Posted by Paul on July 25, 2010 – 3:54 pm
A series of free summer arts festivals is set to showcase the best of contemporary dance, folk music and street performances in Durham this August. The Streets Of… festivals will see buskers, musicians, dancers and acrobats entertain crowds in Durham’s historic streets over the Bank Holiday weekend from 28th to 30th August 2010.
The festivals open with the Streets of Folk on 28th August when Scottish folk supergroup The Peatbog Faeries headline the main stage in the city’s Millennium Place, combining high octane dance with traditional Celtic jigs and reels. The Streets of Dance festival heralds a return of the curious spectacle of Durham’s ‘Quiet Riot.’ People are encouraged to bring their own favourite tunes on an IPOD or MP3 player and silently dance in the streets with hundreds of fellow music lovers.
The festival weekend closes with the hugely popular Streets of Play when buskers, acrobats, clowns, jugglers and daredevils wow the crowds with their startling agility, skills and nerve. Highlights this year include Glastonbury favourite Betty Brawn, an Australian Strongwoman, and The Black Eagles, an acrobatic troupe from Tanzania who combine uplifting dance with African music and daredevil acrobatics.
The festivals are family friendly with several workshops available for parents with young children including the ‘Big Moving Story’ during the Streets of Dance where families can explore the amazing story ‘Giraffe’s can’t dance’ with a professional storyteller and a dance teacher.
The Streets Of… is part of a packed calendar of annual events which take place in Durham: North East England’s cultural city and county. Why not stay a few days and take advantage of the best rates on hotels in Durham using our hotel price comparison search engine?
Posted by Paul on July 23, 2010 – 1:35 pm
Visit Wiltshire this August and enjoy a super weekend in Salisbury at Wilton House’s annual Supercar event. Hosted by Lord Pembroke on the event is one of the largest displays of supercars in the country. Over 100 of the world’s most expensive and exotic cars are expected to attend with owners coming from across the country to be part of this special show. Lord Pembroke will be exhibiting his own Bugatti Veyron, an 8 litre, 16 cylinder supercar capable of 252mph. Other models expected to be on show include McLaren, Pagani, Ferrari and Lamborghini.
Alongside the supercar event, there will also be a Trade Fair and Motor Show in the grounds of the palatial country house. Top dealers, including Bentley and Mercedes, will have their vehicles on show and there will be a host of other stands offering motor accessories, clothing and related goods.
‘Supercars at Wilton House’ will run between 10am and 4pm on Saturday 14th August 2010. Entry is £10 for adults and £5 for children. To make the most of your day why not package the event up with overnight accommodation in Salisbury.
Posted by Paul on July 21, 2010 – 8:52 am
Shiver me timbers! The East Sussex town of Hastings could soon be awash with brigands and sea-dogs for Pirate Day on 6th August 2010 as the town attempts to set a world record for the largest gathering of pirates in one place. Organised by local landlubber Roger Crouch and the Old Town Traders, last year’s inaugural event is back by popular demand and has inspired the local population to go for the Guiness World Record for the largest number of people dressed as pirates in one place.
The current record is 1,670 pirates, who gathered in the American town of Portland, but Roger is confident that the record can be brought to Hastings. ‘If you know our Jack in the Green and Hastings Bonfire festivals, you’ll know that the people of Hastings love any excuse for fancy dress. We had hundreds of people here last year so it shouldn’t be too hard to break the record’.
Taking place during Hastings Old Town Carnival Week, which runs from 31st July to 8th August 2010, the attempt will take place on August 6th at 13.00 on the beach. The record attempt will be the climax of the day, which will also include a colourful pirate procession, Pirates of the Caribbean look a-likes, songs from the Pirates of Penzance and live music from the fusion Afro beat band Superfunk Pirates who will be filming footage for their new DVD during the event.
With a packed programme of events which range from the annual seaboot and pram races to ghost walks and High Street Traders’ party, Hastings Old Town is the place to be during the first week in August. Many events are free and there’s something for all ages, but when you come don’t forget to bring your parrot!
For further details of Hastings Old Town Week activities and what to do in Hastings see: www.visit1066country.com
Posted by Paul on July 7, 2010 – 3:19 pm
Did you know that Cumbria is the birthplace of pole vaulting as we know it today? (ie. where height, rather than length, is measured). It was pioneered in the town of Ulverston, the same town where Stan Laurel hails from, and members of the Ulverston Football and Cricket Club staged a pole valuting competition back in 1843.
Ulverston is beautiful market town on the fringes of the Lake District that is often wrongly overlooked by visitors.
Click here to compare prices on hotels in Ulverston and read about the many Ulverston attractions, from Colony Candles in nearby Lindal-in-Furness to the Hoad monument (pictured).
