UK Travel Blog » Attractions

New webcam for Yorkshire’s first urban Peregrine Falcons [updated]

Trevor Hartley — Sat, 18 May 2013 09:22:45 +0000

A new webcam on the roof of Sheffield University is following Yorkshire’s first urban Peregrine Falcons after the pair successfully bred at the site in 2012 and by the looks of things have done it again in 2013.

The camera is located on top of St George’s Church and was installed by Phil Riley, Energy Manager in the University’s Department of Estates and Facilities Management.

Peregrine-cam as it will no doubt be nicknamed, has has two main purposes:

Provide security for the nesting site
Give the world a view of every stage of breeding & nesting

Currently the birds have been observed feeding all over Sheffield which is not particularly good news if you’re a pigeon, which are in urban areas at least the Peregrine Falcons staple diet.

It is better news for the folks of Sheffield who might witness some of the spectacular flying these birds are capable of including upside down flight when passing food from male to female – think mid-air re-fuelling.

Peregrine Falcon in flight [Source: Wikipedia]

Recovery: The fact that Peregrine Falcons have moved into the cities is also good news for the species numbers as it means the birds are so plentyful during the breeding season that some are having to find sites outside the remote countryside. This follows concerted efforts to ban chemicals such as DDT which killed large numbers of the birds during the 1970s worldwide. It took a further 20 years for them to be taken off the at-risk register.

Nesting: One thing which might confuse viewers of the webcam is the lack of traditional nesting material, but generally Peregrine Falcons don’t build nests from twigs and leaves. Instead they find a rocky outcrop covered in a little soil (gravel in this case) and dig a small channel in which the eggs are laid.

Eggs and young: The pair have successfully bred 3 young it would seem and can be seen covering them from the British weather in the screenshot below. 4 eggs were laid, but only 3 of them hatched despite the parents best efforts, although to have 3 youngsters is quite an achievement.

Peregrine Falcons nesting in Sheffield [Source: Webcam Screenshot]

Twitter account: As would seem appropriate, the birds also have a Sheffield Peregrine Twitter account which mostly reports on when the birds are seen and any other details, plus a few interesting pictures such as this picture from earlier on today.

We especially like the first Twitter comment ‘Apparently the proper noun for a pigeon flying across the city centre is “dinner”‘.

Webcam: If you missed the link above, the Sheffield University Peregrine Falcons webcam is on 24/7 and also if you’re in the city, remember to look out for them flying overhead.

The webcam seems to stop streaming after a few minutes, so you might need to reload the page after 5 minutes to continue viewing.

More Sheffield links:

More visitor attractions in Sheffield while waiting for the Falcons
Hotels in Sheffield from Premier Inn to 5 star luxury hotels
Self-catering around Sheffield in and out of the city

New webcam for Yorkshire’s first urban Peregrine Falcons [updated] is a post from UKseries.com's UK Travel Blog

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Top 10 family attractions for May school holidays

Trevor Hartley — Fri, 17 May 2013 09:45:41 +0000

Just after we’ve done the May bank holiday, its now time to think about the May half term holiday so to help things along a little we’ve compiled a list of some of the biggest attractions in Britain along with family friendly Premier Inn hotels close to them…so now all you need to work out is where you’re going to go.

1) National Space Centre in Leicestershire is one of the largest collections of space hardware and information in the world rivalling anything NASA can provide. There are loads of interactive displays and ever changing programmes – including the award winning 360 degree space theatre, the 42m high iconic rocket tower and you can take a trip through a wormhole to see the big bang with the “exploring the universe” exhibit.

Consistently one of the top attractions in the country for kids and big kids alike, the space centre really will take you out of this world…!

Hotels and attractions around the National Space Centre:

Replica Beagle 2 at National Space Centre in Leicester [Source: Wikipedia]

2) LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort is one of the best loved theme parks for kids in the country with potentially days of entertainment. Set in 150 acres of grounds, the site has over 50 rides including the new Lego submarine and old favourites such as the Lego Driving School.

The attraction has many exciting rides as well as the spectacular Lego exhibits and is ideally suited for kids between 2 and 12. Certain rides however are best advised early in the morning such as the Dragon Ride, the Driving School and the Pirate Falls (pictured below) as they get very busy.

Hotels and attractions around Legoland Windsor:

Pirate Falls at Legoland Windsor [Source: Wikipedia]

3) Thorpe Park theme park is another of the top 3 most popular theme parks in the country. Covering 500 acres, the park offers amusements for all ages from 2 to the “big kids” with lots of rides. Thorpe Park has what many rollercoaster enthusiasts regard as 5 of the best coasters in the world including The Swarm and The Saw. As well as coasters, there is the Tidal Wave guaranteed to get you soaked and the Vortex which will leave you in a spin all day!

