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The Lion, the Witch and Woburn

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Posted by admin on December 2, 2011 – 4:17 pm
Filed under Attractions, Events

The Woburn Safari Park elves have transformed a part of Junglies Gift Shop into the magical land of Narnia this year for a very special guest… Santa Claus!

Step through the wardrobe and into the winter forest where you will be greeted by Mr Tumnus and the beavers, shiver under the Snow Queen’s icy gaze, before you meet Father Christmas himself.

Santa is spending the next few weekends in his Narnia grotto so you can tell him all your important Christmas wishes! With a last chance to see him on the 23rd December 2011, before he dashes back to the North Pole on Christmas Eve – he said something about some important deliveries he had to make!

Read more here.

‘Carols by Candlelight’ at ZSL London Zoo

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Posted by admin on December 2, 2011 – 2:10 pm
Filed under Attractions, Events

On Saturday 17th December 2011, for one-night only, ZSL London Zoo will open its doors after dark for an evening of Christmas celebrations; with carols performed by a choir, a Christmas market and even a visit from the man-in-red himself.

Carollers are invited to browse the market stalls for some wild Christmas gifts, get their faces painted and enjoy a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie before joining in with one of two festive concerts.

Children can sing along to Christmas classics like Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer and Jingle Bells at the early concert, while the later concert will feature more traditional Christmas hymns for the grown-ups.

Guest of honour, Father Christmas will also be making a special appearance with his herd of reindeer, at what promises to be a night filled with festive fun.

Tickets must be booked in advance – visit www.zsl.org/carols to find out more.

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Remaining Paralympics tickets go on sale

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Posted by admin on December 1, 2011 – 3:08 pm
Filed under Events, Miscellaneous

“Sport like never before.” That’s how London 2012 are billing the Paralympic Games.  And, if you’d like to get your hands on some tickets for this amazing sporting spectacle, then tomorrow is when the remaining tickets will go on sale. Unlike the fiasco of its able-bodied counterpart, these tickets will be available via this link on a first come first serve basis, starting at 1pm on Friday 2nd December 2011. Don’t miss out!

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Christmas in the UK

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Posted by Doug Scott on December 1, 2011 – 11:34 am
Filed under Attractions, Events, Miscellaneous

Christmas is a great time for holidays in the UK. There are so many places to go and enjoy winter attractions. Some people even choose to go and stay in an hotel or resort over the festive season, thereby avoiding the washing up that invariably accompanies the Christmas holidays.

One way of enjoying a Christmas break in the UK is to rent a cottage, apartment or house in the location of your choice. There are many websites helping you find the perfect accommodation. So, if you fancy a country cottage Christmas in the Cotswolds, then it is all possible. Some of these rental agencies specialise in renting large houses catering for large groups or several families. It is possible, for instance, to enjoy Christmas in a Scottish castle. The quality of many of these rental properties is exceptional and they offer really luxurious accommodation with well equipped kitchens, hot tubs and state of the art entertainment systems.

For some, no matter how luxurious the rented house, there is still a lot to do to make the perfect Christmas. Hotels run Christmas breaks to take all the strain out of managing the festive season. Many hotels have rural locations but provide everything you might need. Generally, these kind of hotel deals include Christmas Eve dinner as well as Christmas dinner. Many of these affairs are black tie and of extremely high quality. These quality hotels also have gyms, spas and swimming pools if you want to work off a little of the Christmas excess. There are many hotels offering these kinds of Christmas packages and each package provides something different depending on the location of the hotel.

Other people prefer to stay at home for the actual festivities but like to enjoy the holiday period at various attractions throughout the country. Christmas markets can be found in many towns and cities offering an array of goods from leather goods to Christmas biscuits. These are good places to try international foods and have a glass of mulled wine before tackling your Christmas shopping.

Popular local attractions often have Christmas themed activities to enjoy. For example, The Eden Project in Cornwall ice skating throughout the winter months to coincide with the Christmas holidays. National Trust and English Heritage properties throughout the country also have Christmas themed activities to enjoy. There are many companies that can organise whatever luxury Christmas extravaganza you have in mind, whether it is a small, intimate celebration or a huge party for a large group. You could try enjoying Christmas activities in an unusual venue such as a safari park.