Posted by Paul on July 3, 2010 – 3:59 pm
A new batch of sea eagles has arrived in Scotland. It’s the largest batch to arrive in Scotland since a new programme to re-introduce the species commenced four years ago. The programme is not without controversy with farmers in Wester Ross claiming to have lost both chickens and lambs to the birds with a re-introduction scheme back in the 1970s and 1980s.
The birds will no doubt come as a welcome site to twitchers living in and visiting this part of the UK. Do you support such a programme or do you think nature should be left to take its course?
Posted by Paul on July 1, 2010 – 8:07 am
Manchester might not instantly spring to mind when thinking of potential family holiday destinations but you’d be surprised by the platter of spoils on offer to families in the great city this summer. From free open-air cinema evenings in Spinningfields to Harry Potter days in the magical surroundings of the John Rylands Library, find out how to camouflage a jeep at the Imperial War Museum North and celebrate the city’s cultural diversity at the Exodus festival.
With so much going on it’s definitely worth staying over for a few days. See our Manchester hotels price comparison facility to get the best rate for your chosen dates.
Posted by Paul on June 30, 2010 – 4:32 pm
A fairytale castle in South Glamorgan, Wales – Castell Coch – has been the subject of media attention this afternoon as around 20 visitors have been trapped due to the drawbridge collapsing. The castle was the brainchild of the eccentric architect William Burges who created it for the third marquis of Bute in the 19th Century.
Visitors to the castle can enjoy a site exhibition and audio tour, and are usually able to depart with the minimum of fuss!
Posted by Paul on June 30, 2010 – 4:00 pm
Rivers, Myths and Monsters is now open at Old Fulling Mill Museum of Archaeology, in Durham City, with art inspired by chilling and exciting tales set in the world’s waterways.
Rivers have inspired myths around the world, from the North East legend of the Lambton Worm to tales from India, where Krishna battled the many-headed serpent, Kaliya, and Egypt, where figurines and amulets illustrate the story of the search by the goddess Isis for the body of her husband, Osiris, which had been hidden in the Nile by the evil Seth.
The Old Fulling Mill is open from 11am to 4pm daily and admission is £1 for adults, 50p for children and over-60s, or free to students and the under fives. The exhibition runs until 5th September 2010.
Posted by Paul on June 30, 2010 – 2:51 pm
Few Brits need reminding that, much like England and the World Cup, you have to dig out the history books to find the last British men’s singles winner at Wimbledon. In fact, you have to go much further back than 1966 – Fred Perry last won it in 1936. He also won it in 1934 and 1935 – perhaps he was trying to make up for the drought that was about to follow!
Andy Murray made the semi-finals in last year’s Championship and is currently looking to equal that feat this year as he takes on Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in this year’s quarter final.
Murray is in great form – 4th in the world and is the only player to have won all his games in straight sets thus far. Will the 75-year duck finally be broken?
Want to catch one of the games in the closing stages of the tournament. Find hotels near Wimbledon here!
Posted by Paul on June 30, 2010 – 2:37 pm
With holiday-makers increasingly looking for something out of the ordinary from their summer break, VisitScotland has launched an online accommodation guide with a difference. The guide presents a range of unique accommodation, many of which are new in the last 12 months, which promise to turn an average holiday into a truly special and unique experience.
From Swedish katas to historic castles with fairytale turrets; traditional island cottages to boutique ecopods; wigwams to converted churches, each place offers something truly distinctive for a magical summer stay to remember. And with a wide variety ranging from wallet-friendly island youth hostels to luxury city centre hotels, there’s something to suit every budget.
VisitScotland’s ‘Unique Places To Stay’ guide can be found at visitscotland.com/perfect and some of the newest property highlights include:
• Alternative festival accommodation in glass fibre ‘kocoons’ with ipod docking systems and king sized beds
• A unique 5 star Ecopod Boutique Retreat with eco features including wood pellet biomass stoves and instantaneous hot water supply
• A ‘boatel’ in the heart of Edinburgh complete with sun loungers, fishing rods and fold up bicycles
• Lighthouse cottages at picturesque Buchanness, whose lighthouse was built by Robert Louis Stevenson’s grandfather
• A self-catering cottage that was the birthplace of legendary Scottish folk hero Rob Roy
• Glasgow’s newest luxury boutique hotel, Blythswood Square, the former Royal Scottish Automobile Club and starting point of the 1955 Monte Carlo Rally
Each accommodation is also matched with a special event or activity in the area taking place between June and August, hand-picked to complete the perfect summer experience. Music fans will enjoy the Shetland Folk Festival, Wickerman Festival, North Atlantic Fiddle Convention or Piping Live! in Glasgow. Nature lovers can spot seabirds on a boat trip from Oban or explore the Perthshire mountains on an awe-inspiring Highland Safari. Kids will enjoy the first ever Edinburgh International Magic Festival, eco-warriors will love Scotland’s largest eco-festival The Big Tent, while sports nuts won’t want to miss The Open Championship at St Andrews. And that’s just for starters. Scotland this summer truly has something for everyone.