There are of course more sedate rides such as the Storm in a Teacup, Neptune’s Beach, Chief Ranger’s Carousel and Quantum Magic Carpet Ride. Whether you want the ultimate scare, or just some big kid fun, there’s always plenty to do at Thorpe Park.

Hotels and attractions around Thorpe Park:

Tidal Wave Splash at Thorpe Park [Source: Thorpe Park]

4) Edinburgh Zoo is one of the UK’s premier zoo and conservation parks with the recent addition of two breeding pandas. There are over 1000 animals at the zoo including meerkats, pygmy hippos, tigers, lions and of course the pandas, plus it has the world’s biggest penguin pool. As well as letting the animals meet the visitors, the zoo is also at the forefront of conservation efforts around the world, many parts of which visitors get to see.

Hotels and attractions around Edinburgh Zoo:

Giant Panda at Edinburgh Zoo (Tian Tian) [Source: Wikipedia]

5) Dr Who Experience in Cardiff has rapidly become one of the most popular attractions in Wales since the new series of Dr Who and Torchwood began showing on the BBC after a long break. Using interactive displays and exclusive filmed sequences with Matt Smith, vistors find themselves stepping through a crack in time to help “The Doctor” who is of course armed with his Sonic Screwdriver. You can fly the TARDIS and come face-to-face with some of the scariest monsters seen on screen.

Visitors to the exhibition need to book an arrival timeslot so the Dr knows who will be joining him through the time portal, after which you will enter the self-guided exhibition space and can spend as long in the depths of space as you like…as long as you avoid the Daleks and Cybermen that is!

Hotels and attractions around the Dr. Who Exhibition:

Dr Who Experience in Cardiff [Source: Wikipedia]

6) Cadbury World near Birmingham has to be the ultimate destination for all choc-o-holics, but even if you’re not addicted to chocolate there’s still a world of things to see and do in Cadbury’s World. Situated in the village of Bournville at the original Cadbury’s factory, you can explore the world of chocolate, watch how the chocolate bars are made in the demonstration area and watch the Flex 6 robot in the new 3D cinema experience.

Oh and there’s plenty of chocolate to taste along the way…!

Hotels and attractions around Cadbury World:

Entrance to Cadbury World in Birmingham [Source: Wikipedia]

7) The Eden Project is a rather unique idea using an old quarry near St. Austell in Cornwall to bring the most diverse range of plant species in the world together. The biospheres which look rather like giant bubblewrap, contain a number of climates from warm temperate regions right through to the tropics. The site is constantly expanding with new natural and high-tech exhibits telling the story of life on earth and how we affect the planet. Well suited for both kids and adults alike and you don’t need to be a gardener or environmentalist to enjoy this attraction.

Hotels and attractions around The Eden Project:

The Eden Project near St. Austell [Source: Wikipedia]

8) The Beatles Story in Liverpool is the natural place to find out everything about The Beatles. The exhibition takes you from the earliest days before they were famous including former drummer Pete Best, Stuart Sutcliffe and the arrival of Brian Epstein who took the Beatles to their worldwide fame.

Within the exhibition you can see a recreation of the original Cavern Club and just how small and intimate the venue really was, especially for those lucky enough to be there before the Beatles became world famous.

Hotels and attractions around The Beatles Story:

The Beatles Story in Liverpool [Source: Wikipedia]

9) Alton Towers theme park is possibly the most well known of all the UK’s theme parks, with some of the best rides anywhere in the world including Oblivion (the world’s only straight drop coaster), Nemesis where you ride upside down and now the even scarier Smiler Rollercoaster which simply defines the laws of physics!

There are also plenty of other rides the classic Enterprise big wheel with a twist, zero-gravity Blade swinging boat and the psychological thriller Nemesis Sub-Terra in the new Forbidden Valley. As the park is part of an 18th Century country estate including the partially ruined manor house, former home to the Earls of Shrewsbury, there are many ghost stories surrounding the area including quite a number of strange happenings experienced within the rides area…still think you’re brave enough to enter?

Hotels and attractions around Alton Towers:

Alton Towers Nemesis Rollercoaster [Source: Wikipedia]

10) London Dungeons is often seen as the best attraction anywhere in Britain simply because it uses a combination of special effects, props and actors to bring London’s most gory past to life. The Dunegeons have moved into a new premises in February 2013 with an even bigger and better attraction where you can meet characters from ‘The Great Fire of London’, Jack the Ripper including some of his victims and take the ‘Judgement Day’ boat ride through Traitors Gate where many lost their heads.