Longleat, for example, has loads on offer at Christmas and is particularly good for families. Aside from the usual attractions, there is also an ice rink, a huge tree, the chance to meet some fairytale characters as well as Father Christmas, of course. Christmas is a time for splashing out so take the opportunity to enjoy some real luxury in all kinds of places throughout the UK.

Doug Scott is Owner of discountvouchers.co.uk

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.

Edinburgh’s Hogmanay 2011/12

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Posted by admin on December 1, 2011 – 10:13 am
Filed under Events

One of the world’s biggest New Year street parties promises three days of theatre, music, dance and street party extravaganzas, attracting massive crowds from across the globe. On the opening night of the festival (30th December 2011) revellers can join the Torchlight Procession as it flickers through the city, culminating in a spectacular Son et Lumière and fireworks finalé on Calton Hill. They can then dance beneath the stars at the main event (31st December 2011), the world famous Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party, which combines live music stages, a traditional outdoor ceilidh event, the headlining concert, featuring Primal Scream in the gardens and one of the world’s greatest fireworks displays.

This year’s festival is packed with both free and ticketed entertainment with a serene Candlelit Concert set in St Giles’ Cathedral, plus a full programme of entertainment on New Year’s Day, including guest lectures and debates, street theatre and the rarity which is The Loony Dook; a New Year’s Day dip in the freezing waters of the Firth of Forth.

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Lenny Henry makes his National Theatre debut in A Comedy of Errors

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Posted by admin on November 30, 2011 – 9:12 pm
Filed under Attractions, Events

Lenny Henry might not seem the most obvious choice for Shakespeare but apparently his debut at the National Theatre in Shakespeare’s A Comedy of Errors is going down a storm.  Despite being more familiar to us as a stand-up comic or for his contributions to Comic Relief, the critics have clearly warmed to Henry’s take on his role in this production.  A Comedy of Errors runs at the National until 1st April 2012.

Interestingly, the National Theatre made their own little error on the opening night, mistakenly partnering one character with the wrong husband in the printing of the programme!  Apparently that is in the process of being rectified although it is a deliberate error that happens to be made in the production itself.

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Transport hotspots to avoid during London 2012 Olympics

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Posted by admin on November 30, 2011 – 9:03 pm
Filed under Events, Transport

Through a series of heatmaps, Transport for London has outlined a number of transport hotspots to avoid during the London 2012 Olympics.  If you’re going to be in London for the Olympics – or just happen to be in the capital for another purpose at a time that co-incides – it’s worth taking note of how different parts of the city are likely to be affected.  The busiest day of the Olympics is expected to be Friday 3rd August 2012 (for which a heatmap can be found here), but there’s also information showing how roads will be affected during the Olympic torch relay the month before.

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Re-opening of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery

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Posted by admin on November 30, 2011 – 5:22 pm
Filed under Attractions, Events

The Scottish National Portrait Gallery will reopen its doors with 17 new and exciting specially chosen galleries tomorrow. The national gallery was already the second largest collection of portraits in the world with over 3,500 paintings, sculptures and drawings, with a further 25,000 prints and around 3,000 works on long-term loan. In addition, the Gallery is home to the Scottish National Photography Collection. Comprising around 38,000 photographs, this outstanding collection of photographic art demonstrates how Scotland has been at the centre of the history and development of photography since the 1840s. This has been a £17.6m project and the first major renovation in the gallery’s 120-year history. With this much reinvention, even the most seasoned art purveyor is in for a few welcome surprises.

Among other developments, the renovation provides for the first time, full public access throughout the three floors of the building: the magnificent suite of five top-lit galleries on the upper floor has been restored to its former splendour, creating one of the finest display spaces in Scotland.

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Find a perfect Christmas present in The National Forest

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Posted by admin on November 27, 2011 – 11:21 am
Filed under Miscellaneous

For those scratching their heads about what to get friends and family who seem to have everything, The National Forest may hold the perfect solution for Christmas gifts.

