Posted by admin on July 7, 2010 – 12:26 pm
Britain’s railway stations have often been the butt of jokes for years, usually as a result of either dark & cold waiting areas or what seem more like shopping centres than a place to start a journey.
However, as Tony Naylor of the Guardian notes, there is a slow renaissance in the old idea that a station should be more than somewhere you sit waiting for the 6.55 to Euston and perhaps instead should have a little more of a social life surrounding it.
In a recent article he predicts a move more towards the introduction of licenced refreshment rooms – in essence a station pub – such as the Steam House at Urmston, Greater Manchester, and the Jubilee Refreshment Rooms at Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire. These establishments especially are bucking the trend of soggy railway sandwiches to introduce a whole new concept in wining and dining on Britains railway network.
It remains to be seen if we will see this kind of improvement across the entire railway network and perhaps a little less emphasis on trying to sell us books, CDs and overpriced coffee, but at least it seems a step in the right direction.
Click here for the full list of what Tony thinks are the best railway station pubs around the country.
Do you know of a good railway drinking and dining experience? If so, why not add a comment below to help us all find the more pleasant railway experience.
Posted by admin on July 7, 2010 – 10:20 am
In a world that seems to be rush, rush, rush, it’s sometimes easy to forget that we don’t have to jet off to the far flung corners of the world to enjoy a little peace and relaxation.
A perfect example of this comes from Felix Clay of the Guardian who created a video of The Bridgewater Canal showing the natural beauty of the North West of England and how we can all return to a more tranquil existence even just for a weekend, without spending hours in the airport.
Click the picture then sit back and enjoy a little of England’s countryside.
If this has wet your appetite for a little getaway amongst the countryside, quint villages and wildlife of Britain, why not see if Hoseasons have the perfect boating package for you and release yourself from the stresses of day to day life.
Posted by Paul on June 25, 2010 – 3:47 pm
The world’s fastest steam locomotive has arrived at Locomotion: The National Railway Museum in Shildon, Durham, the “cradle of the railways.”
The Mallard LNER class A4 4468 locomotive – the current holder of the world speed record for steam traction by rail – left the National Railway Museum in York and headed north to Shildon for arrival this week, where it will remain for between 12 and 18 months. Mallard was hauled to Locomotion by another historic steam locomotive, Tornado, Britain’s newest steam engine.
Durham is known as the “cradle of the railways” because the world’s first steam-hauled passenger rail service, the Stockton to Darlington passenger railway, left from Shildon in 1825. The historic locomotive will be the star attraction at the museum’s Annual Steam Gala event this September.
Visit Mallard at Locomotion and make a stay of it by taking in the area; compare prices on hotels in Durham to get the best rate.
Posted by Paul on June 23, 2010 – 1:21 pm
A series of rare vintage train journeys on the world’s second greatest railway journey this summer are selling out fast. Seats on the June and July trains running along England’s most scenic railway line – the Settle to Carlisle – have already sold out. There are just six trains remaining in this summer’s programme with availability left for August and September.
The trip takes passengers on the awesome 72-mile Settle to Carlisle line, which was named second only to South Africa’s Blue Train Journey and ahead of the Transiberian Express by ABC Television in America.
Michael Williams, the author of new book On The Slow Train:12 Great British Railway Journeys, also named the route as Britain’s best slow train journey. He wrote: “Drama abounds on this magnificent ride over the “roof of England.” A masterpiece of Victorian engineering.”
The special trains – a vintage coal-powered steam train called “the Fellsman,” offer a rare chance to relive the nostalgic era of Victorian Rail. Passengers can book first-class Pullman dining in the ornate carriages and enjoy life onboard a Brief Encounter-style locomotive, as it makes it way along the spectacular high-altitude route.
Alternatively, they can bring their own picnics. You can buy tickets for standard class, first class or premier dining. Tickets are £236 for a family of four standard class return, or up to £580 for Premier class. You can find out times and prices by going to http://www.statesmanrail.com/fellsman10.html
The Settle-to-Carlisle route starts in the small North Yorkshire village on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales, and concludes in Carlisle before the return leg. It took 6,000 men seven years to build, starting back in 1869. There are nine country stations between start and finish along with 14 tunnels and over 20 viaducts to cross as well as some of the most jaw-dropping scenery in England.
Posted by Paul on June 23, 2010 – 11:33 am
Matthew Somerville has created an impressive Google Maps mash-up that shows a live train map for the London Underground thanks to data made available by the UK governement. An impressive use of the Web, we think, and it’s something that would be nice to see on a national level if National Rail would entertain opening their data to everyone.
