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Category Archives: Uncategorized

Museum desperate to buy rare Charlotte Bronte manuscript

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Posted by trev on November 25, 2011 – 5:48 pm
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The Bronte Parsonage Museum dedicated to the life and works of the Bronte sisters and now they need help to buy an remarkable original miniature manuscript written by Charlotte Bronte when she was just 14 years old.

Entitled Young Men’s Magazine Number 2, the 4000 word, 19 page manuscript is part of a series of six, with four of the other publications in this series already owned by the Bronte Parsonage Museum.

Director of the museum is quoted as saying the manuscript is “the most significant [Bronte] manuscript to come to light in decades“, which is not surprising as it both contains hints towards some of Charlotte’s later work and is also rather amazing due to the tiny size of the publication at just 3.5cm by 6.1cm (1.4in x 2.4in).

Sotheby’s in London are due to auction Young Men’s Magazine Number 2 on the 15th December with a guide price of £300,000 although due to the rare nature of this item, the price may well go well above this.

So now the museum has the remaining 3 weeks to find £300,000 to have a chance of securing one of the most culturally important Bronte treasures to come onto the market in many years.

More Hayworth Resources:
Bronte Parsonage Blog
Visitor attractions in Haworth, West Yorkshire
Hotels in Keithley (close to Haworth)
Holiday cottages in Keithley
Southerby’s Auctions

Wild bird migration spectacle across the UK

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Posted by admin on November 6, 2011 – 8:33 am
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Millions of migratory swans, geese and ducks are arriving in Britain after long and arduous flights from colder regions and can be seen at some of the UK’s nine Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust centres. They will overwinter at UK wetlands which provide food and safety until temperatures rise sufficiently for the birds to return to breeding sites. Their stay at WWT sites creates some of the most memorable natural spectacles anywhere in the UK – get yourself along to one to experience a truly magical sight.

The UK is one of the most important places for migratory waterbirds with its long coast line and protected reserves. WWT centres are central to ensuring these birds’ survival. Last year, WWT Martin Mere in Lancashire had the best autumn migration in 15 years, with more than 1,300 whooper swans and 30,000 pink-footed geese.

More than 9,000 whooper and Bewick’s swans overwintered at WWT Welney in Norfolk while WWT Caerlaverock on the Solway Firth is expecting more than 35,000 barnacle geese

WWT’s Castle Espie reserve overlooking Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland hosts most of the world’s light-bellied brent geese while around 35,000 migrating wildfowl are likely to overwinter at WWT’s flagship reserve at Slimbridge in Gloucestershire.

Log on to WWT’s Migration Watch this Autumn and watch this season’s skies come alive.

Consider the UK for that next holiday…

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Posted by Doug Scott on November 2, 2011 – 1:12 pm
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When thinking of holidays we often dream about sun-kissed beaches on tropical islands but it is possible to have a fantastic, if different, kind of holiday in the UK. Often when you live in a country you disparage everything about it. The countryside is not quite as spectacular, the sea not as blue, the food not as wonderful and well let us not start on the weather. However, in reality the UK has great coastline, vibrant cities, a fascinating history, some amazingly varied countryside and the food is definitely improving!

Variety is really the key to the UK’s attractions. Scotland has its remote beautiful highlands and fantastic cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh. Both cities offer world class hotels and restaurants. Quality and luxury are not just for the cities as there are plenty of resorts out in the wilds of Scotland, many offering golfing holidays on some of the world’s most famous courses.

Northern Ireland’s stunning countryside is also the major draw of that part of the country. Again, the major cities provide top end accommodation for the visitor all within easy reach of local airports.

Wales too has its scenery. Snowdonia is breathtaking as is the coastline. Whichever part of Wales you aim for you can enjoy great hotels, not only in cities but also in rural areas. Swansea and Cardiff are the major urban centres and offer everything you would expect from major cities.

No visit to the UK would be complete without a stay in London. The major problem with London is there is so much to do and see that it is almost impossible to put its attractions into a few words. London has some of the world`s most famous hotels offering incomparable service to those who can afford it. In addition, restaurants and nightlife abound.

Outside of London, England has so much to offer. The north not only has some of Britain’s liveliest cities but also some breathtaking areas of outstanding natural beauty. There are great cities to see from the nightlife mecca of Newcastle to the historic beauty of York down to the lively cities of Leeds and Sheffield. Crossing the Pennines brings you to Manchester and Liverpool which are both well worth visiting for their history and culture. All these cities have top class amenities for the well-heeled visitor, both are within easy reach of the Lake District and the Peak District too.

