UK Travel Blog » Events

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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Top 10 Royal revelries for the 60th Coronation anniversary

Trevor Hartley — Fri, 17 May 2013 08:20:42 +0000

On 2 June 1953, Princess Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey. To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Coronation, there are both small local groups and national events taking place with 10 of the most prominent highlighted here.

1) The Coronation Festival – Buckingham Palace on 11th to 14th July

A one off event to be held in the gardens of Buckingham Palace will showcase the goods and services of over 200 companies who currently hold a Royal Warrant for supplying various members of the Royal family.

Guests attending will be able to explore the Buckingham Palace Gardens and walk around the exhibitions which will feature the very best of Food & Drink, Design & Technology, Homes & Gardens and Style, Pursuits & Pastimes.

In the evening, visitors will be taken along a musical tour of Queen Elizabeth’s 60-year reign with performances by a number of artists:

The National Youth orchestra
Katherine Jenkins
Russell Watson
Laura Wright
The English National Ballet
The Feeling

Tickets for the event are believed to have now sold out, but there are details about the various exhibitors and the event itself on the Coronation Festival web site.

Queen Elizabeth II

2) Legoland – Miniature queen on 25th – 27th May Windsor and 31st May – 2nd June Manchester

The 10cm tall Queen of Miniland will be crowned with a real diamond crown on the above dates at Legoland Windsor and Legoland Discovery Centre in Manchester.

Standing just 1.5cm tall, the crown is made from silver and coated with rhodium, then festooned with 48 tiny cut diamonds worth thousands. The crown was made by Dinny Hall and will adorn the Queen of Miniland during the day, although it is being very securely locked away over night.

Legoland Windsor – Buckingham Palace lego [Source: VisitEngland]

3) “Coronation!” archive pictures at Westminster Abbey until 30th September

This exhibition shows off many archive pictures from the 1953 Coronation including photos which have never previously been seen. The photos will illustrate the pomp and magnificence of the original Coronation and includes stills from the news feeds at the time.

The exhibition is includded within the usual Westminster Abbey entry charges and is the longest running of all the celebration events.

Westminster Abbey at night [Source: Wikipedia]

4) Coronation River Pageant – Henley on 2nd June

Home to the Henley Regatta, the town is no stranger to pomp and ceremony. This June Henley plans to do the Coronation proud by showcase 130 classic and traditional boats on the River Thames. On the day, the boats will initially be moored at Marsh Meadows and will travel upstream to Phyllis Court Club before making the journey back.

There are also plans to dress the boats up and bring along historic look-a-likes for the day.

Henley-on-Thames and River Thames [Source: Wikipedia]

5) Ledbury Ox Roast on the 1st and 2nd June

In June 1953, the town of Ledbury roasted a large Ox in celebration of the original Coronation and thus are planning to repeat the event this year on the 1st and 2nd June for the 60th anniversary.

Ledbury Market House in the town centre [Source: Wikipedia]

6) The Big Lunch in Chipping Sodbury on 2nd June

The town of Chipping Sodbury in Gloucestershire is planning a big celebratory get-together for anyone, with The Big Lunch. The event will be a giant picnic with lots of bunting to try to match the celebrations in 1953. There’s also a jazz festival in the town from the 31st May – 2nd June to keep the Jubilee spirits high.

Market town of Chipping Sodbury in Gloucestershire [Source: Wikipedia]

7) Coronation Ball at Winchester Cathedral on 8th June

Winchester Cathedral, home to the ancient kings & queens, is celebrating the 60th anniversary with a vintage glamour theme. There will be cocktails on arrival and a delicious three-course dinner before things move up a gear and you can don your blue suede shoes to rock around the clock and shake, rattle and roll to the sound of 1953!

Winchester Cathedral [Source: WyrdLight.com-& Wikipedia]

8) Rowing Regatta at Windsor on 15th to 16th June

HRH Queen Elizabeth II has granted permission for a unique regatta to take place on the River Thames past Windsor Castle as part of the celebrations. Rowing crews will race side-by-side between Prince Albert and Queen Victoria bridges over a distance of 1000 metres.

This is the first regatta for 44 years at Windsor Castle, and spectators will also be allowed access to the grounds of Windsor Castle to watch the race.