Back in March, we wrote a fuller article on the new London Dungeons which features videos from the experience and gives much more information on what you can see.

Hotels and attractions around the London Dungeons:

The all new London Dungeon [Source: London Dungeon / Travmedia]

Hopefully that has given you a few ideas for things to do this May bank holiday and forthcoming half term or perhaps the Summer school holidays if you are planning days out in the UK.

Top 10 family attractions for May school holidays is a post from UKseries.com's UK Travel Blog

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A marvelous May Bank Holiday with Marvel’s Hawkeye

Trevor Hartley — Wed, 15 May 2013 07:45:10 +0000

Marvel Comic’s Hawkeye arrives at Madame Tussauds this May and to celebrate, the popular London attraction if giving free access to the first 20 children to turn up at the attraction dressed as their favourite Marvel Super Hero!

Hawkeye will join Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, Wolverine, Iron Man, Nick Fury and The Invisible Woman in the Madame Tussauds Marvel experience where kids and bug kids can get up close to the realistic wax figures of their favourite super-hero.

The real Hawkeye or a waxwork? [(c) Madame Tussauds]

This May spectacular will be taking place on the bank holiday weekend (May 25, 26 and 27, 2013) and staring the Hawkeye as played by Jeremy Renner in the hit film.

As well as meeting the super-hero’s in was, there is a chance to become a super-hero with a series of interactive experiences which allow you to walk on the ceiling with Spider-Man and strap yourself into Iron Man’s chest shield.

There is also a fully immersive fast paced 360º, eight minute, animated 4D film experience, complete with high impact special effects where an incredible team of Super Heroes, including Hulk, Spider-Man and Captain America, in a battle against one of Marvel’s most villainous baddies, Dr Doom!

For the ultimate Marvel experience this May Bank holiday, book your tickets for Madam Tussauds London!

For further details about Madame Tussauds in London – see the official web site.

More London Links:

More attractions near Madame Tussauds in and around Marylebone
Hotels close to Madame Tussauds

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Wacky cheese rolling race on Cooper’s Hill this May

Trevor Hartley — Mon, 13 May 2013 11:55:34 +0000

Cheese has been part of the British way of life for centuries, but just in case you simply can’t get enough cheese in your life or you simply wanted to take your life in your hands, you could always enter the wacky world of cheese rolling.

Cheese Rolling on Cooper’s Hill has to be one of the best uses for cheese ever invented, well OK maybe second only to lasagne. The event has taken place for around 200 years and so far as we can find, no one has been critically injured although there are plenty of less life threatening injuries.

The idea is a round Double Gloucester cheese is hurled down a verys steep slope called Cooper’s Hill which in places has a 1:2 gradient and then slightly insane people run after the tumbling cheese and try to catch it before it hits the bottom.

Cheese Rolling at Cooper’s Hill in Gloucestershire [Source: Wikipedia]

Even the pictures and videos below don’t give a true impression as to just how steep the hill is, as the top of the hill is concave, ie: it slopes inwards which is why people are seen flying through the air close to the top. This photo gives a better idea of just how bad the hill is.

As you can probably imagine, this generally results in quite a lot of tumbling of contestants and occasionally broken bones, but nothing too serious. Plenty of people just stand around and watch which is generally safer unless you’re trying to stand half way down the hill.

The cheese has been hand made for the event since 1988 by Mrs. Diana Smart of Churcham who owns a farm of Brown Swiss, Holstein and Gloucester cows.

Cheese rolling takes place on the last Monday of May every year and surprisingly, the cheese is often caught – we’re really not sure how!

To give an idea of what’s involved, here are a couple of videos from 2012:

Details:

When: Last Monday of May – 27th May 2013.
Where: 6 miles from Gloucester at GL3 4SB (full details)

Cooper’s Hill links:

The official cheese rolling web site including location and entrance details
Visitor attractions in Gloucester around 4 miles from Cooper’s Hill
Hotels close to Cooper’s Hill
Self-catering cottages around Gloucester

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Mature “gorgeously ugly” male seeks similar female – contact London Zoo

Trevor Hartley — Fri, 10 May 2013 15:35:25 +0000

It might sound like a start of a lovely romantic attachment, but this dating advert comes direct from London Zoo where the “gorgeously ugly” male in question being a species of fish more officially known as the Mangarahara Cichlid which urgently needs to find a female.

Very urgent: The dating appeal comes from the zoo after the Mangarahara Cichlid species of fish became extinct in the wild and with only 3 males known to exist in the world, the search for a female to continue the species has taken on a new sense of urgency.