The south west has the stunning counties of Cornwall and Devon as well as the cities of Bath and Bristol. The southern counties of the UK have rolling countryside and famous towns such as Bournemouth and Brighton. From London, you can head further east to Kent or into Norfolk and Suffolk to encounter a completely different landscape.

The Midlands is perhaps the best place to start any tour of the UK, thanks to its proximity to the rest of the country`s attractions as well as its own. The city of Birmingham is close to Stratford, Oxford, Cheltenham and Worcester and convenient for every part of the country. Hiring a car can be one of the best ways of getting around and it is easy and convenient to arrange.

Doug Scott is Owner of 121carhire.com.

If you would like to be a guest blogger on the UKseries.com UK Travel Blog in order to raise your profile, please contact us.

Useful links:
Hotels in the UK
B&Bs in the UK
Self-catering accommodation in the UK
Tourist attractions in the UK

UK travel links of the week

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Posted by admin on October 23, 2011 – 9:26 am
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Every weekend we bring you a semi-random selection of UK travel links to encourage our visitors to get to know some places in the UK that they might not otherwise be familiar with. Click on each link below to discover more. Or, if you’re a UK travel-related business and would like to be listed in a future UK travel links of the week blog post, then please get in touch.

A holiday home in the Highlands, sleeping 18 people: Assynt House
See the magic of the undersea world at Blue Reef Aquarium, Portsmouth
Did you know that Blackpool is home to the world’s largest mirrorball?!
Discover the award-winning showcaves at The National Showcaves Centre for Wales

Jersey Walking Week

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Posted by admin on August 25, 2011 – 9:31 am
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Jersey Walking Week (10th-17th September 2011) is an annual event in the Channel Islands calendar encouraging visitors to explore the other side of the island that is not accessible by car… and best of all, it’s FREE!

It’s a chance to explore the island and see the sites that would normally pass you by. From a food trail feast to a stroll along the countryside or along the cliff paths, there is something to suit everyone – and the best part, all walks are led by the island’s most experienced tour guides and are all free of charge.

Here’s some of the top walks you won’t want to miss:

Saturday 10th – “Memory Lanes”
Sunday 11th – “Lazy Sunday Views”
Monday 12th – “Nearer to France – Closer to home”
Tuesday 13th – “Simple Pleasures”
Wednesday 14th – “Coasts of Contrast”
Thursday 15th – “Cows, Cockles and Cabbages”
Friday 16th – “Valleys, Vines and Views”
Saturday 17th – “Almost downhill all the way”

Useful links:
Jersey hotels
Jersey B&Bs
Jersey self-catering
Jersey campsites
Jersey attractions

Which is best: Travelodge or Premier Inn?

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Posted by trev on July 20, 2011 – 2:03 pm
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Amongst those who travel and don’t get to stay in 5 star hotels, this debate has been raging for quite some time.

In recent years, the two hotel chains have both expanded massively (600 Premier Inn’s and 470 Travelodge’s), perhaps timing their expansions perfectly as the recession hit and both family and business budgets were squeezed. So with this in mind…

Which is better – Travelodge or Premier Inn?

To answer this, the Daily Mail sent Fred Mawer to two of the newer hotels from each chain in the regenerated city of Cardiff.

From the way the article is written, you do get the impression that Fred Mawer is a little more used to staying in the higher budget hotels, but he does seem to hit on how after years of direct competition, the two hotel chains may be settling more into their respective niches.

For those who haven’t stayed in either for some time, we can assure you that the rooms usually look a like nicer than the dull pictures in his article.

The essentials on Travelodge vs Premier Inn:

Travelodge have realised that many business travellers especially automatically bring some of the basics such as shampoo so Travelodge have tended to remove some of these little extras which most people took home if they didn’t use them anyway.

The idea was they could reduce costs and thus offer cheaper rooms, which on inspection it does seem they often do, although if you really want cheaper then book at least a week in advance or 3 weeks for the really cheap rooms.

Premier Inn kept all these extras and have slightly more positioned themselves as the “Premier budget hotel” which means you still get the shampoos, Freeview TV, a hair-dryer, larger and possibly more comfy beds and their so called “Good Night Guarantee”.

They have also tried to lure in the family market with rooms that sleep 2 + 2, free breakfast for kids under 16, kids entertainment packs and there’s a restaurant at every Premier Inn.

The promise that all Premier Inn rooms are refurbished every 3 years should also put pay to many of the hotel horror stories we all hear.

Conclusion:

- For generally the cheapest rooms out there then we’d recommend trying a Travelodge.

- If you want to keep some of the comforts and don’t mind paying a little more then a Premier Inn might be a good bet.

Oh and we’re pretty sure you won’t be disturbed by either Lenny Henry or the bears from Travelodge in whichever hotel chain you chose.

Night night…