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Monthly Archives: September 2010

5 great tips for the Great North Run

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Posted by Paul on September 18, 2010 – 11:27 am
Filed under Accommodation, Events

Tomorrow I shall be running in my 12th consecutive Great North Run – the world’s largest half marathon – and, whilst my times having been getting progressively worse for the most part, we have at least become a dab-hand at the travel arrangements surrounding the event.  So I’m not going to give any tips on properly hydrating yourself, pasta-packing the night before or correctly pacing yourself on the day; instead I’m going to give a few hopefully helpful pointers for your travel arrangements should you choose to take on the challenge again next year.

1. Get a guaranteed place

If you want to avoid the disappointment of not getting into future Great North Runs, why not get a guaranteed place? You pay a premium for this but it saves you the trouble of desparately scrambling around for a charity place along with everyone else should you not be automatically accepted.

2. Plan early

A provisional date for the 2011 Great North Run will probably be announced tomorrow.  Take note of this and plan ahead.  But beware, this date can change.  It is only provisional because they need to make sure that it is going to fit in with BBC TV scheduling, so it can change.  Indeed, a couple of years back it did change and I was lucky enough to hear about this and managed to book a room in a Travelodge at just £29.  An absolute steal for Great North Run weekend but one that Travelodge still honoured.  Book now, but make sure your hotel will amend your booking accordingly if the date should change or, at the very least, check up on their cancellation policy.

3. Stay in South Shields

This is what I’m going to be doing this evening.  I’ll get up tomorrow, have breakfast, take the Metro to the start line and then run (or walk!) to the finish where my family will be there to meet me. Simples.

4. Or why not make a week of it?

Why not take a holiday and stay in the area for the week?  There’s a beautiful stretch of coastline just north of Newcastle that is well worth exploring.  We’ve often stayed in Seahouses or Bamburgh which are both lovely villages.

5. When you’ve finished, leave!

Getting out of South Shields after the event can be a bit of a headache sometimes.  My advice would be to try and make your getaway soon after you complete your race, particularly if your finish time is around the 2-hour mark or better. Of course, you must do all the appropriate stetching, etc. after running the event but, assuming you’re fit to do so, I suggest you don’t linger too long – as more and more people finish, so the congestion and the queues for public transport get worse.

If you’ve any further tips, or would like to share your experiences of the day or past Great North Runs, please post a commment.  Oh, and the very best of luck to anyone taking part!

How to see the Pope this weekend

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Posted by admin on September 17, 2010 – 10:41 pm
Filed under Events

In case you didn’t know, the Pope is currently on a visit to the UK. He was in Scotland yesterday and has been in London today. He’s here for just two more days. If you haven’t yet seen him, but would like to, then here’s how to catch a glimpse if you haven’t got the passes that are required to attend some of the events.

Saturday

Arguably the best time for the public to do a bit of Pope-spotting is at 6pm when he will travel in the Popemobile along London’s Horse Guards Road, The Mall, Constitution Hill and Hyde Park Corner before arriving at Hyde Park for the Prayer Vigil at around 6.30pm.  For more information, see www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/16641.aspx

Sunday

If you can’t get to London, then on Sunday he’ll be in the West Midlands. Following mass at Cofton Park, he is expected to travel in the Popemobile along a stretch of Birmingham’s Hagley Road to allow an additional opportunity to see him on this the final day of his visit. The Pope will travel along a two-mile section of the road, from an area close to the junction of Portland Road and the Oratory. This viewing opportunity will occur at some time after 12.30pm. He’ll moving at a speed of 6mph so the short journey will last around 20 minutes. For more information, see www.birmingham.gov.uk/papalvisit

If you’re going to any of these venues, make sure you arrive early. Crowds will be inevitable and some roads may be closed to allow for the Pope’s visits.  And if you can’t get to either of these locations, the events will be streamed live online on the Foreign Office website.

Useful links:
Foreign & Commonwealth Office guide to the Papal visit
Hotels in London
Hotels in Birmingham

Britain’s most remote pub now for sale

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Posted by trev on September 17, 2010 – 5:04 pm
Filed under Eating & Drinking, Miscellaneous

The Knoydart’s famous Old Forge pub is located on the Scottish mainland, but as there are no roads leading to the location visitors and pub staff need to take the ferry from Mallaig, about an hour north of Fort William…unless you fancy the 18 mile hike over Munros.