Gorgeously Ugly Fish at London Zoo [(c) London Zoo]

Berlin Zoo used to have a male and female, but the latter died recently and worldwide searches have failed to find a another suitable female. The zoo is hoping that someone may have a Mangarahara Cichlid female in a private collection which they could lend to the zoo literally to save the species.

Good companion: The fish are one of the few in which both parents look after the eggs, and the male of the species attracts females using his long flowing tails which is apparently where the “gorgeously ugly” name came from, although we think it’s been rather mis-represented. OK, so the one from Berlin might need a little makeover before being introduced to the female.

We’re not too sure if the male also does the washing and ironing, but hey, compared to most male fish this has to be one of the better, erm, catches.

So if anyone knows of a lonely “gorgeously ugly” fish, London Zoo would love to hear from you on fishappeal@zsl.org

Gorgeously Ugly Fish at Berlin Zoo

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Shark watching tours start off the Isle of Man

Trevor Hartley — Thu, 09 May 2013 13:20:20 +0000

Shark watching might be more associated with the warmer climates such as Australia and the Caribbean, but surprisingly the Isle of Man is also a hub of activity at least for the Basking Shark.

Basking Shark’s are the second biggest shark species in the world, just behind the Whale Shark and like all of their cousins they do tend to like the warm waters during the Winter.

However, they seem to prefer to take their Summer holidays in the relatively cool but calmer waters around the Isle of Man and usually spend from around May to August just off the coastline, especially on the western side.

A Basking Shark [Source: Wikipedia]

Luckily for visitors, the Basking Shark really doesn’t see as anything more than a curiosity since they are entirely vegetarian, eating mostly plankton. Even on this diet, they can grow to an impressive 12 metres (40 feet) long!

Port Erin and Niarbyl Bay on the west of the island seem to be one of their favourite dining areas and as such, there are a number of companies offering boat tours to see this magnificent creatures.

Gemini Charter skippered by Bob Taylor runs trips from Port St. Mary and Peel during the Summer, and you might also see Dolphins and the occasional Minke Whale.

More Isle of Man Links:

Things to see and do on the Isle of Man including the famous Laxey Wheel
Hotel accommodation on the Isle of Man
Bed & breakfast in Douglas

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“Panda Bounce” helps Edinburgh Zoo

Trevor Hartley — Thu, 09 May 2013 11:10:35 +0000

The latest buzz-phrase in the media is “Panda Bounce” which describes the incredible increase in visitors Edinburgh Zoo has experienced since the arrival of the two Giant Panda’s 18 months ago.

According to Edinburgh Zoo, there was over a 50% increase in visitors many wanting to visit these reclusive and endangered animals which has helped keep the the conservation charity, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland afloat.

2011-2012: The zoo lost £700,000
2012-2013: The zoo made a profit of £1.5m

The charity which runs conservation projects around the world including trying to breed Giant Panda’s, receives no public money so is entirely dependent on donations and attendances at Edinburgh Zoo.

Giant Panda at Edinburgh Zoo (Tian Tian) [Source: Wikipedia]

Breeding: Not everything has quite gone to plan at the zoo including the hopes of getting Yang Guang and Tian Tian to breed naturally.

Despite promising signs and an awful lot being done to help get them in the mood, officials at the zoo had to use artificial insemination to hopefully make Tian Tian pregnant and increase the number of Panda’s in the world.

Visiting Panda’s: Visits to the Giant Panda’s are available at no extra charge, but must be booked online via the Edinburgh Zoo Panda web site. Queues can be quite long too, with visits lasting about 20 minutes. Exactly what the Panda’s think of their fame, they seem to be keeping to themselves.

More Edinburgh Resources:

More attractions in Edinburgh from Arthur’s Seat to Mary Kings Close
Hotels in Edinburgh of all sizes and locations
Holiday cottages & apartments in Edinburgh from served apartments to country cottages

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Gromit gets all colourful for Bristol Summer arts festival

Trevor Hartley — Wed, 08 May 2013 14:45:52 +0000

Bristol, the vibrant capital of the South West of England is lined-up to be one of the most exciting UK cities to visit this summer when giant sculptures of one of the country’s most iconic characters are unleashed onto its streets.

Around seventy giant hand-painted sculptures of Gromit, the famous plasticine dog created by Nick Park of Bristol-based Aardman animations and loved by audiences across the globe, will decorate the streets of the city for ten weeks in a major new public art trail named Gromit Unleashed.

A colourful Gromit in Bristol [Source: Destination Bristol]

Wallace & Gromit: Gromit is best-known as the silent sidekick of cheese-loving Wallace and is a quintessentially British modern hero. The team behind the animated duo have so far helped to net three Oscars with their hilarious antics and now it’s the public’s turn to show their love for this canine character.

