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Monthly Archives: August 2010

Free admission at Sir John Soane’s Museum, London

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Posted by trev on August 18, 2010 – 4:21 pm
Filed under Attractions

The Sir John Soane’s Museum just looks like any central London town house on the outside, with only the whiter colouration and a tiny plaque by the door hinting to visitors that this might be a little different.

It’s only when you enter the house that you realise exactly what secrets it’s hiding. As one person exclaimed when I visited many years ago – the house is akin to Dr. Who’s Tardis in terms of the amount of space and exhibits that seem to be filled within.

The inside of the house was the work of Sir John Soane, who amongst other buildings designed the impressive looking Bank of England. In his lifetime he also collected a huge number of architectural pieces from drawings of buildings such as the Houses of Parliament to large and small works of art.

This is what makes the house so fascinating to many, as it’s not just a stuffy old museum where everything is hidden behind glass screens and artificial lights, but instead the museum is the house and the collection combined as Soane lived in and left it, allowing visitors to freely wander around discovering pieces hidden away in little dark corridors or behind seemingly solid walls.

The museum probably isn’t something that kids will enjoy, but can be very useful for those on a budget wanting to explore some of the architecture behind London’s great monuments.

Admission to the museum is free.

Useful extra links:
360′ Panoramic Tour of John Soane’s house
John Soane Museum web site
Hotels in Holborn (around the museum)
Attractions in Holborn

The 700 year old Ceremony of the Keys in London

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Posted by trev on August 18, 2010 – 3:56 pm
Filed under Attractions, Events

There are many historical ceremonies and traditions in London, but one of the least seen by visitors to the city is the ancient “Ceremony of the Keys” at the Tower of London.

This is believed to be the oldest continuous ceremony in the world and has happened absolutely every night for the past 700 years without fail. The main purpose is to ensure the Tower of London is secured originally to protect the monarch from foreign invaders and more recently simply to secure the crown jewels.

Visitors are permitted to watch the ceremony, but with very limited numbers. Booking is generally recommend at least 2 months in advance, although tickets are free of charge. More details from the Ceremony of the Keys web site.


History of the Ceremony of the Keys:

There are a number of theories about the beginning of this ceremony, but the most likely two theories come from the 14th Century during the reign of Edward III or his grand-son Richard II.

First theory: In 1337 King Edward III ordered the garrison of the Tower to keep the gates to the tower locked from dusk to dawn. Returning unexpectedly from France, he found the gates to be unlocked. Edward had the constable in charge of the garrison imprisoned and ordered that from that day forth the gates should be locked in a nightly ceremony.

Second theory: This involves Edward’s grand-son Richard II who was only 10 at the time he took the thrown, and due to bad advice given by his uncle John of Gaunt, he imposed the original poll tax. This caused what became known as the Peasant Revolt in June of 1381. The leader of the revolt Wat Tyler took several thousand peasants and broke in through a gate in the Tower of London.  The warders were so worried about this kindof revolt happening again that they asked for an armed guard to carry out their duties and decided that the gates must be locked every night.

Whichever case was the cause, one thing is for sure – the warders have taken this job very seriously since.


The ceremony:

At exactly 9.53pm, the Chief Yeoman Warder  meets the Military Escort, made up of members of the Tower of London Guard. Together, the Chief Yeoman Warder and the Yeoman Warder ‘Watchman’ secure the main gates of the Tower.

Upon their return down Water Lane, the party is halted by the sentry and challenged to identify themselves:

Sentry: Who comes there?
Chief Warder: The keys.
Sentry: Whose keys?
Chief Warder: Queen Elizabeth’s keys.
Sentry: Pass Queen Elizabeth’s Keys. All’s well.

The party then makes its way through the Bloody Tower Archway into the fortress, where they halt at the bottom of the Broadwalk Steps.

On the top of the stairs, under the command of their officer, the Tower guard present arms and the Chief Warder raises his hat, proclaiming:

Chief Warder: God preserve Queen Elizabeth.
Sentry: Amen!

The Chief Warder then takes the keys to the Queen’s House for the night.

Modern history:

It is a requirement of the ceremony that it ends at exactly 10pm, thus the timing is worked out carefully. In recent history the ceremony has only been late once when during WWII a bomb dropped close to the tower and delayed events by a couple of minutes.

There’s even a letter displayed in the tower from the Officer of the Guard apologising to King George for the delay, and a reply stating that the Chief Warder was not to be punished as the delay was caused by enemy actions.

Useful extra info:
Hotels in the City of London (near The Tower of London)
Tower of London official web site
Central London tourist attractions
London self-catering apartments

Arbroath Sea Fest

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Posted by admin on August 18, 2010 – 3:23 pm
Filed under Eating & Drinking, Events

The annual Arbroath Sea Fest (21st and 22nd August 2010) offers entertainment for all the family. The diverse programme varies from year to year but regular features include boat-dressing competitions, fishing displays, train displays and cookery demonstrations. Raft racing takes participants past the spectacular cliffs north of Arbroath. For those who enjoy a bit of retail therapy there is a wide range of stalls selling everything from fresh seafood to handmade jewellery, crafts and confectionery.  The star of the show is undoubtedly the Arbroath Smokie (haddock smoked over hardwood) but past years have also seen trout specialities, suckling pig, venison and ostrich all available from the Smokie Trail, comprising 70-odd stalls along the harbour.