The pub is now looking for new owners, but prospective landlords / landladies will not only need to have a desire to live truly in the middle of nowhere, but also be able to keep the reputation and spirit of the Old Forge going. A recipient of numerous awards from all over the world including the Best Independent Pub in Scotland award, the pub owners will need knowledge in everything from serving the perfect cask conditioned real ale to cooking seafood platters, steaks and estate venison.

This might not be suitable for everyone, but for the lucky new owners, the pub has it’s own rewards with a very loyal following both from the local populations and the boats sailing around the areas. The pub isn’t on it’s own as there are numerous houses and accommodation providers in the village of Inverie ranging from B&Bs to self-catering accommodation.

Where else could people book a table over the VHS shipping radio (channel 12)?

The pub’s owners Jackie and Ian Robertson now have the pub up for sale with offers in the region of £790,000. But they have vowed to not only sell to anyone who has the money, but someone who gets the spirit of the place. They’ve already had serious offers from people as far away as New Zealand and California.

Other Scotland links:
Self-catering in the Highlands of Scotland
Camping in the Highlands of Scotland

‘Helloween’ at The London Dungeon

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Posted by admin on September 17, 2010 – 4:44 pm
Filed under Attractions, Events

Be prepared to feel your blood freeze this Halloween, as The London Dungeon unveils its most terrifying “Helloween” event ever, including Jack O’Lantern and the echoing ‘Sounds of Hell’.  Stingy Jack, damned by the devil and made to walk in darkness for all eternity with his turnip lantern, will be stalking the dark hellish corridors of the gruesome attraction and could appear at any moment.

Visitors who survive Jack’s lair may wish they hadn’t, as the gates of hell gape open to receive them, with an infamous recording of the ‘Sounds of Hell’ echoing throughout the Dungeon’s mirrored labyrinth. The eerie screams of tortured souls, (which were allegedly discovered by Siberian scientists when they drilled down 14.4 kilometres deep under the Earth’s crust) will have guests feeling the flames of hell and screaming for a reprieve from the fiery maze.

Fourteen twisted experiences from Jack the Ripper to new for 2010, Bloody Mary, and two chilling rides, there’s plenty of horrific goings on to explore this Halloween. Situated in the dark heart of the Capital, just a stone’s throw away from the River Thames, The London Dungeon is open seven days a week. Tickets are £23.00 for adults, £17.00 for children with birthday packages also available.

Useful links:
Hotels in London
B&Bs in London
Self-catering in London
Tourist attractions in London

St Deiniol’s Bed and books breaks in Wales

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Posted by trev on September 17, 2010 – 4:30 pm
Filed under Accommodation

St Deiniol’s was founded by the famous 19th Century politician William Ewart Gladstone and originally filled with around 33,000 of his own books on pretty much every subject going. It’s reported that Gladstone himself managed to read about 22,000 of them going by the notes in each book.

When he was 80, Gladstone decided that rather than give the books to the Oxford University he would create his own and make it available free to the public, so he planned his very own public library in Hawarden near Chester where he lived for the people of North Wales, Cheshire and Liverpool. When he was 82 he wheeled all his books to a temporary location in the village, although died before the final grand residential library was built.

What makes this library unique is that the public can stay within the walls of the library either in en-suite rooms or slightly more austere rooms and have full access to the entire library from 8am to 10pm, plus are free to take the books back to their rooms. Thanks to various donations, the library is even bigger than in Gladstone’s day with around 250,000 books collected.

Although used a lot by religious groups, the library does not attain to any faith or religion and thus anyone is made welcome.

If you fancy a B&B, ie: bed and books break, see the St Deiniol’s web site.

Paddleboarding – the new watersport in the Norfolk Fens?

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Posted by trev on September 17, 2010 – 3:33 pm
Filed under Attractions

Paddleboarding – a cross between surfing and gondola punting through waterways of the Norfolk fens. Confused now? Let me explain…

Paddleboarding is a new more environmentally friendly way to get around the waterways of the Norfolk Fens without disturbing the local wildlife. In essence you stand on an oversized surfboard and propel yourself along by pushing backwards with a paddle.

The idea behind paddleboarding is that as you’re so quiet without the noise of boat engines and the bow wake created by them, the wildlife won’t notice you and thus you get a much more intimate view and of course have better access within the reeds to find some of the more illusive birds and mammals that call the Norfolk Fens home. Within the 1800 acres of wetlands, there are believed to be over 8000 species such as warblers, ducks, bitterns, grass snakes, herons, and brimstone butterflies along with owls at night.

