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Author Archives: Paul

Thomas heads to Ravenglass!

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Posted by Paul on September 24, 2010 – 12:40 pm
Filed under Attractions, Events

Head to the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, in the Lake District, on 2nd and 3rd October 2010, to enjoy Fabulous ‘Days Out With Thomas’ with everyone’s favourite train character, Thomas the Tank Engine from Thomas & Friends™. A great value-for-money package awaits, starting at Ravenglass station, where Trevor the Traction Engine and Bertie the Bus will thrill children as  they discover them in the car park.

At 10am each day, excitement will mount as an opening ceremony features The Fat Controller, Sir Topham Hatt, cutting a red ribbon. This will let Thomas move off his turntable and rush The Fat Controller up the line to check for other trains. Families and other passengers gathered there can then follow his route, by catching the 10.30 train from Ravenglass to Dalegarth, whilst others can catch other trains heading up the line, the last being at 15.50 and the last back leaving at 16.40.

Locomotives pulling passengers will be Rex, Bert, Mike and Jock, all of which figure in books by Reverend W Awdry and his son Christopher, based on Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway’s River Esk, River Irt, River Mite and Northern Rock. During their journey through stunning coastal, fell and valley scenery, children can complete a ’spot the characters’ competition, as images of Edward, James and Gordon can all be seen.

At Dalegarth, a whole day of Thomas fun will spread a little magic. The Fat Controller will encourage children to pass buckets of water to Thomas, to let the thirsty engine have a drink, once the driver puts the water into Thomas’s tank. The Fat Controller will also join the Station Master in providing a 65h Anniversary interactive show in which there is singing, dancing and the important task of feeding Thomas a coal cake!

An ‘Imagination Station’ will feature story reading, colouring, train set and a skittles game, plus face-painting and Thomas tattoo applications. Meanwhile, in a marquee, exciting and comical children’s magician, Stu-di-Doo will create Harold the Helicopter from balloons and mesmerise children with magic tricks.

Tickets for this Day Out With Thomas and all of the activities described cost £12.50 for an adult, £6.25 for children and £33 for a family of two adults and two children. Tickets can be bought on the day, or purchased online.

Paul Johnson is a Director at Kendal Holiday Cottages Ltd. which offers luxury self-catering accommodation between the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales

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

Guernsey Autumn Floral Festival Week

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Posted by Paul on September 20, 2010 – 3:48 pm
Filed under Events

Guernsey has a rich floral heritage and a passion for all things horticultural. As the summer draws to an end and the autumn colours creep in, explore the wonderful shades of Guernsey and enjoy its natural beauty with the Guernsey Autumn Floral Festival Week – tours around various open gardens, walks, lectures and workshops will be on offer.

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!

New bar in London: The Anthologist

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Posted by Paul on September 15, 2010 – 12:47 am
Filed under Eating & Drinking

The Anthologist is an all-day and evening venue with an array of flexible spaces – whether it’s a business breakfast from the deli, lunch with colleagues, social drinks, dinner or a private party. It’s a stone’s throw from the Bank of England and not far from the likes of Fleet Street, so will get its fair share of business customers, but it’s also close to a variety of key attractions including The Barbican.

The breakfast and brunch menu is available from 8am until 12pm, Monday to Friday. For further information, see their website.

Useful links:
Hotels in London
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Self-catering in London
Tourist attractions in London

Ryder Cup packages from Thistle Cheltenham and The Grand in Bristol

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Posted by Paul on September 15, 2010 – 12:37 am
Filed under Accommodation, Events

Are you thinking of attending the Ryder Cup this year? Make the experience extra special and book your stay at The Grand in Bristol or Thistle Cheltenham, both with direct train links to Newport. What could be easier!

To top it off, you will also be entered into a free prize draw to win a 2 night break and a 4-ball at the Celtic Manor, host to the 2010 Ryder Cup.  Valid until 3rd October 2010. Package includes breakfast and 20% off drinks in the hotel bar.

British Museum gets £25m donation

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Posted by Paul on September 14, 2010 – 12:35 am
Filed under Attractions

Lord Sainsbury, a Conservative peer, has made a donation of £25 million to the British Museum. It is the biggest single donation to the arts since Sir Paul Getty’s donated £90million to the National Gallery and British Film Institute in 1985.  The money is to be put towards a new “World Conservation and Exhibitions Centre”  - a project which is due to open in 2013.

Useful links:
Hotels in London
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Self-catering in London
Tourist attractions in London

The 5th International Victor Hugo Music Festival

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Posted by Paul on September 12, 2010 – 3:46 pm
Filed under Events

Guernsey’s unique and charming character, drawn from its French and English influences, provides the backdrop to the Victor Hugo International Music Festival. Taking its name from Guernsey’s best known resident of all time, the biannual event features a stellar line up of highly regarded international musicians. It runs from Monday 20th to Sunday 25th September 2010 and more information can be found on the website.

