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Monthly Archives: July 2011

South coast attractions have become more accessible

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Posted by admin on July 31, 2011 – 8:45 am
Filed under Attractions

A newly-opened road tunnel has reduced driving times from London to the south coast  -  making a range of fun experiences more accessible than ever before.  Opening on 27th July 2011, the Hindhead Tunnel on the A3 completes the dual carriageway link between London and Portsmouth, enabling drivers to finally by-pass a notorious congestion spot outside the village of Hindhead in Surrey.

Previously delays at the junction of the A3 and A287 could add as much as 40 minutes to a journey, while there is also considerable environmental impact on a nationally-recognised Site of Special Scientific Interest, the Devil’s Punch Bowl.  The 1.2-mile Hindhead Tunnel runs under the Devil’s Punch Bowl and forms part of a new four-mile dual carriageway road linking existing dual carriageway to the north and south of the village.

Among the locations now more easily accessible from London are:

Portsmouth -  Portsmouth is the south coast’s ‘Waterfront City’.   Home to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, where visitors can get up close and personal with Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory and even test their skills as a potential naval recruit in the interactive Action Stations exhibit, it has something for all the family.  Visit the 170-metre Spinnaker Tower with its 360-degree views of the city, sea and The Solent. There are miles of seafront walks to explore, Southsea’s Blue Reef Aquarium, funfairs and playgrounds for the kids, and top-class shopping, dining and entertainment at Gunwharf Quays.  Portsmouth also has a rich literary heritage, with Charles Dickens and Sir Arther Conan Doyle among its famous authors.  Don’t miss Portsmouth BookFest (17th October-13th November 2011).

Gosport -  to the west of Portsmouth stands the town of Gosport, which shares its neighbour’s rich seafaring heritage.  Make a beeline for the beach at Lee-on-the-Solent, explore three beautiful marinas or delve into the past at the 1642 living history village of Little Woodham.  On the Millennium Waterfront Trail you can experience more of Gosport’s history: the Explosion! Museum of Naval Firepower is fittingly sited in the navy’s former armaments depot, while the Royal Navy Submarine Museum includes a tour of the only surviving World War Two submarine, HMS Alliance.

Hayling Island -  Hayling Island is the place to get away from it all!  Simply follow the A3 to Portsmouth then take the A27 along the coast, with the final crossing to the island on a single-track bridge.  Here it’s all about escape  -  whether you want to walk or cycle the five-mile Hayling Billy Trail, enjoy the thrills and spills of Funland or take to the water  -  did you know Hayling Island is the birthplace of windsurfing, which was reputedly invented here in 1938? The national Windsurfing Festival takes place on Hayling (3rd-4th September 2011).

The Isle of Wight -  with award-winning beaches and beautiful countryside, the Isle of Wight is an enduringly popular choice for family breaks.  But that’s only part of the story as the island is also home to some exciting events.  Coming up soon is the Rhythmtree Festival, three days of eclectic sounds from all over the world while early August sees more than 1,000 boats arrive for the sailing spectacular that is Cowes Week.  And don’t forget the island’s Carnival season, which runs from late July through to September, with every weekend offering new chances to have fun!

Wales – a land of castles

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Posted by Beth Cummings on July 29, 2011 – 1:58 pm
Filed under Attractions

You may have heard a whisper that Wales has a castle or two. Indeed there are 641 at the last count, meaning that we have more castles per square mile than any other country in Europe. In fact almost every town or village has some form of castle or fort.

Not all are as big as Caerphilly Castle. In fact very few castles in Europe are as big as Caerphilly Castle. It dominates the otherwise quiet market town in which it stands. It was built in the 13th Century and must have been a quite a fearsome site to attacking enemies with its imposing walls and huge moat. Thankfully they’re a bit more welcoming to visitors today and have opened the portcullis and put a bridge across the moat so you don’t get your feet wet on the way in.

Caerphilly Castle is a mere youngster compared to Chepstow Castle as it dates from the 11th Century. As well as being the oldest it was probably the most strategically important as it stands guard on a hillside overlooking the River Wye which marks the border between Wales and England.

It may not be as grand as Caerphilly or as important as Chepstow but Ogmore Castle near Bridgend certainly makes up for this as being one of the most picturesque. Sitting quietly on the banks of the River Ewenny, access to the castle is via a set of stepping stones which leads from the tiny hamlet of Merthyr Mawr and its thatched cottages.

If it’s grand castles that you want then there is none more opulent than Cardiff Castle. Don’t believe me? Then take a tour of the apartments dating from the 1860s. You’ll be amazed by the lavishness and luxury in which the Marquess of Bute, at the time the richest man in the world, once lived. As well as the extravagant apartments the castle also has a Norman keep and Roman walls. It’s like all the castles of Wales rolled into one.

