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Category Archives: Transport

The Isle Of Wight Cycling Festival

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Posted by Paul on September 1, 2010 – 5:29 pm
Filed under Events, Transport

Kicking off with the infamous ‘Sink or Swim’ Cycle the Medina fun race, the line-up for the Isle of Wight Cycling Festival includes over 60 rides geared to suit cyclists of all ages and abilities – from toddlers to Lance Armstrong wannabes! Sponsored by ferry operator Wightlink – which is offering special fares for the festival – the nine-day event takes place from 18th to 26th September 2010. A Wightlink day return foot passenger fare costs from £5.85pp (based on two travelling together) and bikes go free.

From themed cycle rides to the epic ‘Hills Killer’ (19th September) challenge – an orienteering ride against the clock over either three, seven or 14 hills – there are cycle rides for families, off-road cyclists and even wine lovers. There is the chance to learn more about bikes on a ‘Cycling Maintenance Class’ (21st, 22nd and 23rd September) and catch a glimpse of ‘Bobbies on bikes’ (19th September) as the Isle of Wight Police cycle around the Island for charity.

On the opening weekend, spectators can watch ‘Sink or Swim’ (18th September) from the safety of the riverbank as homemade pedal-powered crafts designed by ambitious inventors and cycle eccentrics try to make their way across the River Medina without getting wet. Meanwhile, history-buffs can take the ‘Tennyson and West Wight Challenge’ (18th September) and families can enjoy a scavenger hunt on the ‘Troll Trail’ (19th September).

Nature-enthusiasts can explore the landscape of hedgerows and woodland on the 15-mile ‘Chalk downs and river banks’ (24th September), and energetic athletes can take the triathlon ‘Wight Challenge’ (25th September) which includes a three-mile canoe and eight mile run. And those looking for a more leisurely day can opt for the ‘West Wight wine wander’ (22nd September), which includes a free wine tasting at Rossiters Vineyard.

Families who want to take the Island cycle routes at their own pace should pick up a copy of Wightlink’s ‘Easy Peasy Pedalling’ guide. Featuring six easy rides, the A5 pocket guide makes full use of the Isle of Wight’s extensive bike trails, with routes through nature reserves, past river estuaries and around Parkhurst Forest, home to the rare red squirrel.

Bikes go free on all Wightlink routes and cyclists travelling to the Isle of Wight Cycling Festival as foot passengers can take advantage of the ferry operator’s 2-for-1 offer, which means that two people can get to the Isle of Wight and back with their bikes from just £5.85pp.

Useful link:
Sandown Hotels

Join the Red Express and help save the red squirrel!

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Posted by Paul on September 1, 2010 – 9:19 am
Filed under Attractions, Transport

Lake District visitor attraction, the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, is stoking up support for one of Cumbria’s most iconic creatures, by putting a number of initiatives in place to directly assist red squirrel conservation. The narrow gauge, heritage railway is helping celebrate national Save Our Squirrels Week by laying on a special Red Express service on Saturday 9th October 2010. Passengers travelling on this train, departing Ravenglass at 10.30, can buy a ticket at the standard return fare of £11.20 per adult and £5.60 per child and see half of this fare donated to the Save Our Squirrels charity.

This delightful steam journey will take passengers from the station at Ravenglass – the only coastal village in the Lake District National Park – to Dalegarth, which nestles in the shadow of England’s highest mountains. The seven-mile journey traverses coastal areas and an estuary, hidden Miterdale and beautiful Eskdale, providing passengers with scenic pleasures, wildlife encounters, atmospheric travel and lots of nostalgia for days gone by.

Red squirrels live alongside the line near Muncaster Mill and have also been seen in the Beckfoot area. Other habitats in the valley also exist, with red squirrel sightings being a regular occurrence.

Passengers travelling on the Red Express will have time to explore the local area around Dalegarth Station, before their return journey. The can spend time in the well-stocked gift shop or Fellbites Eatery and also view a Romans in Eskdale exhibition.

Those wishing to further support Save Our Squirrels can purchase an exclusive soft Squirrel Nutkin™ toy, sold only by companies within the Wakefield Group to which the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway belongs. Every Squirrel Nutkin™ toy sold generates a £1.25 donation to Save Our Squirrels. Sums raised through this retail item will be added to those generated by the Red Express service, to generate as much as possible for a charity that is attempting to save a native British species from extinction. The new soft toy is only available at Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway’s shops at both Dalegarth and Ravenglass, at those of its sister attraction, Ullswater ‘Steamers’ (at Glenridding and Pooley Bridge), at four Peter Rabbit & Friends shops in Bowness-on-Windermere, Keswick, Hawkshead and York and at a brand new Peter Rabbit and Friends™ e-shop.

Steam off for a great day out from Preston this Summer

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Posted by Paul on August 19, 2010 – 3:19 pm
Filed under Attractions, Eating & Drinking, Transport

School’s still out for summer and parents looking for inspiration on what to do with the kids, or adults just wanting a different kind of day out, can opt for a nostalgic and atmospheric train journey, to a station that lies in the shadow of England’s tallest mountains.