Man vs Horse – The Marathon

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Posted by trev on August 18, 2010 – 3:17 pm
Filed under Events

It might not be the London or New York Marathon, but Llanwrtyd Wells certainly wins out when it comes to quirky with this most unusual and you would think mis-matched of events – although it turns out that might not be the case.

The marathon takes place every June and was started in 1980 by the landlord of the Neuadd Arms Hotel in Llanwrtyd Wells after two of his customers were discussing whether it would be possible for a man to beat a horse in a race. Years later, the event attracts competitors from around the world and contrary to what you might think, the finishing times are very close.

To give the competitors of both species a good chance, the course takes in both road and countryside areas although mostly it runs across the spectacular open moorland around the town. Because of the length of the course, the human element is split into 3 relay teams, but essentially all competitors run the same course.

For the 2010 event there were 253 runners, 115 relay teams and 44 horses running making this the largest horse race in the world!

Man has won the race once in 2007 when Huw Lobb won in 2hrs and 5mins, beating the fastest horse by 2 minutes.

Man vs horse web site

Useful links:
Hotels in Llanwrtyd Wells
B&B’s in Llanwrtyd Wells
Self-catering cottages in Llanwrtyd Wells

Flaming tar barrel running in Ottery St. Mary

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Posted by trev on August 18, 2010 – 2:08 pm
Filed under Attractions, Events

The West Country has plenty of traditions relating to torch light processions and even burning tar barrel rolling, but the town of Ottery St. Mary has taken this tradition one step further with what must be one of the most risky versions going.

Around the 6th November each year, selected locals run through the street carrying a burning tar barrel. The original tar barrel tradition dates back several hundred years and is possibly related to the 1605 Gunpowder Plot, although the exact reasons are lost in time.

There are 3 categories of barrel carried throughout the day with junior, womens and as they’re known locally the “gert big unz” barrels for the men. All barrels are the wooden type, often used for storing beer, and even the preparation of the barrels is taken very seriously.

Unlike many traditions, the people of Ottery St. Mary run the flaming tar barrels purely for the purposes of keeping up this ancient tradition and not for commercial gains. In fact the centre of the town is effectively shut down from 6pm on the 6th November, and car parking is rather expensive (around £10 a day), but all monies go to keep this going and help police the event.

Visitors are welcome and up to 20,000 are believed to attend the event each year.

Official Ottery St. Mary Tar Barrels web site

Useful resources:
Hotels in Ottery St. Mary
Self-catering cottages in Ottery St. Mary
Tourist attractions in Ottery St. Mary

The Real Underground Experience at the Big Pit

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Posted by trev on August 18, 2010 – 1:06 pm
Filed under Attractions

The Big Pit or more formerly The National Coal Mining Museum is a real coal mine in Blaenavon, South East Wales.

The mine was closed many years ago, but has now been transformed into an informative and interactive museum where visitors can learn all about how the Welsh coal mines worked and through galleries, exhibitions and exploring historic buildings.

What makes this museum rather unique is that for the first time, visitors can take a trip 300 feet (90 meters) underground with a former miner, to get an idea what it was really like to work at the coal face! Visitors are taken down to a section of the genuine mine workings (no models or mock-ups) and get to wear the same equipment including helmet, cap lamp, belt, battery and ‘self rescuer’ device. The tour takes around 50 minutes in all.

Full details can be found on the Big Pit web site.

Useful extras:
Hotels in Abergavenny (near the Big Pit)
Attractions in Abergavenny

A walk around Wales’ history with St. Fagans museum

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Posted by trev on August 18, 2010 – 12:40 pm
Filed under Attractions

St Fagans near Cardiff is one of Europe’s leading open–air museums and Wales’s most popular heritage attraction, guiding visitors through Welsh history from the Celtic times right through to the modern day Wales.

The museum sits in the grounds of the magnificent St Fagans Castle and gardens, a late 16th-century manor house donated to the people of Wales by the Earl of Plymouth.

Since it’s opening in 1948, numerous buildings have dismantled from elsewhere and re-erected around the 100 acres of grounds to give a real life look into Welsh life – with examples houses, a farm, a school, a chapel and a splendid Workmen’s Institute.

Craftsmen still demonstrate their traditional skills in workshops around the open air museum, and native breeds of livestock can be seen in the fields and farmyards around the estate. Many of the crafts on show produce goods which are then sold in the museum shops, offering visitors a way to really connect with the museum and Welsh way of life.

Visitors can also look around St Fagans Castle – a Grade 1 listed building and one of the finest Elizabethan manor houses in Wales, originally dating from 1580. The house interior reflects four centuries of design changes, and includes pieces on loan from other historic houses. The Beautiful garden displays surround the Castle including an Italian Garden (laid out in 1902, restored in 2003) and thyme garden.

More information can be found on the Museums of Wales web site.