Beth Cummings is Marketing Manager at Southern Wales Tourism.

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Useful links:
Castles in Wales

Lake District boating advice from National Park Authority

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Posted by trev on July 22, 2011 – 12:37 pm
Filed under Miscellaneous

For all ye budding Swallows and Amazon fans out there, the Lake District National Park authority is offering a few tip-bits of advice on safe use of boats, especially dinghy’s in the English Lake District.

Luckily, unlike many such organisations the authority have realised that most of us are fairly sensible so instead of saying “do not” all the time, they’ve come up with 3 simple guidelines to help everyone enjoy their time messing about on the popular lakes.

1) Choose an approved dinghy.
2) Always wear an approved buoyancy aid
3) Secure a dinghy to a tree with a 50 metre rope.

While we’re not completely sure what an “approved dinghy” is, the rest of them seem pretty sensible and common sense.

LDNPA Park Management Ranger Sara Spicer said “Treated with sensible caution our lakes are wonderful places for all the family to enjoy, but there are dangers lurking if people drop their guard or ignore these vital safety procedures“.

Could we add a number 4 to this list – always remember to pack the Horlicks and sandwiches as it can get pretty chilly out on those lakes.

Lake District Links:
Visitor attractions around the Lake District
Hotels in the Lake District
Lake District self-catering accommodation
Camping & caravan sites in Cumbria & Lake District

Windermere Air Festival 2011

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Posted by admin on July 22, 2011 – 8:21 am
Filed under Attractions, Events

Formerly known as the Windermere Airshow – will be a spectacular event with a total of 16 flying displays over two afternoons. Plus exciting showground displays to keep every child and adult enthralled! Over 40,000 people attended the tenth anniversary Air Show event last year. The flying programme varies each day with non-stop ground entertainment for all the family on the Air Base. Ground attractions will include a military village and battle re-enactments by Earl of Montague’s Regiment of Foote.

Moky Fit will show you how to create some fun dance routines, the local Ju-Jitsu group will be demonstrating their martial moves and running some ‘have a go’ sessions and Kendal Majorettes will show their marching and cheerleading capabilities. The YMCA will be bringing a climbing wall, there will be Kids Go-Karts and face painters and jugglers will make their way round the Air Base.

Alternatively, head for a vantage point such as Orrest Head (pictured) to enjoy the displays.

Useful links:
Hotels in Windermere
B&Bs in Windermere
Holiday cottages in Windermere
Attractions in Windermere

Chagstock 2011

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Posted by admin on July 21, 2011 – 8:52 pm
Filed under Attractions, Events

The micro music festival that is Chagstock 2011 begins tomorrow and has now developed into one of the best music festivals in the South West at Whiddon Down, near Chagford – and covers three 10 acre fields with glorious views over the northern edge of Dartmoor. It is within easy each of both North and South Devon, and the City of Exeter for those who want to combine a musical weekend with a fuller holiday experience.

Useful links:
Exeter hotels
Exeter B&Bs
Exeter cottages
Exeter campsites
Exeter attractions

RAF Harrowbeer Airshow

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Posted by admin on July 21, 2011 – 8:40 pm
Filed under Attractions, Events, Transport

RAF Harrowbeer Airshow is being held on 13th and 14th August 2011 to commemorate the opening of this former RAF airfield and the history of its vital role during WWII. The main focus of the event will be the archives and history of the airfield and there are plans to include RAF/wartime displays and exhibits with a static full size replica Spitfire with Merlin engine. There will also be a full size replica of Joseph Kennedy Memorial Hurricane and an aerial display/flypast by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and music provided by well known local jazz bands, Jazzacadabra and Roger Marks’ Spitfire Five.

2 major sporting events coming up for Devon

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Posted by admin on July 21, 2011 – 8:34 pm
Filed under Events

In a few days time North Devon will host the 17th annual Atlantic Watersports Games with teams from across Europe competing in sailing, surfing, kite surfing and more.

And in September, the 2nd stage of the America’s Cup comes to Plymouth to be played out in the natural ampitheatre of Plymouth Sound – Find out more.

Useful links:
Hotels in Bideford
Hotels in Plymouth

Thank goodness for the UK’s good ol’ pedestrian crossing

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Posted by admin on July 20, 2011 – 5:30 pm
Filed under Transport

Sometimes in the UK we have a tendancy to moan about things, be it the weather, our politicians, the economy or whatever, and we forget about the many things we have to be thankful for.  And on that note, I’m putting forward my vote for the good ol’ pedestrian crossing.  Aka the zebra crossing… the pelican crossing… call it what you will.