There is a small risk that you’ll fall in, but the boards are extra long for more stability and incredibly easy to manouver, plus the lack of ripples on the water makes the chances of getting wet pretty remote even for first time users.

Currently paddleboarding is only available from The Paddleboarding Company and part of the fee goes to help ensure the remaining fens are kept for future generations and wildlife preservation.

Extra Norfolk Links:
Visitor attractions in the Norfolk Fens
Hotels in Norfolk and Eastern England
National Trust (who own the fens)

The best places to experience the UK this Autumn

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Posted by admin on September 17, 2010 – 2:49 pm
Filed under Accommodation, Attractions

Autumn is a great time to get away in the UK. It’s usually much quieter, hotel rates are usually much more attractive than in high season, and of course the scenery – with its hues of reds, oranges and browns – can be simply stunning. So, in order to take advantage of this wonderful season, we’ve rounded up a few of the best Autumn stays in the UK.

The Elephant’s Nest Inn, Dartmoor

Autumn is one of the most beautiful seasons on Dartmoor and one of the best places to marvel in the colours and scents of the season is Lydford Gorge, a short drive from the Elephant’s Nest Inn. The steep-sided river gorge, the deepest in the South West, is awash with oak trees which put on a fantastic display at this time of year. Other highlights include diverse fungi, the 30-metre high Whitelady Waterfall and bubbling Devil’s Cauldron.

Darroch Learg in Ballater, Royal Deeside

This is a lovely 3 AA Red Star/3 AA Rosette hotel in the heart of the Cairngorm National Park with stunning scenery and masses of bike/walking trails. The hotel is situated at the foot of Craigendarroch which translates as ‘Hill of Oaks’. In Autumn the contrasting colours of the oaks, pine and birch make it particularly appealing. There are some interesting short walks and wonderful views of the Dee valley and Lochnagar. Rooms from £65 per person B&B.

Ockenden Manor, East Sussex

Admire the breathtaking autumn colours of the National Trust-owned Sheffield Park and Gardens in Sussex on a break at nearby Ockenden Manor. The 18th Century Capability Brown-designed gardens in Uckfield feature many rare trees and shrubs, whose colours are at their best on a sunny October day set off and reflected in the waters of the four lakes.
Entrance tickets and a steam train ride from the gardens on the Bluebell Railway’s Autumn Tints Special to view even more beautiful autumn scenery, are included in Ockenden Manor’s two-night Leaf Peeping break.

The Bell at Skenfrith, Monmouthshire

Part of what is known as the ‘Golden Valley’ Skenfrith in Monmouthshire boasts a wealth of ancient woodland and is not far from the edges of the unfathomable Forest of Dean. Ancient oaks and horse chestnuts abound beside Norman castle ruins, historic churches and abbeys, and fast-running wild trout and salmon rivers are just some of the other wonderful sights that can be seen when appreciating the autumn fall. The Bell is surrounded by some of the UK’s most unspoiled and green countryside and, at this time of year, it is a rage or cacophony of colour.

Warner Leisure Hotels’ Thoresby Hall Hotel & Spa, Nottinghamshire

Set amidst acres of glorious parklands, Warner Leisure Hotels’ Thoresby Hall is perfect for enjoying the Autumn colours of Sherwood Forest – the grounds of the hotel itself offer lovely gentle walking with formal gardens leading into wooded areas. The hotel provides adult only leisure breaks including breakfast, three course dinner and entertainment – and has a wonderful spa for relaxing after your outdoor exercise. ‘Experience breaks’ available at the hotel include an Introduction to Nordic Walking.

Spread Eagle Inn, Wiltshire

Stay at the Spread Eagle Inn by the beautiful gardens of the Stourhead Estate. Stourhead is one of Wiltshire’s finest country houses with truly spectacular gardens featuring a range of beautiful trees from around the world including red cedars, giant redwoods and American maple. It is these trees that form the spectacular autumn colours which are set around a lake complete with grottos, gothic ruins and temples. Double rooms cost £110 with garden access included.

Haweswater Hotel, Cumbria

Haweswater Hotel is an art deco hotel located in the secluded Haweswater area of the Lake District. Set amongst 26,000 acres of unspoiled natural beauty, the autumn shows off the colourful surroundings of the woodlands and mountainous hillsides. The area is a haven for wildlife with red squirrels frequenting the hotel terrace, deer on the fells, woodpeckers in the forests through to a golden eagle, kestrels and buzzards. Double rooms start at £85 per night.

