UKseries Home       Blog Home       UK Hotels       UK B&Bs       UK Self-Catering       UK Camping       UK Tourist Attractions

Monthly Archives: December 2010

London Underground trying to prevent Tube Strike

0
Posted by trev on December 23, 2010 – 12:54 pm
Filed under Events

Members of the train drivers’ union Aslef are wanting to go on strike on Boxing Day, but Transport for London are now talking of taking court action to block this.

The union wanted to call drivers on the London Underground out on strike from midnight on Sunday as part of a 24 hour strike, but if moves by London Underground to obtain a court injunction are successful then The Tube should be running pretty much as normal.

In London this kind of action could cause quite a bit of disruption as the traditional Boxing Day sales get under-way especially in the major department stores which are desperate to boost profits after this cold snap.

Neither side has released any further news on whether the action is still ongoing. We’ll update things when we hear more…

UK Travel – Latest information on 23rd December

0
Posted by trev on December 23, 2010 – 12:04 pm
Filed under Events

According to various sources, today will be the busiest day on the UK’s road network with people shopping and travelling for Christmas Eve.

Luckily the forecasters for the majority of the country shows little snow falling, although there is likely to be some snow fall in North East England and parts of Northern Scotland. Ice however remains a problem with many more minor roads not gritted.

To try to help with the numbers of cars, the Highways Agency have removed 98% of roadworks from major roads until the 4th January 2011 which should keep more lanes clear especially on motorways.

Away from the roads, flights and trains seem to be running relatively normally according to the BBC which reports:

Airports:

- Flights at Gatwick and London City are said to be “back to normal”.

- Heathrow is expecting to operate 1,206 flights, almost a full schedule, but the backlog of stranded passengers means people should still check with the Heathrow web site for flight confirmations.

Railways:

- Some services on the East Coast and West Coast main lines have been cancelled. See network rail web site for more details. Most of the earlier disruption on the East Coast has been sorted with powerline failures and signalling problems.

- Some First Great Western London to Cardiff services are not running.

- ScotRail is running a reduced service and First Capital Connect has an amended timetable for its London suburban services.

- Northern Rail has cancelled 30 trains.

- Industrial action scheduled for Thursday on London Midland trains has been cancelled, but special timetables are in place.

More Resources:
Traffic England – English road network delays
Traffic Scotland – Scottish road network delays
Traffic Wales – Welsh traffic delays

Hotels around the UK
Self-catering in the UK
Visitor attractions in the UK

A new version of the “Wrong type of snow”

0
Posted by trev on December 22, 2010 – 9:40 pm
Filed under Miscellaneous

We perhaps thought this line had disappeared into the archives, but in Devon it’s back although this time for the roads not the railways.

Back in 1991, British Rail’s Director of Operations Terry Worrall was quoted as saying “we are having particular problems with the type of snow” which was translated in the Evening Standard as “The wrong type of snow” causing the railway disruption.

Now the phrase is back to describe why Devon council didn’t grit some roads resulting in the county being more or less cut off from the rest of England for several days.

Alan Muncaster of Dorset County Council is quoted in the Independent as saying “The problem was the snow was quite wet. I know there are jokes about the wrong kind of snow – but with that amount of water, it washes the treatment away”.

Living in Cumbria we do get a fair amount of snow from time to time, although surprisingly not a huge amount this year, but I’ve never known the council to not grit because the snow was too wet.

Sometimes the grit will be rained off or wash away with the meltwater, but it is still vital to grit as it slows the formation of ice which is a lot more dangerous and hard to remove when compacted. Surely even councils in areas with limited snowfall do understand this?

The Savoy behind the scenes on ITV

0
Posted by trev on December 22, 2010 – 2:12 pm
Filed under Accommodation

We reported on the re-opening of the Savoy back in October, but ITV is now showing the real story from behind the scenes of this £220m project.

Considered to be one of the finest hotels in the world, The Savoy had quite a reputation to uphold during its 3 year, £220 million, refurbishment but according to many who have visited since the reopening it was well worth the wait.

Previously we have only seen little glimpses of what happened when the doors closed on this famous hotel and the days before the hotel reopened.

During this process, an ITV film crew visited the site on a number of occasions to witness everything from the transformation of the rooms, the massive delays caused by structural problems and the hiring and training of the staff who must keep up the exacting standards for such an operation.

The first revealing episode aired last night, but is still available on ITV Player. This gave a fascinating look into just how much detail and work goes into running a hotel of this calibre, and towards the end just how much pride some of the people involved put into running this hotel.

Two figures really stood out during this episode – Head butler Sean Davoren and General Manager Kiaran MacDonald.

- Kiaran is very much like the hotel in that on the surface he is calm and collected, but every so often you get the impression that he is watching everything and noting all details. As general manager he is not only in charge of making sure the hotel reopening is a success, but trying to ensure it’s continued success in the future.

- Sean on the other hand is more forthright although he is the absolute perfect butler, never thrown by any problems. He has worked for over 30 years in the job and waited on every Royal family in Europe, so there is very little he hasn’t seen or heard. If a hotel revolves around one person however, Sean would be a good candidate.

