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Monthly Archives: September 2010

A use for old phoneboxes?

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Posted by admin on September 28, 2010 – 8:28 am
Filed under Miscellaneous

There are still a number of traditional, red phoneboxes dotted around the country but, with the growth of the mobile phone, most have become little more than decoration.  But despite its lack of use, one village in North Yorkshire, Marton cum Grafton, wanted to keep theirs.  The parish council bought it from BT for £1 and have transformed it into a mini-library where local residents can exchange books.  What a great idea!  (You can learn more about their scheme here.)

Have any readers got any other great ideas to how the traditional British phonebox could still be used?

Try your hand at Dartmoor letterboxing

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Posted by admin on September 27, 2010 – 10:44 pm
Filed under Miscellaneous

A unique Devon activity – Dartmoor letterboxing is similar to a treasure hunt – navigation, walking, running or hiking on the moor amidst breathtaking scenery whilst searching for letterboxes and the coveted stamps inside. There are thousands of letterboxes hidden across Dartmoor; under stones and in all sorts of nooks and crannies. They are found in waterproof containers, containing an ink pad, rubber stamp to mark your book and visitor book. You will need… a pen, a small notebook for the stamps, and the usual gear required for a day’s walking. Once your collection starts building up, you will be well and truly hooked.

See green energy being created inside a Scottish mountain

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Posted by trev on September 27, 2010 – 5:40 pm
Filed under Attractions

Hidden deep within the Ben Cruachan mountain is a monster engineering project playing it’s part in our mission to become a more eco-friendly country – the Cruachan Hydro-electric Power Station.

Over 60,000 visitors a year pass through the power station which is classified as 5 star by Visit Scotland. The size of the project is where things start getting impressive with a massive central chamber which would easily house the height of the Tower of London. Inside the chamber huge turbines turn the flow of water from the dam on the edge of Loch Awe, into instant electricity to ensure that even during the largest peaks the lights stay on.

As part of the eco-credentials, visitors arriving by bike or local public transport will gain free entry. The Cruachan Power Station is an ideal all weather attraction, and for those who want an outdoor experience you can walk up to see the dam and loch which is also home to many species of wildlife including red deer, osprey and golden eagles.

Useful links:
Map of Ben Cruachan
Cruachan Hydro-electric Power Station
Other attractions around Oban
Hotels around Oban

Top 10 attractions in the Lake District

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Posted by admin on September 27, 2010 – 4:59 pm
Filed under Attractions

I stumbled upon an article in The Independent today and was left a little bamboozled.  It was entitled “10 Best: Lake District attractions” and published in May of this year.  What immediately struck me was some of the selections… I was left thinking “well, yes… that’s OK… but surely it’s not one of the best places the Lake District”.  It was only on further investigation that I noticed some aren’t really attractions at all and, moreover, at least two aren’t even in the Lake District National Park!  It left me wondering whether the author – whose name isn’t given – had even set foot in the region.

So, without further ado… I’m sure we could do much better.  Please share your favourite Lake District attractions by clicking on the comments link and hopefully we can compile a more worthy list.

Useful links:
Hotels in the Lake District
B&Bs in the Lake District
Campsites in the Lake District
Holiday cottages in the Lake District
Tourist attractions in the Lake District

Haunted Underground Tours of Edinburgh

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Posted by trev on September 27, 2010 – 4:49 pm
Filed under Attractions

As seen on the acclaimed TV series “Most Haunted Live”, the public can now take tours of some of Edinburgh’s most haunted parts in the oldest parts of the city.

Run by Auld Reekie, the tours take visitors into Edinburgh’s murky past under the modern day city and into the infamous haunted underground vaults. The vaults date from the 1700’s and have been used for both legitimate storage and less legitimate purposes including smuggling, along with being the location of numerous murders and mysterious disappearances.

Evidence suggests that the vaults were also used for even darker deeds such as witchcraft meetings. During the tours, the guides also take visitors to the working witchcraft temple and medieval torture museum.

The Most Haunted Team said this was one of the scariest locations they’d ever filmed in, so the tours are not ideal for those with a nervous disposition. For anyone else wanting to scare themselves, see the web site for tickets.

More Edinburgh Links:
Visitor attractions in Edinburgh
Hotels in Edinburgh

The Royal National Mòd 2010 coming to Caithness

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Posted by trev on September 27, 2010 – 4:16 pm
Filed under Events

The Royal National Mòd is one of the oldest Gaelic festivals in Scotland, celebrating all things Gaelic and especially Gaelic music.

Started in 1892, this is is a festival still true to it’s roots rather than being a tourist draw although all visitors from around the world are of course very welcome. Being a genuine Scottish festival, everyone is assured of a warm Scottish welcome. The venue changes periodically but the essence of the Mòd is the same.

Much of the festival is based around competitions such as those for Gaelic music and song, Highland dancing, instrumental, drama, sport and literature with The Fiddlers Rally as the highlight of the opening weekend (Saturday). There will also be a number of professional groups playing and dancing at the festival throughout the week. The event runs from the 8th to 16th October 2010 based mainly around Thurso.

If you’d like to know more, see the Caithness Royal National Mod web site.

Other Caithness Links:
Hotels in Thurso
Things to do in Thurso

Sandra Lousada “London Light” book – A new look at London

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Posted by trev on September 27, 2010 – 1:57 pm
Filed under Miscellaneous

You may think you know London, but Sandra Lousada’s new photographic collection shows the city in a whole new….well, light.

