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Monthly Archives: November 2010

Could relics like Brighton’s West Pier be the new crumbling castles?

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Posted by trev on November 26, 2010 – 3:26 pm
Filed under Attractions

Travel writer Chris Leadbeater posed a few interesting questions recently about Brighton’s West Pier which made me wonder – could relics like this become the new tourist attractions just like crumbling old castles?

The West Pier was closed in 1975 and after years of battering by the sea, was eventually destroyed by two fires in 2002, leaving only the iron structure to rise out of the English Channel. Previously I’d always looked at this and wondered why it wasn’t knocked down as it seemed to be an eyesore, but then I began to wonder – what is the difference between the West Pier and say Kendal Castle, both of which are simply shells.

There are plenty of people who would be horrified if this or any other crumbling old castle was to be pulled down even though they serve little practical purpose beyond being of interest to tourists. Given a few more years and a little marketing, could Brighton’s West Pier be classified under the same criteria as somewhere to view, if not perhaps visit directly?

You could argue that a rusty old structure doesn’t have the same appeal as a stone castle, but then an awful lot of people visit the Angel of the North which is rusty by design and I’ve not heard too many complaining about that being an eyesore. Rather all the people from Gateshead I’ve seen comment on it have been very proud of it.

Whether this applies to Brighton’s West Pier, that I’ll have to let you decide, but perhaps its not quite as bad as it first appeared?

Brighton Links:
Tourist attractions in Brighton
Hotels in Brighton
Self-catering in Brighton

Royal Wedding breaks from Holiday Lettings

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Posted by admin on November 26, 2010 – 2:35 pm
Filed under Accommodation

Royal Wedding fever has gripped the nation and whether you personally love it or loathe it… one thing is for sure… you cannot ignore it!

With the date set, Britons now have an opportunity to plan ahead for the weekend and decide if they want to escape the madness or embrace the hype. Holiday Lettings claims to offer something for everyone, including London city-hops for those that want to be in the thick of the action and rural country escapes should you wish to observe the proceedings from afar and still enjoy the Bank Holiday weekend.

Head for the heart of the action…Westminster, London:

Central London – Westminster Apartment, Westminster, London
Spring rate: £1,575 per week, sleeping five, £315 per person
£225 per weekend (three nights)
* A chic two bedroom apartment just three minute’s walk from Westminster Abbey
* Interior features include a state of the art kitchen, en-suite master bedroom and Wi-Fi
* Lift access is ideal for buggy and wheel chair users

Central London Family House, Westminster
Spring rate: £3,537 per week, sleeping nine, £393 per person
£647 per weekend (three nights)
* A classic Victorian townhouse situated on the outskirts of Westminster
* Two-minute’s walk from Pimlico Tube station and 10 mins from Buckingham Palace
* The five bedroom home is traditionally furnished, spacious and has three sitting rooms
* A balcony terrace and patio garden are perfect for enjoying the spring conditions
* Interior features include satellite TV and a selection of children’s toys books and DVDs

Escape the Capital with a Cotswolds country break:

Port House & Apartment, Brimscombe, Stroud, Cheltenham/Gloucester, Cotswolds
Early deal: Fri 18 March – July 15, £940 per week, sleeping nine
Or April weekend rate: £220 for two nights
* A four-bedroom inn-conversion, situated in the heart of the Cotswolds, in the village of Brimscombe
* The home is five minute’s walk from Brimscombe Port and two miles from the nearby town of Stroud
* Local activities include: canal walks, bike trails a street markets and rural sights
* The home is co-located and the house sleeps seven while the apartment holds two
* It is elegantly furnished an ideal choice for those seeking privacy

Fancy sleeping next to snakes, scorpions and a tarantula?

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Posted by trev on November 26, 2010 – 1:50 pm
Filed under Attractions, Events

For kids who are fans of the hit ITV show “I’m a celebrity, get me out of here”, but don’t really want to fly to Australia, then the London Zoo BedBUGS sleepovers are ideal.

Each year between March and October, the keepers of London Zoo open it up to small groups of kids overnight with talks, walks around the zoo and most important of all – a sleepover in the ‘BUGS’ insect house.

Many of the London Zoo creatures are actually more active once the majority of visitors have gone home so you’ll get a chance to see the lions, ant eaters and camels with only a torch to light your way.

After the tours, the kids and adults bed down in the insect house where once it’s quiet you can hear the cockroaches chattering away or look in the spider section at the Black Widow which is so deadly the zoo has to keep antidote on-site just incase a keeper is bitten.

Places are limited and 2010 is sold out, but tickets will go on sale for the 2011 sleepovers from this December. For more details and to register your interest, see the London Zoo BedBUGS sleepover web site.