Useful resources:
Cardiff Hotels
Attractions in Cardiff

Introducing the World Bog Snorkelling Championships

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Posted by trev on August 18, 2010 – 10:15 am
Filed under Events

If you’re looking for unusual events, it seems the people of Llanwrtyd Wells in Wales are the best people to ask. Originally conceived in 1986 to boost tourism to the area, the event has certainly increased in both size and popularity over the years.

Every August bank holiday weekend, competitors line up at a specially dug out 60 yard stretch of peat bog, don their mask or goggles, snorkel & flippers and have to complete 2 lengths of the course. To add complexity, those competing are not allowed to use conventional swimming strokes like breast stroke or front crawl, so it’s all in the leg power (doggy paddle is however allowed).

Those coming in fancy dress are allowed to complete just one length of the course, which is probably quite welcome as this is nothing like doing a length of your local swimming baths wearing pajamas!

The current world record for this event is held by Joanne Pitchforth from Heckmondwike with a time of 1 min, 35 seconds.

So if you fancy trying out your doggy paddle against the clock in a peat bog then pop over to Llanwrtyd Wells on the 29th August at 10.00am.

For those who think this is for sissies, you could try the Bog Snorkelling Triathlon! Every July, competitors in this event not only have to swim the 60 yard bog but also complete a 7.5 mile run and a 19 mile bike race!

World Bog Snorkling Championships web site

Bog Snorkling Triathlon web site

Useful links:
Hotels in Llanwrtyd Wells
B&B’s in Llanwrtyd Wells
Self-catering cottages in Llanwrtyd Wells

Top 10 most haunted places in Britain – part 1

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Posted by trev on August 17, 2010 – 4:57 pm
Filed under Attractions

Apparently, around half of all adults in the Britain believe that ghosts exist, so it might not be too surprising to find that there are many locations where the locals are proud to tell you all about their more ‘permanent’ residents.

We could have picked from 100’s of pubs and historic houses, but to qualify as one of the top 10 the building or area needs to have a lot of history of ghostly goings on, and this selection certainly have that.

- We start off with Highgate Cemetery in London, which during the day is one of the most visited in the country. They run tours to show off the flora and fauna, and the Gothic architecture. There are a number of well known burials at the cemetery including Karl Marx, George Elliott and Douglas Adams.

The crooked ancient gravestones of Highgate Cemetery especially in the older East Highgate Cemetery probably give rise to the majority of fleeting glimpses of figures amongst the tome-stones, but given it’s age who knows what figures might occupy those dark grass covered pathways of the Circle of Lebanon and Egyptian Avenue when the gates close at night…

- The 400 year old Red Lion in Avebury (Wiltshire) certainly has plenty of reasons to be haunted as it sits inside the Avebury stone circle – a World Heritage site – giving the whole area a unique atmosphere. The thatched roof and oak beams of the pub just add to the whole arena making the claim to be one of the most haunted pubs in Britain very plausible.

- Glamis Castle in Angus is one of Scotland’s most impressive castles, with it’s spires, turrets, towers and statues, the castle also features over 600 years of royal interest. The castle naturally has plenty of ancient residents, although the most famous is said to be known as “The Monster of Glamis” – claimed to be a a hideously deformed child who was kept locked up in a hidden room his entire life.

- Llancaiach Fawr Manor in Caerphilly is a peaceful location now, but there are said to be plenty of spectors still wandering around the manor following the bloody civil war that took place around the manor. All sorts of strange events have take place, along with a number of unexplained smells including regular occurances of violets and lavender wafting through the corridors.

- Berry Pomeroy Castle near Totness in Devon dates from the 14th-century and has a more traditional selection of ghosts. The main two are the White Lady, said to be the ghost of Margaret Pomeroy who was staved to death by her jealous sister; and the mysterious blue lady the identify of which isn’t clear. Local advice is that is would be a bad idea to follow the blue lady into the more ancient parts of the ruins, although the exact reasons are in themselves uncertain.

[Part 2 of Most Haunted Places in Britain]


A few useful extra links:

Hotels all around the UK
Visitor attractions around the UK (many haunted).

Britain’s original and best floodlit bike race

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Posted by admin on August 17, 2010 – 11:25 am
Filed under Events, Transport

The night riders are back in town! Britain’s brightest cycle race gets back on the road in Newport, Shropshire, on Saturday 4th September 2010. It’s the return of the original and best floodlit bike race in the country, which only takes place every two years. About 14,000 spectators have lined the barriers for previous versions of the race.

It evolved from the classic Davies & Jeggo Motors Road Race, which brought all the top professionals to Newport for two decades. It was the British professional championship in its final three years as a long-distance event before promoter Michael Jeggo hit on the idea of putting it on as a Nocturne.

The riders snake through the little Shropshire market town under a combination of streetlights and industrial floodlighting brought in especially for the occasion.  They power up the cobbled St Mary’s Street each lap, cheered by the most-knowledgeable crowd in cycling.

As well a free family entertainment and live music, the Newport Nocturne will also feature Olympic and world champions.

Useful links:
Telford Hotels
Telford B&Bs