Using a lot of creativity and timing, Sandra Lousada’s new exhibition offers Londoners a new perspective on their city by utilising the way light falls on buildings from the famous Thames Barrier to simple graffiti on the South Bank. The results are in many cases quite spectacular and make even the simplest scene look like it was created specifically for the art.

The Telegraph have brought together a collection of the images into a gallery available here. My personal favourites are numbers 2 showing rain on a street at a whole new level and 15 making ugly graffiti look rather artistic. (The back and forward buttons are to the right of the pics, under “View this gallery”).

So, what do you think are the best of the pics?

Further London Links:
Things to see and do in London
Hotels in London
London Light publisher

Aldwych tube station reopens for Blitz tours

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Posted by trev on September 27, 2010 – 12:33 pm
Filed under Events

Aldwych tube station, closed since 1994, has reopened this month with a recreation of what life was like in a blitz shelter during the major bombing in World War II.

Organisers of the tours have admitted that they will never entirely be able to recreate what it was like to shelter from the relentless Luftwaffe bombings during one of the darkest periods of the Second World War, but using recreations of underground trains, posters and actors they hope to give the public an insight into nightly life for Londoners.

During the first nights of the blitz, sheltering in the underground stations was actually discouraged until the mostly working class residents of Central London insisted. Then an organised system was set-up with the stations open from 6.30pm to 7am to provide a safe retreat. During the height of the Blitz, around 177,000 people sheltered in the various underground stations, although that was only around 4% of Londoners.

The tours are part of a wider series of events marking the 70th anniversary of the Blitz. The London Transport Museum has an event called “Under Attack: London, Coventry and Dresden” and there is an exhibition running at City Hall until Monday.

Further details on the Guardian web site.

More links:
Attractions in London

Would a London cycle map be a good idea?

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Posted by trev on September 27, 2010 – 11:22 am
Filed under Transport

Earlier this year London launched it’s pay-per-day London bike sharing scheme, but there’s no a campaign for a unified map of London cycle routes to go with this.

As many have observed, the Boris Bikes as they’ve become known are popular with Londoners but for a tourist there’s very little help in either finding the next docking station or getting between the areas of London safely.

To help with this, Cycling Lifestyle magazine have launched their London Cycle Map Campaign to create what would effectively be the cycling equivalent of the iconic London Underground Map. Alongside this they also want clear and consistent cycling signposts erected around the city to help both locals and visitors get around.

An example map has already been created by Simon Parker although looking at this I’m more than a little confused. Maybe the biggest complication about creating such a map would be the very thing which gives cycling it’s appeal – freedom to take whatever route you want from A to B.

If the map could be stylised in the same way as the London Underground one and the estimated £1.6m found for the signage then maybe this will encourage more people to tour London by bike.

Best London B&Bs according to Alastair Sawday 2010

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Posted by trev on September 27, 2010 – 10:54 am
Filed under Accommodation

London like all major cities has a wealth of B&Bs, but if you’re looking for something special these are the best London B&Bs according to Alastair Sawday in 2010.

Chelsea – You might think staying in one of the most exclusive parts of London would automatically include an exclusive tariff, but at No. 90 rooms start around £100 which is pretty good value when many B&Bs and hotels will charge that per-person. The accommodation is intimate and Nina, who owns No. 90, has created a unique blend of antiques and modern art works around both the B&B and the room. The dining room has very much a homely feel.

Notting Hill – Known for it’s bohemian lifestyle, annual carnival and of course the Hugh Grant film, Hillgate Place seems to fit right in. With only two rooms, the B&B is again very intimate but this time has a distinctly eastern flair with Indian textiles, teak dressers, colourful artwork by Hilary (one of the co-owners). The larger double room is decorated with a Indo-Caribbean influence, and the smaller double includes a sofa and clawfoot bath. As with many central London residences, the B&B includes a rooftop garden.

Earl’s Court – Continuing our central London theme, the Penywern Road B&B is within easy walking distance of the Earl’s Court London Underground station. There is only one bedroom, meaning Irish Breege who owns the B&B can provide completely personalised service to all her guests. There is plenty of artwork both inside the house and in the garden with statues hidden behind bushes.

Balham – Situated in South West London, the Balham B&B has one of the most inviting entrances with colourful plants carefully positioned on either side of the path, showing an extra level of care and detail has been taken to welcome guests. At the back, steps lead down to a secluded garden area where guests can have breakfast on sunny days and sit on the bench enjoying the array of colour and scents. The bedroom is spacious with art decorating the walls. For ease of access, the Balham B&B is five minutes away from the Balham underground station on the Northern Line.

Holborn – Situated away from the hussle of the main tourist areas of London, at the Fleet River Bakery Rooms you can enjoy real London with real Londoners. The B&B is located above the Fleet River Bakery making it especially convenient for fresh breakfast. The accommodation includes a kitchen-come-dining area giving you the freedom to either cook your own meals or dine out in one of the many local restaurants. Covent Garden, Bloomsbury and the West End Theatres are all within walking distance.

These are just a selection of those special B&Bs which Alastair Sawday has selected as his best in London. For a fuller guide see the Guardian London’s Best B&Bs.

More useful links:
Alastair Sawday web site
More London B&Bs
London hotel guide
Attractions and things to do in London