London Zoo Links:
Tourist attractions around London Zoo
Hotels near London Zoo

12 days of Fish-mas at Sea Life London Aquarium

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Posted by admin on November 26, 2010 – 1:48 pm
Filed under Attractions, Events

The SEA LIFE London Aquarium is celebrating a fun fish-mas season this December with a festive ‘12 days of Fish-mas’ family trail. Visitors will solve clues, hunt for hidden baubles around the attraction and follow the 12 days of Fish-mas rhyme – from twelve Shrimps-a-dancing to one fairy basslet swimming in the sea – leading them to some surprising sea creatures with Christmas connections! From Angel Fish to Snowflake Morays there’s a multitude of yuletide related residents to find and for those who spot them all there’s a special Christmas reward.

Santa will also be making special seasonal appearances as Father Christmas goes underwater. There will be regular dives over the holiday period as Santa visits the rare Green Turtles, Cownose Rays and colourful tropical fish in the Ocean Reef Display.

From the “Santa Claws” of fast moving Decorator Crabs to “Santa Jaws” in the form of 11 species of shark and the awesome Shark Walk, there are thousands of magnificent marine creatures to encounter at the SEA LIFE London Aquarium this Christmas Open every day of the holidays except Christmas Day with great value family tickets from just £49.40 when you book online, it’s a fantastic festive outing the whole family will love.

Has the Retallack Resort in Cornwall made the beaches redundant?

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Posted by trev on November 26, 2010 – 1:14 pm
Filed under Accommodation

I would have loved it if someone had created the Retallack Resort 20 years ago, as finally it would have lived up to what the brochures of the holiday parks promised but never quite delivered on.

The Retallack Resort has arrived in Cornwall (only 20 years too late) and are promising five star accommodation and facilities, but can they deliver more than just the hype? Going by the report in the Daily Mail from Simon Hepinstall, it appears they can. In fact they go much further than anything I ever dreamed about on a self-catering park.

Accommodation: The most important part for me at least, and the Retallack Resort won’t disappoint. There are various sizes available from two bedroom to six bedrooms, and even the mid sized ones have two large balconies, two lounges, four bedrooms and three bathrooms. All this is set in a countryside-like setting.

Inside the cabins haven’t skimped on quality either with solid oak floors, granite and marble surfaces, Egyptian cotton sheets, satellite TV, five-ring gas hobs and free Internet access.

Facilities and activities: One thing that is probably very unique to this resort is a reception and concierge desk. The latter is generally used for obtaining services outside the establishment, but I guess even with everything at Retallack some people might still want to explore the wonders of Cornwall (highly recommended).

The Flowrider surf machine is one of only three in Britain with the others being in Jersey and Bedfordshire (at an activity centre). Essentially the Flowrider is a static surf machine that lets anyone surf in safety and without worrying about dipping into the freezing cold English channel. Lessons are available and probably needed initially, but this is going to be seriously popular.

There are more plans to expand the site which will include various restaurants, spas, kids’ clubs and watersports, including a man-made beach and a waterside row of ’surf pod’ apartments. The most unique feature will be the world’s first surf wave pool which it’s claimed will be able to create a 7ft high wave that can travel a massive 100 yards….surfs up dude!

Prices: The all important question, how much is this going to cost aka. are you going to need to talk to your bank manager (as the TV adverts keep telling us to)? Prices run from around £295 for a 3 night break in December, up to £2,050 for the large cabins in peak season. Some activities are additional extras.

It might be quite a lot, but for what you’re getting that still seems pretty good value for money.

More details: There’s more information on the Retallack Resort web site.

Cornwall links:
If you want to venture off the site, there are plenty of visitor attractions around Padstow and Newquay.
Alternative self-catering in Padstow and Newquay.
Daily Mail lowdown on the Retallack Resort

There’ll be Blue Birds over the White Cliffs of…Sussex?

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Posted by trev on November 26, 2010 – 12:24 pm
Filed under Miscellaneous

Not sure what Dame Vera Lynn would think of that version, but Dover council have been caught advertising the delights of the white cliffs of Sussex, not Dover on their new tourism web site.

The white cliffs do indeed stretch well down the coastline from Dover to the Isle of Wight, but it’s the “White Cliffs of Dover” which have become iconic, mostly as that is the first sign cross channel ferry visitors get that they are approaching England.

Dover council wanted a new tourism web site, but they wanted to keep costs down in line with current budget cuts, but were unable to find a copyright free image of the white cliffs around Dover, so they resorted to using one of the Sussex coastline near the Isle of Wight. When this was spotted, the residents of Dover were to say the least a little miffed that their neighbours were being promoted rather than them.