From Monday to Saturday every week up to 30th October 2010, a Northern Rail service runs from Preston, in Lancashire, to Dalegarth, in the beautiful Eskdale Valley, Cumbria, on a journey that provides spectacular views of beautiful Morecambe Bay and the Furness Peninsula en route.

The train leaves Preston railway station at 08.38, Lancaster at 08.58 and Carnforth at 09.08, picking up at various other Lancashire and Cumbrian stations including Silverdale, Arnside, Grange-over-Sands and Ulverston.

On leaving Barrow-in-Furness, the train continues along the Cumbrian Coast line to Ravenglass – the only coastal village in the Lake District. There, passengers can board a Ravenglass and Eskdale 15″ gauge train and take a seven-mile steam journey full with the romance of steam travel.

The magical journey transports passengers through hidden Miterdale, past woods and landscapes rich in wildlife and along a route that runs in the shadow of Muncaster Fell. Travelling through the beautiful Eskdale Valley enables passengers to experience some of the lesser-known, stunning landscapes of the Western Lake District before they arrive at Dalegarth.

A modern visitor centre, complete with Romans in Eskdale exhibition, awaits those wishing to explore the station’s facilities, which also include a well-stocked gift shop, catering for both children and adults alike.

The Fellbites Eatery at Dalegarth provides home cooked, tasty hot and cold food, whilst the play area, officially opened by Princess Alexandra in summer 2009, has some exciting features on which children can let off steam.

There is enough time for passengers to also explore the local village of Boot with its historic working, water-powered corn mill and take a short walk before the return journey, which starts at 14.50 Monday to Friday. Passengers will then arrive back in Carnforth for 18.54, Lancaster at 19.04 and Preston at 19.30.

On Saturdays, passengers have an extra hour in Eskdale, leaving at 15.50 and returning to Carnforth for 18.54, to Lancaster at 19.04 and to Preston at 19.30.

The fare from Preston to Dalegarth costs £27.60 for an adult and £13.80 for a child. The adult return fares generate a £1 donation to The Railway Children charity thanks to the fundraising efforts of Martin Cookman, assistant general manager at the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway.

Martin is raising funds for this charity, which supports children who are abandoned or have run away from home, for a variety of reasons, and who arrive at railway stations around the world, living in station buildings, on the track, or on trains themselves.

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:
Attractions in and around Ravenglass

London’s new bike share scheme proving popular

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Posted by trev on August 19, 2010 – 12:39 pm
Filed under Transport

London has joined in a new concept of bike sharing as part of the drive to cut down on short journeys being made by car.

The scheme currently known as Barclays Cycle Hire* allows people in Central London to hire bikes from automated docking points, ride them to their destination and drop the bike off at a nearby docking point, only being charged for the time the bike is being used. Journeys under 30 minutes are free of charge.

At launch on the 30 July 2010, the scheme had 315 bicycle docking stations and 5,000 bicycles available with a total of 400 docking stations and 6,000 bicycles being available by the end of summer 2010.

The scheme currently covers 17 square miles with the City of London and parts of 8 London Boroughs and is proving quite popular with a reported 100,000 bikes being used during the first 2 weeks.

Fees are split into access fees which are a daily charge (around £1 a day), and usage fees for the hiring of the bikes. Although probably a lot cheaper than car rental or similar, the fees do rise rather steeply with 1 hour being £1; 1 1/2 hours £4; 3 hours £15 and 24 hours a whooping  £50. Possibly not surprising to find that the official web site suggests the bikes are best for short journeys.

The concept of this isn’t new with Paris and Montreal’s both having similar schemes. The London scheme is based on the Montreal Bixi scheme.

* The name comes from the £25m sponsorship of the scheme by the UK bank although the reported cost over the next 6 years is estimated to be around £150m.

Useful links:
Hotels in Central London

Britain’s original and best floodlit bike race

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Posted by admin on August 17, 2010 – 11:25 am
Filed under Events, Transport

The night riders are back in town! Britain’s brightest cycle race gets back on the road in Newport, Shropshire, on Saturday 4th September 2010. It’s the return of the original and best floodlit bike race in the country, which only takes place every two years. About 14,000 spectators have lined the barriers for previous versions of the race.

It evolved from the classic Davies & Jeggo Motors Road Race, which brought all the top professionals to Newport for two decades. It was the British professional championship in its final three years as a long-distance event before promoter Michael Jeggo hit on the idea of putting it on as a Nocturne.

The riders snake through the little Shropshire market town under a combination of streetlights and industrial floodlighting brought in especially for the occasion.  They power up the cobbled St Mary’s Street each lap, cheered by the most-knowledgeable crowd in cycling.

As well a free family entertainment and live music, the Newport Nocturne will also feature Olympic and world champions.