Surprisingly, the producers seem to have been allowed free reign in terms of showing what they wanted from staff being very honest about guests (although not named), to showing the sheer brilliance of the operation.

As someone once said, a good hotel should be like a swan – “gracefully gliding on the surface and padding like crazy under the water”.

Highly recommended viewing, and don’t be surprised if you’re sitting there as nervously as some of the staff when they have to deal with Prince Alwaleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia who owns a major stake in the parent company Fairmont Raffles Hotels International.

If you’d like to book a night at the Savoy in the Strand, click here.

There are of course a number of hotel five star hotels in the Strand in case the Savoy is a little to over-the-top.

Even Prince William thinks Blackpool is worth a visit

0
Posted by trev on December 22, 2010 – 1:05 pm
Filed under Miscellaneous

It might have a reputation for kiss-me-quick hats, but these days Blackpool even receives Royal approval.

For many years, Blackpool seemed only to be saved by the unique Blackpool Illuminations which brought visitors in especially during the Winter evenings. The town frontage was full of run-down hotels even the old mainstays such as the tower had seen better days.

However Blackpool today is a much improved place. Over the past few years, large amounts of money have been invested in the town to improve both the look and feel all year round.

Boutique hotels have arrived in Blackpool alongside bars selling champagne and oysters, although fish n chips is still available in great quantity with Harry Ramsden’s being the most recommended.

In 2011 the Tower Festival Headland should open with a new restaurant, wedding chapel and a 20,000 capacity concert venue bringing even more entertainment to what was once the entertainment capital of the country. Sandcastle Water World now boats the world’s longest water slide with visitor numbers increasing around 20% every year since 2007.

The town even received Royal approval when Prince William dropped by for an impromptu break just after announcing his engagement to Kate Middleton. This might be just the boost Blackpool needs to launch itself into the 21st Century as a vibrant and thriving holiday location.

If that wasn’t enough, Blackpool Football Club managed a minor miracle of launching themselves into the Premier League for the 2010-2011 season. This alongside all the other improvements has really put Blackpool back on the map and brought much needed investment.

More Blackpool Resources:
Things to do in Blackpool
Hotels in Blackpool
Self-catering in Blackpool

I never knew that about London

1
Posted by trev on December 22, 2010 – 12:00 pm
Filed under Miscellaneous

If you’re one of those people who likes trivia and bizarre facts that no one else knows, then this book might be just for you.

The book entitled “I never knew that about London”, is a collection of facts and general trivia about London with lots of factoid gems you can quote all Christmas – ideal for last minute presents and those conversation silences.

The Guardian described the book as:

“A delightful and informative addition to the capital’s literary legacy…I Never Knew that about London will not fail to enhance months, even years, of gentle urban exploration…”

Click here for details of I Never Knew That About London from Amazon.co.uk for £5.92.

For delivery you can still get the book pre-Christmas with Express Delivery until the end of the 23rd December.

Did the earth move for you last night…?

2
Posted by trev on December 22, 2010 – 10:33 am
Filed under Events

Those living in what is often described as the sleepy north of England, certainly felt it move last night as a minor earthquake hit Cumbria and northern England.

Measuring around a magnitude of 3.6, the quake seems to have been felt most strongly in Cumbria although there have been reports as far afield as Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Lancashire. For a quake of this size, experts said the coverage area was said to be surprisingly large, suggesting a very deep fault caused it.

Eyewitness accounts on the Kendal Cottages self-catering blog suggest the quake was strongest in South Cumbria.

Initial estimates indicate that the epicentre was around Honister Pass (pictured) in the central Lake District which is not generally known for its earthquake activity. The Lake District we know today was however formed partly by volcanic activity and later sculpted by glaciers during the Ice Age.

This quake isn’t unique in the area as last year there was a small one in the South Cumbria region from Ulverston to Kendal, and a few years ago a larger one measuring around 6 hit Carlisle causing some structural damage. However the area is still fairly unlikely to rival California anytime soon.

If you felt the quake, please add your comments below as part of our not-entirely scientific exploration of where it was felt most.

Map of the quake epicentre

More Lake District Resources:
Tourist attractions in the Lake District
Hotels in the Lake District
Lake District self-catering

Totally unique self-catering from the Landmark Trust

0
Posted by trev on December 22, 2010 – 9:15 am
Filed under Accommodation

For those seeking something quite unique from their self-catering, the Landmark Trust might have just the place to relax.

The trust is a charity in many ways similar to the National Trust, but they only restore buildings and have a rather unusual way of making sure they are viable – turning them into self-catering properties.

Set-up in 1965, the Landmark Trust now has around 190 properties available with several more undergoing restoration and can guarantee that every property is very unique in its catalogue. All are historic buildings and some have been restored / rebuilt, whereas others were simply unused and offered to the trust. All have character, even if they don’t always have all the five star luxuries.

The buildings range from various old shops, Medieval towers, mills, cottages and even castles for your next self-catering holiday.