Windsor Castle Long Walk by David-Iliff [Source: Wikipedia]

9) Coronation Classics Singalong at The Royal Albert Hall on the 2nd June

Irrepressible showman Jonathan Cohen will lead an afternoon of singing with full audience participation where you can sing along to some of the old classics. Tickets start from £14.50.

Examples of songs included:

Land Of Hope & Glory
Roll Out The Barrel
Knees Up Mother Brown
It’s A Long Way To Tipperary
Oliver!
The Sound of Music
Downtown
Two Little Boys

There will also be guest singers including Alison Jiear, Tim Howar,
London Concert Chorus and London Concert Orchestra

Royal Albert Hall in Kensington [Source: Wikipedia]

10) Gloriana at the Royal Opera House from 20th June – 6th July.

The opera Gloriana was commissioned from Benjamin Britten by the Royal Opera House to mark the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. To mark the occasion and centenary of this great composer, Richard Jones is directing a new staging of the opera which explores tensions between affairs of the state and of the heart.

Tickets start from £9. Below is a short introductory video for the opera:

Related links:

UK Attractions and things to do before and after events
Hotels and B&Bs around the UK convenient for event attendances

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Flappers, Dappers And All That Jazz – the Gatsby experience

Trevor Hartley — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:30:20 +0000

With all the hype surrounding the cinematic release of The Great Gatsby staring Leonardo DiCaprio, it seems the roaring 20′s is back in fashion, so here’s a quick guide to transporting yourself back to the glamour and glitz.

Dress the part:

Although jeans and t-shirts were invented in the 1920′s, these are far from the outfits you need to be wearing if you want to find a lady for the all important dance.

Tours: For those wanting to know the background to the fashions, Guide Russell offer the “The Men who made Menswear” tours around London from the upper-gentry tailors of St James’ and Mayfair, to the fashions for the common man in Portobello Road Market in Notting Hill.

Shopping: The market still exists today and offers a selection of shops selling genuine and reproduction period costumes, such as the One of a Kind shop with costumes from every period going at bargain prices.

Brighton also offers some spectacular period shopping such as Snoopers Paradise in Brighton’s North Laines shopping district. The town is the unofficial fashion capital of Britain outside of London.

1920′s Flapper Outfit [Source: Wikipedia]

Drive the part:

For the true 1920′s Gatsby experience in the UK, you need to swap your Renault Clio for something a little more classy, or switch the ‘jalopy’ for a ‘breezer’ in Gatsby terms.

There are plenty of Vintage car rental companies out there, with Vintage Classics having one of the largest ranges of genuine vintage motors. Finding an exact 1920′s car is probably going to be harder, but a Triumph Stag fits in any period.

Cleveland Six Model 40 Roadster 1920 [Source: Wikipedia]

Walk the walk:

Non of this is much good if you can’t walk the walk and dance the dance, so why not try out one of the many dance studios who can teach you a few steps and make you look like a pro.

The the Lindy Hop and Charleston are two of the most recognisable dances around from this period and also easy to learn despite the complexity to the audience. The video below was performed by two of the teachers from JiveSwing who offer fun classes across Hertfordshire, Essex and Middlesex.

Clubs:

Manchester: Outside of the south east, you can tap the night away at Matt and Phred’s Jazz club in Manchester’s Northern Quarter which is described as England’s own Tin Pan Alley and noted for its Jazz performances.

London: If you’re in London, you could head to the ultimate dance hall where Queen Elizabeth and the late Princes Margaret learned to dance – at The Waldorf Hilton hotel. Right in the heart of London’s West End, the Good Godfrey’s still pays homage to the boisterous dance hotspot used by the rich and well-connected of the time.

For those feeling adventurous, you could join the secretive true prohibition party’s which are held in various locations around the capital. In the true spirit of 1920′s America, cocktails are served in teacups and there are flamboyant floorshows all of course well away from the prying eyes of the prohibition police!

Whether you’re sitting sedately through the film or dancing the night away in one of the secretive prohibition venues, have fun and try not to end up in the lam overnight…!