In the UK, the rules are very simple.  Drivers (or motorcyclists, cyclists, etc.) are to look out for pedestrians about to use a pedestrian crossing.  If someone looks like they are about to use it, they must stop and let the pedestrian have right of way.  Anyone that has travelled outside the UK will know that it’s often not quite so clear cut in many countries.  Watch the two videos below – one from London and the other from Vietnam – and hopefully you’ll see that the pedestrian crossing is indeed something we have to be thankful for!

Useful links:
Hotels in the UK
B&Bs in the UK
Cottages in the UK
Camping in the UK
Tourist attractions in the UK

Which is best: Travelodge or Premier Inn?

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Posted by trev on July 20, 2011 – 2:03 pm
Filed under Uncategorized

Amongst those who travel and don’t get to stay in 5 star hotels, this debate has been raging for quite some time.

In recent years, the two hotel chains have both expanded massively (600 Premier Inn’s and 470 Travelodge’s), perhaps timing their expansions perfectly as the recession hit and both family and business budgets were squeezed. So with this in mind…

Which is better – Travelodge or Premier Inn?

To answer this, the Daily Mail sent Fred Mawer to two of the newer hotels from each chain in the regenerated city of Cardiff.

From the way the article is written, you do get the impression that Fred Mawer is a little more used to staying in the higher budget hotels, but he does seem to hit on how after years of direct competition, the two hotel chains may be settling more into their respective niches.

For those who haven’t stayed in either for some time, we can assure you that the rooms usually look a like nicer than the dull pictures in his article.

The essentials on Travelodge vs Premier Inn:

Travelodge have realised that many business travellers especially automatically bring some of the basics such as shampoo so Travelodge have tended to remove some of these little extras which most people took home if they didn’t use them anyway.

The idea was they could reduce costs and thus offer cheaper rooms, which on inspection it does seem they often do, although if you really want cheaper then book at least a week in advance or 3 weeks for the really cheap rooms.

Premier Inn kept all these extras and have slightly more positioned themselves as the “Premier budget hotel” which means you still get the shampoos, Freeview TV, a hair-dryer, larger and possibly more comfy beds and their so called “Good Night Guarantee”.

They have also tried to lure in the family market with rooms that sleep 2 + 2, free breakfast for kids under 16, kids entertainment packs and there’s a restaurant at every Premier Inn.

The promise that all Premier Inn rooms are refurbished every 3 years should also put pay to many of the hotel horror stories we all hear.

Conclusion:

- For generally the cheapest rooms out there then we’d recommend trying a Travelodge.

- If you want to keep some of the comforts and don’t mind paying a little more then a Premier Inn might be a good bet.

Oh and we’re pretty sure you won’t be disturbed by either Lenny Henry or the bears from Travelodge in whichever hotel chain you chose.

Night night…

Liverpool’s new £72m museum now open

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Posted by trev on July 20, 2011 – 12:44 pm
Filed under Attractions

Liverpool has just opened its latest visitor attraction to tell the story of the city through the ages, including some of the less desirable history.

The museum which cost a massive £72 million to build and fit out was built on the famous Liverpool dockside and has been described by its supporters as “the world’s greatest urban history museum”.

Controversy: Naturally the very cutting edge design didn’t exactly go down well with everyone, and quite a number have likened it to a giant stone “Twix Bar”, and looking from the side it isn’t too hard to see why.

Gallery parts: The gallery and museum is split into various sections with the history part focusing on why Liverpool was the second city of the British Empire and one of the biggest ports in the world. Even rival Manchester had to concede at the time that Liverpool was a vital part of the empire infrastructure.

The Wondrous Place gallery highlights why Liverpool has been such a great place to live with the many famous footballers from the city’s two major teams, and of course features the history of how the Beatles affected Liverpool.

The Skylight Gallery focuses more on the visual aspects of Liverpool with photographs and paintings of the city. Mike McCartney, brother of Sir Paul McCartney, opened this part of the exhibition space which includes previously unseen Beatles photographs he took.

Opening: Normally such a museum is opened by some celebrity, but as this is the people’s museum, 6 year old Finn O’Hare from the city was chosen after he apparently wrote to “Mr or Mrs In Charge of the Museum” stating that he was good at opening things.

The future: Part two of the museum will open later in the year with exhibitions on the more modern history of Liverpool such as how the Beatles took their music around the world, and the darker sides such as the Toxteth riots in the 1980s.

More details at the Museum of Liverpool.

More Liverpool Links:
Visitor attractions in Liverpool
Hotels in Liverpool