Trails: With a variety of trails taking visitors from one Gromit to another across Bristol’s landmarks, including the spectacular Clifton Suspension Bridge, there will be a huge selection of eye-catching sculptures to keep visitors entertained. Many Gromits have been designed to reflect Britain’s popular cultural identity, including a creation by British pop artist, Sir Peter Blake, who designed the album cover for ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ by The Beatles.

Other artists: The eclectic line-up of artists also includes iconic British designers Sir Paul Smith, Celia Birtwell, and Cath Kidston, Richard Williams, the animation director on the acclaimed film ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’, Peter Lord, Aardman co-founder, Raymond Briggs, the man behind The Snowman, Axel Scheffler, illustrator of children’s favourite The Gruffalo, and Trevor Baylis, inventor of the wind-up radio.

Wallace and Gromit creator Nick Park is closely involved with the project and will also be designing one of the sculptures on the trail himself.

Other Bristol Resources:

Visitor attractions in Bristol for all tastes
Hotels in Bristol ranging from B&Bs to 5 star hotels
Bed and breakfast in Bristol from Premier Inn to small independent B&Bs
Self-catering around Bristol with apartments and luxury cottages

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Gardener spends £10,000 making Britain’s biggest cuckoo clock!

Trevor Hartley — Wed, 08 May 2013 11:29:55 +0000

Many retired men want to build a shed, or perhaps a garden pond in the back yard, but one Hereforeshire gardener spent £10,000 and 3 years building Britain’s biggest cuckoo clock in his!

72-year-old Richard Pim, constructed the giant water powered cuckoo clock in his admittedly quite large garden, which now stands 25 feet tall and includes a fully working 3 foot tall cuckoo bird.

Giant Cuckoo Clock in Herefordshire

Mr Pim is a retired hydrogeologist who previously worked in Saudi Arabia and used his knowledge to create the complex series of leavers, pulleys and cantilevers which operate the clock on the hour, every hour.

The cuckoo sound is created from a custom built organ for which he drafted in a specialist organ maker. This operates from Mr Pim’s mechanism and uses large bellows along with a music box arrangement to ensure the cuckoo gives the right number of, well, cuckoo’s.

Other garden features: This isn’t the only thing you’ll find in the garden however. There is also a granite tower with gargoyles and an an igloo built out of glass bottles along with the various ponds.

The gardens are now open to the public from April to September at Westonbury Mill in Herefordshire, but don’t set your watch by the clock and it apparently gains or loses a few minutes depending on the weather.

The cuckoo isn’t the world’s biggest – that is believed to reside in Ohio with the biggest freestanding clock being in Germany, but it is possibly the third biggest in the world.

Fact: Did you know that cuckoo clocks did not originate in Switzerland, but actually came from the Black Forest area of Germany?

Links:

Westonbury Gardens in Herefordshire home to the giant cuckoo clock
Visitor attractions in Pembridge including several museums
Hotels in nearby Leominster around 7 miles from Pembridge

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Win a free stay at Legoland Hotel for biggest lego figure fan

Trevor Hartley — Wed, 01 May 2013 11:15:40 +0000

To celebrate the 35th birthday of the Lego minifigure, Legoland Windsor are giving away a free stay at the Legoland Hotel for the UK’s biggest Lego minifigure fan.

35 years ago the Lego company produced the very first lego minifigures – characters which over the years have been used for everything from building lego houses to fighting lego alien invasions.

Competition: Now to celebrate the milestone of this most essential ingredient in the Lego world, the UK’s famous Legoland Windsor resort wants to find the biggest fan of these little figures and give them a FREE hotel stay and be there at the launch of the minifigure birthday party.

To enter, you need to be 12 or under and fill in the form downloadable form the Legoland web site and include a photo with your Lego figures. Entries must be made by the 10th May and winners will be contacted by the 15th May.

Legoland Windsor – Minifigures [(c) Lego]

Celebrations: Alongside this competition, there is a month long celebration of the Lego characters at the theme park which features interactive rides, attractions, live shows, building workshops driving schools and the Legoland themed hotel.

Any children staying at the hotel during the month from 1st to 30th June will receive a free Lego character, plus there will be a minifigure swap shop and treasure trail.

Three new areas have opened up in the park with DUPLO Valley, the awesome Drench Towers and DUPLO Splash Safari for 2013.

Did you know: There are over 80 million LEGO bricks making up the Legoland Windsor resort, which is open from the 15th March – 4th November 2013.

More Windsor Resources:

More things to do around Windsor with many local visitor attractions
Hotels around Windsor if not staying in the Legoland Hotel

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