Plant a Tree is truly a gift that grows. Each tree is £25 and in return for supporting the Forest, you (or the person receiving the gift) will receive an invitation to attend a special tree planting event, a choice of tree to plant (normally ash, oak or birch), as well as a personalised certificate commemorating the gift. And you can keep visiting the Forest to see how your little tree within the woodland is growing. Please note that the last date for Christmas purchase is 16th December 2011.

With a daily market, quaint courtyards and gift shops, Ashby de la Zouch is also a lovely setting to pick up a special Christmas gift. The castle is near the town centre, so you can combine a visit here with a leisurely lunch and a touch of shopping. Browse around the wonderful shops at the Ferrers Centre for Arts & Crafts, which is home to craft workshops and the Ferrers Gallery. You can hand-paint a present for Christmas both here and at Crackpotz Ceramic Café in Alrewas. Barton Marina also has beautiful shops along its waterfront promenade including The Butcher, Baker and Ice-cream Maker and the Toys of Yesteryear.

You can pick up pottery and crafts at Sharpe’s Pottery Museum and at Mount St Bernard Abbey, where a unique range of pottery is lovingly handmade by its resident monks. Or how about a gift voucher for one of the fantastic woodland craft and bushcraft courses in The National Forest. Greenwood Days, Woodland Ways, the Survival School and Woodland Survival Crafts all offer gift vouchers that make perfect presents. These can be used for a range of truly memorable workshops, day and weekend courses.

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New guide to tracing your Scottish ancestry

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Posted by admin on November 26, 2011 – 12:34 pm
Filed under Attractions, Miscellaneous

Scotland has long been a country of rich history and heritage and has an estimated 50 million people from around the world who can lay claim to having Scots ancestry. In order to capitalise on the increasing interest in tracing family roots, spurred on by shows like BBC’s “Who do you think you are?” and countless radio shows, VisitScotland has launched a guide to tracing Scottish ancestry which will highlight the unusual and surprising places people can go to learn more about their ancestors. Launched to coincide with St Andrews Day, the guide is available to download from here from 30th November 2011. (Visitors downloading the guide will also be able to take advantage of over 350 money-off vouchers on accommodation offers on things to see, do, eat and drink across Scotland.)

The guide comes in an easy to use map format and is suitable for those just starting to trace their routes to the more advanced and experienced. It highlights a mix of Scottish visitor attractions, museums, libraries and research centres across the country and includes everything from the Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstruther, Perth Museum and Art Gallery and Verdant Works in Dundee to a range of research centres including the Scotland’s People Centre based in Edinburgh, where the likes of Billy Connolly, Sir Alex Ferguson, Lulu and Gordon Ramsay have all had their ancestry traced. Also featured is the Highland Council Genealogy Centre in Inverness and the Mitchell Library in Glasgow.

Researching Scottish roots and ancestry couldn’t be simpler, it’s as easy as writing your name, date and place of birth and the family tree has started; adding in family members helps extend it and the new VisitScotland guide and Scotland’s world class depth of ancestral records showcases some of Scotland’s must visit genealogy and history hotspots, including:

Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre, Inverness – There are many different stories about Culloden. Visitors often have their own views on the battle, the events that led up to it and those that flowed from it. Now, 250 years on, Culloden is still a site that connects visitors intimately with the past.

New Lanark World Heritage Centre, South Lanarkshire – Founded by David Dale in 1785, the village became famous as a model industrial community under the enlightened management of Dale’s son-in-law, Robert Owen, from 1800-1825. Owen transformed life in New Lanark with ideas and opportunities which were at least a hundred years ahead of their time. Child labour and corporal punishment were abolished, and villagers were provided with decent homes, schools and evening classes, free health care, and affordable food.

National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh – Scotland is a country with a remarkable history. So it should come as no surprise that Scotland is home to plethora of museums and heritage centres. These range from the major, internationally renowned collections in Edinburgh’s National Museum of Scotland to hundreds of small centres that specialise in the history of local communities.

Scottish Borders Archive and Local History Centre – Visit this centre to find out about Borders family history, communities, industries and people. Discover how the Scottish Borders has evolved and developed through the centuries in the state of the art archive facility.

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