No doubt Sussex council are delighted by this as they will receive a lot of free tourism publicity, but at least from my experience they already have the distinct advantage that the cliffs around Sussex are much more accessible without needing a boat to access them.

Editorial comment: As a company who’ve been in web design for over 15 years, we’re a little baffled as to why they had so much trouble here especially as there are now web sites which will provide high quality licensed photographs for a couple of pounds.

Links to Dover and Sussex:
Visitor attractions in South East England
Hotels in South East England
Image from Wikipedia

The Canterville Ghost at Holkham

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Posted by admin on November 26, 2010 – 12:46 am
Filed under Events

The Marble Hall at Holkham, Wells-next-the-Sea in Norfolk is the spectacular setting for the ghostly Oscar Wilde tale called The Canterville Ghost which will take place on Sunday 12th December 2010.

Performed by the Rain or Shine Theatre Production Company the story takes place just before Christmas in 1884 at the ancestral family home haunted by the 300 year old ghost of Sir Simon de Canterville and concerns his dealings with the new owners of the house, the Otises from America.

The culture clash that ensues as the brash new American materialism and the old British tradition battle it out for control of the house is charming, witty and at times farcical! With numerous carols in the story and a christmassy feel, the production is one for all of the family to enjoy.

The Canterville Ghost was Wilde’s first short story and remains to this day one of his most popular pieces of writing.

There will be two performances of the play – a matinee at 2pm and an evening performance at 6.30pm. Tickets will include a glass of mulled wine and mince pie and will cost £16.00 for Adults and £12.00 for children.

£8 billion to be invested in Britain’s railways

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Posted by admin on November 25, 2010 – 3:24 pm
Filed under Transport

Today the government has announced that it will invest £8 billion into Britain’s railway system. According to the BBC, the plans put forward by the Transport Secretary Philip Hammond include the following:

  • delivering 2,100 new rail carriages by May 2019, increasing capacity by 17%, creating space for an extra 185,000 passengers
  • 650 of these carriages will be delivered by 2014; the previous Labour government had promised 1,300
  • up to 1,200 carriages for the Thameslink programme (Bedford to Brighton through London) although the programme will be completed two years later than planned
  • 600 carriages for the Crossrail project (east to west through London)
  • electrification of commuter services on the Great Western route between London and Didcot, Oxford and Newbury over the next six years
  • electrification of the lines between Liverpool, Manchester, Preston and Blackpool
  • but electrification of the London-Swansea line has been delayed.

The changes are illustrated by this BBC image:

Useful link:
UK Train Stations

Voice in a Million at The O2 – 1st February 2011

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Posted by trev on November 25, 2010 – 11:40 am
Filed under Events

Following the record breaking success of the last Voice in a Million concert, the phenomenal show returns to The O2 Arena in February 2011.

In Association with the British Association for Adoption & Fostering (BAAF) the Voice in a Million concerts raises awareness for the millions of children who are orphaned or separated from their families, those in need of fostering and a loving home.

Featuring thousands of children from across the country coming together in joyous union the concert is an uplifting and moving experience. Songs featured in the amazing Voice in a Million event include Oh Happy Day, Somebody To Love, I Don’t Want To Miss a Thing and the song of the moment Don’t Stop Believin’.

The package includes a second price lower tier ticket for the show and overnight accommodation in a
nearby hotel – click here for booking details.

Links around the 02:
Visitor attractions in Greenwich
Hotels around Greenwich

Disney on Ice in Birmingham and Liverpool

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Posted by trev on November 25, 2010 – 10:56 am
Filed under Events

A must for all Disney fans and a great family day out – Disney on Ice presents a Disneyland® Adventure at the NEC in Birmingham next February and Liverpool in March.

Swing to the beat on the Jungle CruiseTM with Baloo, Rock-n-roll with Stitch in the Tiki Room; have a blast with Buzz Lightyear on Space MountainTM; and take a wild spin on the Mad Tea PartyTM with Alice and the Mad Hatter!

Be prepared for the mischief that lurks around the corner when the maniacal Maleficent turns Minnie and Donald into her two sleeping beauties and takes over the ice. Thrill to edge-of-your-seat excitement when everyone’s favorite superhero family, The Incredibles, shows up to help Mickey save the day!

Packed full of your Disney favourites, this is one of the very few opportunities to see Disney on Ice outside Euro Disney in France and will be popular, so early booking is essential.

For Disney on Ice – Disneyland® Adventure and hotel accommodation near the NEC for all the family, click here.

The performance is also available in March 2011 at the Liverpool Echo Arena.