Useful links:
Telford Hotels
Telford B&Bs

Did you know? (Leicester Square to Covent Garden)

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Posted by admin on August 16, 2010 – 10:41 am
Filed under Transport

Did you know that Leicester Square to Covent Garden is the most popular route for tourists on the London Underground? Aparently, though, it’s quicker to cover the distance on foot!

Useful links:
Leicester Square Attractions
Covent Garden Attractions

Bournemouth Air Festival

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Posted by Paul on August 12, 2010 – 11:29 pm
Filed under Events, Transport

This spectacular show running from 19th to 22nd August 2010 includes aerobatic displays from the famous Red Arrows, Black Cat helicopters and Battle of Britain Memorial Flight planes such as Hurricanes and Spitfires.  And what’s more… it’s free!  In fact, Bournemouth Air Festival is the UK’s biggest free aviation festival.

Useful links:
Bournemouth Hotels
Bournemouth B&Bs
Bournemouth Self-Catering
Bournemouth Camping
Bournemouth Attractions

A new bridge across the Mersey?

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Posted by Paul on August 11, 2010 – 7:23 pm
Filed under Transport

A Back the Bridge campaign is being led by the Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News. It has support from a number of quarters including Liverpool John Lennon Airport and it is believed that a new bridge over the Mersey between Runcorn and Widnes is much needed for the area.  If you want to show your support for the campaign to help solve the congestion problems on the Silver Jubilee Bridge, you can sign up at the site.

Useful links:
Hotels in Runcorn
Hotels in Widnes
Albert Dock
Merseyside Maritime Museum

Beaulieu – More than just a motor museum

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Posted by trev on August 10, 2010 – 2:32 pm
Filed under Attractions, Transport

The name Beaulieu has been linked with the world famous motor museum for many years, but there’s more to the Beaulieu estate than motor cars.

Situated in the heart of the New Forest, Beaulieu has become one of the most popular tourist attractions in the UK combining the National Motor Museum, Palace House ( home of the Montagu family) and historic Beaulieu Abbey.

The motor museum is the most well known attraction and now features over  250 vehicles from every motoring era. There are unique cars such as Donald Campbell’s Bluebird which broke the World Land Speed in 1964, Damon Hill’s Williams “Renault FW18″ in which he won 8 races in 1996, through to true classics such as the Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost.

The Victorian Flower Garden was created in recognition of the Victorian’s love of gardens. It is crammed with colourful flowers including the sweet smelling Rose Garden planted with old garden roses.

The Palace House was formerly the 13th century Great Gatehouse of Beaulieu Abbey. The house is kept in the style of its later Victorian additions, has been in Lord Montagu’s family ownership since 1538. There are many treasures, portraits, photographs and memorabilia still in the house, as it is still the family home of the present Lord Montagu.

To make this a fully fledged attraction there is also Leith’s Brabazon Restaurant, a number of picnic areas and variety of Summer holiday activities for all the family.

For full details, see the Beaulieu web site.

Useful links:
Visitor attractions around Beaulieu
Hotels around Beaulieu

Give your car a holiday!

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Posted by Paul on August 10, 2010 – 12:48 pm
Filed under Transport

Holidays for cars are now on offer in Cumbria, thanks to a new guide which highlights how visitors to the stunning Eden Valley can give their car a break and let it enjoy a bit of rest and relaxation.

The ‘Give Your Car A Holiday’ web guide can be downloaded from www.golakes.co.uk/wildzone and is an essential read for anyone who loves the Lakes and wants the glorious Cumbrian landscape to be just as beautiful the next time they visit. Sponsored by Natural England, the new guide highlights fun ways for everyone to give the car a rest and find other ways to move around.

It follows research commissioned by Natural England and its partners Friends of the Lake District and Cumbria Tourism. Results showed nearly half of Lake District visitors felt they should use their car less and over a quarter wanted more information on how to give their car – and its driver – a break.

‘Give Your Car A Holiday’ focuses on the Eden Valley – known for fabulous scenery, rich wildlife and breathtaking natural features. Eden is also home to one of England’s most beautiful lakes, Ullswater; the stunning waterfall, Aira Force and a wealth of flora and fauna – from red squirrels and red deer, to holly blue butterflies, marsh marigolds and Wordsworth’s famous daffodils.

The guide shows visitors how to reach and get around Eden using public transport and other modes, whilst the car is parked up for a day or two. It describes the benefits of giving the car a holiday, including a positive impact on health and the added value that new experiences can give to a break or longer vacation.

It highlights great places to visit by bus, from historical Carlisle and award-winning Orton Farmers Market, to Haweswater – home to England’s last remaining golden eagle. Details of independent food producers, who can be visited by bus, sit alongside information on the three major cycle routes crossing Eden – the C2C, the Walney to Witney route and the Pennine Cycleway, as well as do-in-a-day rides, from both Appleby and Kirkby Stephen and Penrith. Cycle hire, guided walks and walkers’ facilities and services are other topics. There’s even a CO2 game for the kids to play!