Flappers, Dappers And All That Jazz – the Gatsby experience 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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International Ceramics Festival in Wales – tickets now available

Trevor Hartley — Tue, 14 May 2013 09:10:15 +0000

Over 1000 visitors and artists gather each year around the Aberystwyth Arts Centre on the west Wales coast to promote the art and crafts of ceramics and this year the event will take place from 28th to 30th June 2013.

There will be guest artists from the USA, Korea, Poland, New Zealand, China, Spain and of course the UK teaching and demonstrating all aspects of ceramics, along with a number of stalls selling products and even books on the subject.

Originally conceived as a small festival at Aberystwyth University in 1987, the festival has expanded rapidly with the focus on practical elements rather than just lecturing so visitors can get a fuller idea of techniques and ideas. Many of the demonstrators also have smaller workshops to give hands on experience and advice.

International Ceramics Festival in Aberystwyth, Wales

Demonstrators for 2013 include:

Mick Moran (UK)
Takeshi Yasuda (Japan)
Sung-Jae Choi (Korea)
Beth Cavener Stichter (USA)

…and many many more. There is full information on each artist and more details about the festival on the International Ceramics Festival web site.

More Aberystwyth Links:

Visitor attractions around Aberystwyth with lots to see and do
Hotels in and around Aberystwyth for a range of budgets
Bed and breakfast accommodation in Aberystwyth
Holiday campsites around Aberystwyth

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Trying knife juggling or sleeping on a bed of nails this May half term?

Trevor Hartley — Mon, 13 May 2013 13:10:03 +0000

So what are you planning to do this May bank holiday – a little sword swallowing, acrobatics or maybe taking a nap on a bed of very sharp nails?

If non of those quite appeal to you, don’t worry you can still watch the experts do these and many more tricks over the May bank holiday from 2pm and 8pm on Friday 24th May – Friday 31st May 2013 outside Ripley’s Believe It or Not! in central London completely FREE.

Inside Ripley’s Believe it or Not! in Central London [Source: Travmedia]

Pete Dobbing who juggles with knives at the top of a free standing ladder and Spikey Will who lies in between two beds of nails and asks a member of the audience to stand on top on him for 10 seconds are just a couple of the acts which will be performing during the half term entertainments.

Really we shouldn’t expect anything less from the people who bring the weird, wonderful and plain bizarre to London 365 days a week such as:

A life-sized knitted Ferrari
75 million year old dinosaur eggs
The Toot Sweet from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Portrait of Robert Ripley (founder) made entirely from bubble gum balls

Make sure you make a date with Piccadilly Circus where the street entertainment will take place this May bank holiday!

Trying knife juggling or sleeping on a bed of nails this May half term? is a post from UKseries.com's UK Travel Blog

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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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Brighton is buzzing with art and film festivals for May bank holiday!

Trevor Hartley — Sun, 12 May 2013 09:50:57 +0000

We’re not even at the end of May yet and Brighton is already buzzing with art festivals and even features its own fringe festival just in-case the main Brighton Festival is too main stream. Over 3 glorious weeks, Brighton will be praying to the sun gods as the entire town gets into the festival spirit!

BRIGHTON FESTIVAL

One of Europe’s leading arts festivals and offers 3 fabulous weeks of unrivalled arts celebration. In 2013 the Brighton Fesitival will welcome poet & former Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen as Guest Director amongst many other guests.

Inuk: The internationally award winning film Inuk (2012) created by Mike Magidson will be showing at a special screening at the Sallis Benney Theatre on the 23rd May 7pm. The rather dark coming of age story of a 16 year old Inuk follows his journey Greenland’s south to its north where Inuk where the main character is torn between the violence of his alcoholic parents and his dreams of creating an Inuit rock band.

My Life After: The UK’s Premiere of Lola Arias’ “My Life After” will bring to the stage a vitality, lightheartedness and sadness about death play as Lola tackles the enigma of fate. Six Argentinian actors born in the 70s and 80s during the dictatorship reconstruct their parents’ youth – using photos, letters, tapes, clothes, stories and memories. My Life After is playing at the Brighton Dome Corn Exchange on the 24th May 8pm and 25th & 26th May 7pm.

