids, or adults just wanting a different kind of day out, can opt for a nostalgic and atmospheric train journey, to a station that lies in the shadow of England’s tallest mountains.

From Monday to Saturday every week up to 30th October 2010, a Northern Rail service runs from Preston, in Lancashire, to Dalegarth, in the beautiful Eskdale Valley, Cumbria, on a journey that provides spectacular views of beautiful Morecambe Bay and the Furness Peninsula en route.

The train leaves Preston railway station at 08.38, Lancaster at 08.58 and Carnforth at 09.08, picking up at various other Lancashire and Cumbrian stations including Silverdale, Arnside, Grange-over-Sands and Ulverston.

On leaving Barrow-in-Furness, the train continues along the Cumbrian Coast line to Ravenglass – the only coastal village in the Lake District. There, passengers can board a Ravenglass and Eskdale 15″ gauge train and take a seven-mile steam journey full with the romance of steam travel.

The magical journey transports passengers through hidden Miterdale, past woods and landscapes rich in wildlife and along a route that runs in the shadow of Muncaster Fell. Travelling through the beautiful Eskdale Valley enables passengers to experience some of the lesser-known, stunning landscapes of the Western Lake District before they arrive at Dalegarth.

A modern visitor centre, complete with Romans in Eskdale exhibition, awaits those wishing to explore the station’s facilities, which also include a well-stocked gift shop, catering for both children and adults alike.

The Fellbites Eatery at Dalegarth provides home cooked, tasty hot and cold food, whilst the play area, officially opened by Princess Alexandra in summer 2009, has some exciting features on which children can let off steam.

There is enough time for passengers to also explore the local village of Boot with its historic working, water-powered corn mill and take a short walk before the return journey, which starts at 14.50 Monday to Friday. Passengers will then arrive back in Carnforth for 18.54, Lancaster at 19.04 and Preston at 19.30.

On Saturdays, passengers have an extra hour in Eskdale, leaving at 15.50 and returning to Carnforth for 18.54, to Lancaster at 19.04 and to Preston at 19.30.

The fare from Preston to Dalegarth costs £27.60 for an adult and £13.80 for a child. The adult return fares generate a £1 donation to The Railway Children charity thanks to the fundraising efforts of Martin Cookman, assistant general manager at the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway.

Martin is raising funds for this charity, which supports children who are abandoned or have run away from home, for a variety of reasons, and who arrive at railway stations around the world, living in station buildings, on the track, or on trains themselves.

Paul Johnson is a Director at Kendal Holiday Cottages Ltd. which offers luxury self-catering accommodation between the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales

Useful links:
Attractions in and around Ravenglass

Wizards and wildlife at Alnwick Castle

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Posted by trev on August 19, 2010 – 2:02 pm
Filed under Attractions

Alnwick Castle, on the north Northumberland coastline, is probably most famous for it’s connections with the Harry Potter films where the castle exterior and gardens were used for the Hogwarts School of Magic set.

The castle unsurprisingly certainly makes quite a lot of this connection with various wizards days and similar events throughout the year, but aside from creating magic with Harry Potter, what else does the castle have to offer?

Having been inhabited for over 700 years, the castle certainly has plenty of history and stories to tell – if only walls could talk. Aside from the films, much is made of the Medieval side of the castle with events throughout the year involving re-enactments and displays, as well as hands on events.

A few examples of what you can do include taking a guided tour of the castle and grounds, archery lessons for the over 11’s, watching bird of prey demonstrations, learn about the Duke’s very own ‘home guard’ soldiers and take a relaxing picnic in the grounds.

One of the most exciting family events is likely to be the Knight’s Quest at Alnwick Castle, in which visitors can experience the world of a medieval knight, dressing up and meeting the Dragon Master to learn all about dragons and master the sword. Then you’ll face the dragon in Dragon’s Quest using all you’ve learned to save to save the day!

For those who like all things ghoolish, there’s also the opportunity to create your own Alnwick Medieval gargoyle or medieval dragon in plaster to take home and paint.

For full details of what’s on see the Alnwick Castle web site.

Useful web sites:
Hotels in Alnwick
Alnwick visitor attractions
Self-catering in Alnwick