Lake Vyrnwy Hotel & Spa, Powys

This is a four-star country house hotel overlooking Lake Vyrnwy and surrounded by mountains. The best of the autumn colour can be seen in late September and early October with the vivid fall colours of wooded mountain slopes reflected in the still waters of the lake. Leaf peepers can enjoy walks along the miles of footpaths through the forests and moorland that make up the 24,000-acre estate on which the hotels is situated – just across the Shropshire border in Powys. A three-night midweek break at this time costs from £405 per couple which includes accommodation in a garden view room with breakfast and five-course dinners in the hotel’s award-winning restaurant on the first two evenings, plus cream tea on the first two afternoons. Or you could just enter the current UKhotel.com competition, cross your fingers and hope to win a stay there!

Useful links:
Hotels in the UK
Attractions in the UK

Battlesteads Hotel – Winner of the 2010 Great British Pub Awards

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Posted by trev on September 17, 2010 – 12:57 pm
Filed under Eating & Drinking

The Battlesteads Hotel near Hexham, Northumberland, has won the 2010 Great British Pub Awards due to it’s exceptional customer service and carbon-neutral biomass boiler so it’s friendly to the environment too. Richard and Dee Slade who took charge of the hotel in 2006 have their own vegetable gardens and source all the restaurant produce from within a 50 mile radius of the hotel.

The hotel is trying to both revamp the reputation of the restaurant with fresh food rather than frozen reheated meals, and on the pub side with locally produce beers from small local breweries.

Useful Hexham Links:
Battlesteads Hotel
Great British Pubs Awards
Northumberland Hotels

Top ten eats on Birmingham’s streets

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Posted by trev on September 17, 2010 – 11:41 am
Filed under Eating & Drinking

When it comes to defining the success of a visit to a village, town or city and most importantly the chances of recommending it to friends, one thing probably stands out more than any other – the quality of the food.

Each town and city has the foodie gems and as Tony Naylor of the Guardian points out, Birmingham is no exception. We’re focusing for the most part on the places where you can get lunch without needing a shirt, tie and an AMEX Gold Card, so lets begin exploring…

1) Urban Pie is a very hidden eatery located in the famous Bullring Shopping Centre, but like many hidden gems it’s well worth tracking down. There are no half empty pies here, just good honest well filled up homemade meat and veg pies that make you feel like it was so worth spending the time tracking down. Eat in or takeaway, it’s your choice, but we might want to keep this one a secret just between you and us….well we don’t want to arrive and have to ask the immortal question “who ate all the pies”, do we?

2) Great British Eatery – Fish n’ Chips: Ever had modern fish n’ chips and thought, “I’m sure this used to taste so much better”? Well at the Great British Eatery you’ll rediscover the traditional proper fish n’ chips cooked to order in beef dripping (rather than left on a counter for 20 mins and cooked in trans-fats).

Real fish n’ chips is back and if you want to rediscover it or perhaps find out what you’ve been missing, head for 13 Broadway Plaza, Francis Road, Birmingham to discover the Great British Eatery. Oh and for all us northerners, they also do pie, chips, peas and gravy. I’m getting hungry…!

3) The Handmade Burger Co. is to the burger what the Great British Eatery is to fish n’ chips. Forget all the commercialised chains selling “food”, this is the real deal when it comes to burgers. Solid chunky chargrilled burgers handmade from traceable farms without all the extras added and even a company philosophy to boot. If you want “fast food” but also want to be filled up, then this is the place to head. If you’re not in Birmingham then I’d head for Burger King as a decent substitute.

4) The Canalside Cafe is ideal for those who don’t fancy a burger or fish n’ chips, but do want good quality homecooked food with an eat-everyday pricetag. The whitewashed former lock-keeper’s cottage is close to all the chains on Broad Street, but a world away in terms of quality grub including favourites such as homemade vegetable soup for less than a fiver.

5) The Warehouse Cafe ensures we won’t get any complaints that we’re not including vegetarian and vegan restaurants. The building itself might look a bit drab and industrialised, but this isn’t one of the regenerated parts of Birmingham, and it has to look better than the Selfridges building! Step inside and you’ll find an light and airy open space that welcomes it’s diners. The cafe serves both vegetarian and vegan meals for reasonable prices.