Bupa Great North Run 2010

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Posted by Paul on September 10, 2010 – 11:52 pm
Filed under Events

One of the UK’s biggest events of the sporting calendar takes place this weekend. On Sunday 18th September 2010, an estimated 54,000 runners will take to the roads from Newcastle to South Shields in the world’s biggest half marathon in the world as they participate in the 30th Bupa Great North Run.

The event will be covered live on BBC television and BBC Radio 5 Live.

Useful links:
Hotels in Newcastle
Tourist attractions in Newcastle
Hotels in South Shields
Tourist attractions in South Shields

Campaign to Save the Arts in the UK

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Posted by Paul on September 10, 2010 – 11:32 pm
Filed under Attractions, Miscellaneous

If you are passionate about the arts in the UK, we urge you to join over 100 leading artists in signing this petition to the Government to try and prevent radical cuts to current levels of arts funding.  The Prime Minister has pledged to take seriously any issue backed by a petition with 100,000 signatures. The DCMS meeting about the future of arts funding is taking place on Tuesday 14th September 2010 so please sign the petition before then in order to give your support.

Useful link:
Save the Arts
Art galleries and other attractions in the UK

8 of Britain’s most unusual museums

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Posted by Paul on September 10, 2010 – 11:12 pm
Filed under Attractions

Madame Tussaud’s, the Tower of London, the British Museum, the London Eye… we’ve all been to at least one of them or at least know someone who has.  But what about Britain’s less mainstream attractions?  We’ve scoured the nation for some of the more unusual and eccentric museums on offer. If you happen to have a quirky fascination for lawn mowers, dog collars, pencils or mustard, then read on.

British Lawnmower Museum, Southport, Merseyside
For the princely sum of £2 (or £1 for children), you can admire this intriguing collection of garden machinery. An audio guide is available and will give you all manner of insights into the world of lawnmowers. Learn about which devices were used to cut lawns for the likes of Prince Charles and Princess Diana or admire racing cards that have been based around the humble lawnmower.

Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Museum, Piccadilly Circus, London
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! London is a must-see entertainment attraction for all visitors to the capital. It consists of unique, original, and unbelievable artefacts collected from all over the world, many by the founder of Ripley’s – Robert Ripley himself, during his global travels from 1920s and the 1930s. With over 500 exhibits to see; some of which are so bizarre and remarkable that visitors will not believe it until they see it for themselves! Not only is Ripley’s entertaining but it’s also educational and visitors are bound to learn something new!

Anson Engine Museum, Poynton, Cheshire
This unusual museum has grown from an enthusiast’s collection of Internal Combustion Engines to now be recognised as one of the country’s leading specialist attractions – literally bringing engines to life. Fuelled by enthusiasm and staffed by volunteers, it features engines of all sizes (from desktop to 100 tons) from steam through to the clean engines of the future. Independently run, and a registered charity, it has raised its standards over recent years to win many local and even national awards.

Dog Collar Museum, Leeds Castle, Maidstone, Kent
Unsurprisingly this museum is the only of its kind in the UK. The museum houses over 100 dog collars that span over five centuries. Mrs. Gertrude Hunt left the collection to the Leeds Castle Foundation in memory of her husband, John Hunt, a distinguished medievalist. All manner of collars grace the collection, from fearsome fetters for the great hunting hounds of the past, to canine couture for 21st Century pooches.

The Cumberland Pencil Museum, Keswick, Cumbria
This museum is here because graphite was mined locally. Thanks to a replica of the Seathwaite mine, you run through all the stages that are required to make a pencil and you can see how Derwent Fine Art Pencils are made today. One of the highlights of the attraction (make sure you’re sitting down!) is the world’s longest coloured pencil, measuring just short of 8 metres in length.

Chiddingstone Castle, Near Edenbridge, Kent
Revived from dereliction in 1955 by the gifted antiquary Denys Bower, the Castle became a home for his amazing and varied collections. Denys amassed a stunning collection of Japanese armour, swords and lacquer as well as Egyptian antiquities, Buddhist artefacts, Jacobean manuscripts and Stuart paintings. He was completely entranced by the romance of the Jacobite rebellion and even thought he was the reincarnation of Bonny Prince Charlie! Today, visitors can still enjoy Denys’s eclectic collections; see his study which contains many of his personal belongings and other themed rooms, as well as exhibitions devoted to both castle and local history.

Colman’s Mustard Shop, Norwich, Norfolk
Arguably more of a shop than perhaps a museum, this enterprise from Colman’s is a careful replica of a Victorian trade premises. As well as the opportunity to buy merchandise, you can also learn all about the variety of mustard recipes and subtle differences in the raw material. A number of items are on loan from the archives and cover some of the history behind Colman’s production.

Stephen Beaumont Museum of Mental Health, Wakefield, West Yorkshire
Housed in Wakefield’s Fieldhead Hospital, the Stephen Beaumont Museum of Mental Health depicts the story of the West Riding Pauper Lunatic Asylum built in 1818. The exhibition includes restraining equipment, a padded cell, photographs dating from 1862 plus medical and surgical equipment and documents.

Useful link:
Museums in the UK