Nina Hagen was there long before the likes of Peaches and Lady Gaga entered the limelight, and in Brighton the artist will show off a rare performance of Musik Kabarett in which the the flamboyant and vivacious artist pays homage to the likes of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill. This special evening of special evening of Weimar-esque cabaret will also feature the British singer David McAlmont and The Irrepressibles orchestral ensemble. Brighton Dome on 25th May 8.30pm

Brighton Sea Front [Source: VisitBrighton]

BRIGHTON FRINGE

The Brighton Fringe is now one of the largest fringe festivals in the world and in 2013 the fringe will see a heady mix of cabaret, theatre, comedy, visual arts, dance and music throughout the May Bank Holiday.

The Hendrick’s Carnival of Knowledge describes itself as a travelling gin parlour of enlightenment and will arrive in Brighton on the 24th to 27th May at the Angel House in Hove. The entertainment combines experts and erudite amateurs in a fiesta of learning and fine cocktails, featuring talks on ‘Genteel Tipple Through Gin in Literature’ and similar. Naturally there will be gin cocktails served throughout.

Elderflower Fields is the place to head for kids activities over the bank holiday with a selection of
eclectic music and great local food designed especially for families with young children. Tickets to the event include skateboarding, bouldering, parkour and a sports camp along with workshops in dance, music and art. There will also be more than 40 bands over two stages and a wonderful kids parade all taking place on the Bentley Country Estate near Lewes. 24th to 27th May.

Hijack Family Fringe is brand new for 2013 with events and shows designed for children between 2 and 12, along with their families. Events will take place throughout Brighton including Komedia, on the 25th May to 2nd June.

More details: For more details on all the events taking place in Brighton, see the Brighton Festival web site.

More Brighton Links:

Things to see and do in Brighton all year round
Hotels in Brighton from Premier Inn and Travelodge to 5 star luxury
Holiday cottage self-catering in Brighton ideal for week long stays

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Guernsey’s Castle Cornet offers twilight tours on May 17th

Trevor Hartley — Sat, 11 May 2013 09:57:14 +0000

On the evening of the 17th May Guernsey’s historic Castle Cornet is joining other museums and sites all over the continent in welcoming the public for an evening of fun and learning!

Background: Castle Cornet has guarded the harbour to Guernsey’s capital St Peter Port for over 800 years, is located just off the shore on an island connected to the land by a raised walkway.

It is a key site for many visitors to the island with daily guided tours and children’s treasure hunts, and is home to the Maritime Museum, Light Infantry Museum, Militia Museum, 20 Squadron (RAF) Museum and the ‘Castle Cornet Story’ which charts the structure’s history from its building between 1206 – 1256, its time as residence for the Governor of Guernsey until 1672, and a role in World War II.

Castle Cornet in Guernsey [Source: VisitGuernsey]

Tours: On the 17th May visitors can follow twilight tours of the Castle and its gardens with costumed characters, hear short specialist talks from curators and take a guided ‘German Tour of the Castle’. This tour will including the recently excavated tunnel area, and will show the shelters, gun emplacements and other structures within the castle.

A Castle Keeper will be on‐hand to give a talk about the Keeper’s work, including the recent redevelopment of the Castle’s award winning gardens. Museums Director Jason Monaghan will be presenting a talk on Roman Pottery where visitors can handle rare objects, and the archaeology team will be presenting an interactive talk on their work.

History: During the evening visitors can see ‘The Guernsey History In Action Company’ giving a live performance, listen to live early history themed music, while children will have the opportunity to take part in themed activities.

Gore: For those who would like to discover Tudor remedies for aches and pains, a 16 century Apothecary drop in clinic will be available where visitors will be shown how these ailments were cured using plants, flowers and other natural remedies.

Or visitors can have a chance to ‘meet the medieval surgeon’ who will make you feel lucky you weren’t alive in the 1500’s – when he describes the extraordinary and gory methods and tools used during surgery in
the past.

More Guernsey links:

Flights to Guernsey are run by FlyBe and Aurigny Air
Condor Ferries run ferry services from Poole, Weymouth and St Malo
Hotel accommodation on Guernsey ideal for short and week long breaks

Official Guernsey tourist board web site for more details about the Channel Island

Guernsey’s Castle Cornet offers twilight tours on May 17th is a post from UKseries.com's UK Travel Blog

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