6) Asha’s is a Michellin Guide entrant, proper Indian restaurant, for which Birmingham has become famous. This isn’t however a balti-house so if you’re looking for quality Indian cooking without feeling like it came out of a packet this is where you need to head. The prices are reasonable too especially for the lunchtime menus so they haven’t let being included in the Michellin Guide go to their heads.

7) Opus takes the idea of traditionally British food and adds a little spice to it with dishes such as warm quail, crispy bacon and carrot risotto or rabbit and wild mushroom broth. Don’t worry, the prices haven’t followed the food and you can still eat in for under a tenner which really is a bargain considering what many restaurants would charge simply for giving those dishes a fancy French-style name.

8 ) Cafe Ikon is what I guess you could call an arty-cafe which is not surprising as it’s situated within the Ikon contemporary art gallery, but unlike the art, the food is not pretentious. The cafe has a Spanish style of cooking and has won many awards for this. The menu prices vary but for the budget end the tapas are a good choice at mostly much less than a fiver a time. An ideal choice if you want a little European flare in your lunchtime dining.

9) Adil and Al Frash restaurants are the two most recommended names in the world famous Balti Triangle as an area of central Birmingham has been nicknamed.

Balti is a style of rapid cooking based losely on Indian cuisine, but generally cooked to order almost in a fast-food style, with each restaurant and takeaway having it’s own flavours and styles. There are many so called Balti Houses which tend to offer very cheap, but sometimes debateable quality foods.

Adil claims to have invented the Balti and as such they are at the higher end of the quality Balti stakes, whereas Al Frash is a fairly new restaurant but is bringing a number of fresh twists to the traditional Balti curry. Of all of the balti restaurants in Birmingham, these are probably your best choices. Unless of course you can add a better one in the comments section below…?

10) The Lord Clifden in Great Hampton Street brings proceedings to a close with what can best be described as “Good Pub Grub” (a name for a new pub guide?). The pub itself is pretty famous for it’s art with exhibits from artists like Banksy, Blek and D*Face, but alongside this and the CAMRA approved beers is possibly one of the most varied pub menus around.

At the real traditional end is the baked potato (or baked tatty as we call it up north) with various fillings from just £1.75 (2010), burgers and sandwiches. But if you want to be a little more adventurous then why not try the Aromatic oriental duck salad with hoi sin sauce at just £9.95. Looking at the 2010 menu, almost everything is under £10.

Other Birmingham links:
Luxury and expensive places to eat in the UK
Restaurants in Birmingham
Hotels in Birmingham
Visitor attractions in Birmingham
Holiday apartments in Birmingham

Fancy a holiday River Bugging, Zorbing or Blokarting?

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Posted by trev on September 16, 2010 – 6:05 pm
Filed under Attractions, Miscellaneous

If you’re not the kindof person who wants to sit on a beach all day how about trying something new like River Bugging, Zorbing or Blokarting?

Blokarting is a bit like power kitting and sometimes the two merge, but with Blokarting you have a 3 wheeled vehicle which you sit in and get dragged along by the kite at very high speed. It takes skill, but as long as there’s plenty of space and ideally a nice flat beach it can be extreme fun.

River bugging in case you’re wondering is a bizarre new sport from the land of Bungee jumping, ie: New Zealand. The best way to explain this is think of a giant U-shaped inflatable with a sort-of seat. Now throw yourself into a river sitting on this and ride the white water rapids.

It came from New Zealand so there’s absolutely no way this was ever going to be a sane idea….but it does look quite fun. There are currently only 3 places in the country where you can do this, but more will no doubt open up soon.

Zorbing is another crazy idea from New Zealand, but this time there’s no water involved, simply a giant inflatable ball.

There are various versions of zorbing, but in essence you sit inside a small inflatable ball which is suspended inside a larger (around 3.2 meters) ball with around 1000 nylon threads holding the two together. Strap yourself in and then you roll down a hill.

The most popular incarnation of zorbing is Hydro Zorbing where the inside of the ball is filled with 20 litres of water. Not enough to cause any safety problems, but enough to give a lot of sliding around and extra cushioning as there’s no harness!

Zorbing South were the first people to bring Zorbing to the UK and provide the most extensive range of activities.

Sitting writing this I almost think I want to try Zorbing…probably.

More links:
Hotel accommodation for any of the above
More sedate attractions around the UK
Self-catering accommodation in the UK