Posted by Paul on May 28, 2010 – 10:05 am
A vintage fleet of eleven double-decker buses are making their way home to London from Prince Edward Island, part of the Atlantic Canada region. For the past forty-five years these iconic vehicles have been transporting visitors around this stunning island, exploring its’ capital, Charlottetown, touring the North and South Shores and making regular visits to the historic sites, made famous by the book “Anne of Green Gables”.
Uniquely the London RT class buses are the very last ones of their kind working anywhere in the world. It was Mr. Conn Murphy’s passion for these bright red beauties which led him to ship his first double-decker from London to his home in Prince Edward Island. From this one bus, Abegweit Sightseeing Tours was born. Mr. Murphy died in 1985 but his wife Shirley continued to run the business with the same dedication. The London double-deckers became a regular site across the Island, loved by locals and visitors alike.
Recently Shirley decided to sell the buses to British businessman Roger Wright, who owns the largest fleet of London double-deckers in the world. Guided by her heart, Shirley felt they would be well looked after by Mr. Wright. The much-loved Prince Edward Island buses will now live out their retirement in a museum in Essex. The buses are all in excellent original condition and even have their original advertisements inside such as, “London Sightseeing Tour for 65p”!
Posted by Paul on April 27, 2010 – 4:23 pm
According to an article just published on Travelmole, flying out of the UK is about to get a whole lot more expensive. The reason? Because the airlines want to recover some of the costs incurred from the disruption caused by the volcanic ash from Iceland.
This seems a rather backward step on the part of the airlines given that people are now probably very wary about flying anyway. Afterall, there’s no way of telling whether this eruption could wreak yet more havoc in the coming months, or indeed whether the volcano’s near neighbour – which is ten times the size – may also erupt (which, going by most accounts you read, seems likely).
UK travellers can expect to pay an additional £1.8 billion for flights or £48 each on average, according to figures from the Centre for Economics and Business Research for the website Kelkoo. The study also warns that fares are set to rise by 11.5% by 2012.
Anyway, the easy solution to it all for UK holidaymakers? Simply to holiday in the UK, of course!
Posted by Paul on April 7, 2010 – 4:20 pm
It’s taken quite a bit of work but we’re pleased to be able to tell you that Google Street View has now been incorporated into our various UK travel sites (UKhotel.com, UKcottage.com, UKbed.com, UKcampsite.com, UKattraction.com etc.)
This simply means that when you are looking at an entry on any of the sites – be it a hotel or a museum or whatever – you can instantly see what it looks like ‘on the ground’ so to speak.
It’s probably easiest if we show you some examples:
Royal Crescent, Bath – from this entry page, click the ‘more info’ tab and select Google Street View and you’ll get this.
Le Meridien, Piccadilly – from this entry page, click the ‘more info’ tab and select Google Street View and you’ll get this. (The hotel entrance is at the front of the queue of black cabs waiting outside.)
Brecon Theatre, South Wales – from this entry page, click the ‘more info’ tab and select Google Street View and you’ll get this.
See it for yourself by browsing the sites – we now have literally thousands of places across the UK marked on Google Street View.
Posted by Paul on March 25, 2010 – 11:35 pm
News has emerged today that there will be rail strikes in the four days after Easter (6th-9th April 2010). A statement from the National Rail website reads:
Some Network Rail staff belonging to the RMT and TSSA unions have announced that they plan to take industrial action from 06:00 Tuesday 6 April to 23:59 Friday 9 April. Rail travel during the Easter weekend will not be affected.
Negotiations are ongoing to resolve this dispute and avoid any industrial action; however if it does go ahead there is likely to be some significant disruption to train services.
Train companies are working closely with Network Rail to ensure that they can run as many trains as possible. Details of those trains which will be able to run have not yet been confirmed and you should check this page regularly for the latest updates.
Arrangements for ticket refunds or changes to travel plans are still being finalised by the train companies and will appear here as soon as possible.
Questions and answers
Q: If I make a booking and my train is then cancelled, can I get a refund?
A: Yes. A full refund can be obtained from where the ticket was bought.
Q: I already have a ticket and want to change my travel plans. Is this possible?
A: Arrangements for passengers who wish to change their travel plans are still being finalised and will be provided as soon as possible.
Q: Where can I get more information?
A: Information will be added to this page as soon as it becomes available and we recommend that you check back regularly for the latest updates.
Posted by Paul on March 16, 2010 – 3:50 pm
A section of the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal which had to be closed due to a leak has now re-opened. The canal is 35 miles long in total, and visited by around 3 million people annually so its closure had hit those dependent on tourism income. British Waterways carried out the repair work “without delay” in order to re-open for British Tourism Week (this week).