If you really want to get away from it all, why not book a property on the island of Lundy off the north Devon coast, all of which have no TV and very little mobile signal. The Tibbetts property doesn’t even have electricity, so offers a very remote getaway.

The Landmark trust does also run on donations, but the majority of the money comes from the self-catering letting of these buildings which also ensures that people get to live in them again, albeit for a week or so at a time.

Full details can be found on the Landmark Trust web site.

If you want something a little more conventional, then Hoseasons offer a wide range of cottages around the UK, and so far as I am aware all have electricity and almost all will have TV.

Bristol characters brave the snow for festive fun

0
Posted by admin on December 21, 2010 – 10:04 pm
Filed under Attractions, Events

Even the snowy weather couldn’t keep Bristol’s best loved characters away from Carters Steam Fair today, as Wallace and Gromit, a pirate, penguin, clownfish, and Father Christmas celebrated the start of the Christmas school holidays by riding the gallopers in Bristol’s city centre.  Wallace and Gromit, Pirate Pete, Bristol Zoo Gardens’ Poppy the Penguin, Blue Reef Aquarium’s Charlie the Clownfish, along with Father Christmas and his helpers all met in Anchor Square today for a photo opportunity on the gallopers. The purpose of the gathering was to highlight the many exciting activities available for families and visitors to enjoy in Bristol during the Christmas break. Each character represents a range of activities on offer during the festive season.

Carters Steam Fair

Carters Steam Fair is conveniently located within easy walking distance of Bristol’s city centre shopping area and will operate the family fun fair through 4th January 2011. The historic steam fair will be open from mid-day each day until half six Monday through Thursday and later on the weekends. The rides on offer include dodgems, gallopers, helter skelter, The Dive Bomber, in addition to three children’s rides from trains, cars and dobbies. Visitors can also enjoy candy floss and fair games. Prices range from £1 to £2 per ride.

Father Christmas from The Mall Bristol

Despite a busy schedule this week, Father Christmas made his way from the festive Santa’s Grotto at The Mall Bristol to ride the gallopers at Carters Steam Fair. Santa is now in residence in his spectacular Grotto right up until Christmas Eve. For £4, children can meet Santa and receive a gift. There is also the opportunity to have a photograph taken with Santa. After Christmas, visitors can take advantage of January sales at The Mall Bristol – with easy shoppers parking and over 100 stores all under one roof. Shoppers are encouraged to pick up some great bargains whilst staying warm and dry.

Wallace and Gromit

Wallace and Gromit represent their favourite science centre, At-Bristol where Animate It! takes on a seasonal sparkle for Christmas. Have a go at making your very own animation film with a selection of seasonal characters and backgrounds on the animation stations. Or send your animation to a friend as a unique season’s greeting. Until 3 January (excluding 24th-26th December 2010), visitors can also take part in Christmas craft activities in the interactive zone on the first floor. Make beautiful glittery snowflakes or a 3D Christmas tree to decorate your home. These could even make creative gifts for your family and friends.

Blue Reef Aquarium’s Charlie the Clownfish

Charlie the Clownfish resides at Blue Reef Aquarium where visitors are transported to the spectacular ‘underwater gardens’ of the Mediterranean and stunning beauty of tropical waters – home to everything from seahorses and puffer fish to living corals and tropical sharks. There’s also a programme of free daily events including entertaining talks and feeding displays as well as the awesome IMAX Cinema that will take visitors on an immersive 3D journey.

Bristol Zoo Gardens

There is plenty going-on at Bristol Zoo Gardens this Christmas holiday, and Tuesday December 21st is Bristol Zoo’ Fantabulous Christmas event which offers tradition with a twist. Visitors can feed Santa’s reindeer, join in with carol singing, experience the enchanted Elf Hollow, enjoy storytelling, festive refreshments and Santa’s grotto. Bristol Zoo Gardens offers the perfect day put for families looking for Christmas break activities. Please note that the zoo is closed on Christmas Day and will close at 4pm on Christmas Eve.

Pirate Pete and Bristol Pirate Walks

Pete ‘The Pirate’ Martin provides entertaining and informative walks around Bristol’s historic piracy hotspots. From John Cabots statue to Blackbeards home, the Smugglers Cave to the Matthew Shipyard, Pete the Pirate provides a fun look at Pirates and their adventures in Bristol. Get out and enjoy the show with an educational pirate walk during the Christmas break.

Useful links:
Bristol hotels
Bristol B&Bs
Bristol tourist attractions

Fire at Blenheim Palace

1
Posted by admin on December 21, 2010 – 9:43 pm
Filed under Attractions

Firefighters were called to Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire this evening to tackle a blaze that apparently when staff used a blowtorch to heat frozen pipes and, in so doing, set a bird’s nest alight.  Thankfully it sounds like the damage to this impressive World Heritage Site has been minimal.  If you haven’t previously been, a visit to Blenheim Palace should not be missed.  It is an impressive building with accompanying gardens that were landscaped by Capability Brown.

Useful links:
Hotels near Blenheim Palace
Cottages near Blenheim Palace