U.K./Ireland Travel
- Fun Facts and Trivia about England
- BGTW Travel Writer of the Year
- Durham Travel Bargain Deals
- The Durham Miners' Gala
- London Travel & Guidebook Reviews
- Top Ten Free Europe Attractions
- 2010 Ryder Cup Course Open
- Best Bed and Breakfasts in Britain
- The Death of Robert Mondavi
- This Man Isn't Tired of London
Fun Facts and Trivia about England
Posted by
Mike Gerrard
Mike Gerrard
I Never Knew That about England by Christopher Winn is a book full of fascinating fun facts, amazing anecdotes and unusual trivia about England and the English
Browsing on Amazon the other day I found a book called "I Never Knew That About England". It's one of a series of books by Christopher Winn, with other titles covering London, Scotland, The English, Wales, Ireland, and The Irish. If they're all as entertaining as this one, I'll be reading them forever more.
The England book is full of fascinating and unusual information about the 39 counties of England, arranged alphabetically from Bedfordshire to Yorkshire. Each chapter has only a short list of places covered, but they're the places about which the author has found out most of the fun facts he is obviously keen to share with the readers. Then each chapter ends with a page or two of short anecdotes about that particular county.
About my own county of Lancashire I learn that it's the place where the first steak was dubbed "Sir Loin", the county where the Quakers movement was founded, and where the Spinning Mule and Spinning Jenny were invented, though the author misses the fact that the geographic centre of Great Britain is near a phone box at Dunsop Bridge, and he also (tut-tut) mis-spells the name of my home town! It's St Helens, not St Helen's.
Among the stories in the book you'll discover where the first garden gnome in England appeared, where the first true aeroplane flight took place, and hear about England's first speeding ticket, where a policeman was able to catch up with the speeding car on his bicycle.
"I Never Knew That About England" is the perfect book for trivia fans, and compilers of pub quizzes everywhere. It's published at £9.99 by the Ebury Press. You can also sign up for a newsletter at the official I Never Knew That website.
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The England book is full of fascinating and unusual information about the 39 counties of England, arranged alphabetically from Bedfordshire to Yorkshire. Each chapter has only a short list of places covered, but they're the places about which the author has found out most of the fun facts he is obviously keen to share with the readers. Then each chapter ends with a page or two of short anecdotes about that particular county.
About my own county of Lancashire I learn that it's the place where the first steak was dubbed "Sir Loin", the county where the Quakers movement was founded, and where the Spinning Mule and Spinning Jenny were invented, though the author misses the fact that the geographic centre of Great Britain is near a phone box at Dunsop Bridge, and he also (tut-tut) mis-spells the name of my home town! It's St Helens, not St Helen's.
Among the stories in the book you'll discover where the first garden gnome in England appeared, where the first true aeroplane flight took place, and hear about England's first speeding ticket, where a policeman was able to catch up with the speeding car on his bicycle.
"I Never Knew That About England" is the perfect book for trivia fans, and compilers of pub quizzes everywhere. It's published at £9.99 by the Ebury Press. You can also sign up for a newsletter at the official I Never Knew That website.
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BGTW Travel Writer of the Year
Posted by
Mike Gerrard
Mike Gerrard
The British Guild of Travel Writers hold their annual Travel Writer of the Year competition, and the winner is announced on the eve of World Travel Market in London.
Not many people can get to call themselves Travel Writer of the Year, and it's time for me to have another go in the annual award competition from the British Guild of Travel Writers.
I've never won it yet, but last year my wife Donna Dailey was runner-up, and collected her award and prize at the BGTW Awards Dinner at London's Savoy Hotel in November. I can't tell you how proud I was when she stepped up onto the stage, especially as some of the articles in the portfolio she submitted were written right here on her pages at Suite101.
Yesterday I was Googling 'Travel Writer of the Year' to see what came up (OK, it was a distraction from actually writing anything), and was amazed to find a video of Donna receiving her award posted on YouTube. You can take a look at it here.
The prize was generously donated by the Cancun Convention and Visitors Bureau, but sadly didn't include a trip out there (for two, of course!)
We're both busy getting our entries together for this year's Travel Writer of the Year Award, and will be keeping our fingers crossed from now until November 9th, when the results will be announced at at the Marriott Grosvenor Square Hotel in London.
I've never won it yet, but last year my wife Donna Dailey was runner-up, and collected her award and prize at the BGTW Awards Dinner at London's Savoy Hotel in November. I can't tell you how proud I was when she stepped up onto the stage, especially as some of the articles in the portfolio she submitted were written right here on her pages at Suite101.
Yesterday I was Googling 'Travel Writer of the Year' to see what came up (OK, it was a distraction from actually writing anything), and was amazed to find a video of Donna receiving her award posted on YouTube. You can take a look at it here.
The prize was generously donated by the Cancun Convention and Visitors Bureau, but sadly didn't include a trip out there (for two, of course!)
We're both busy getting our entries together for this year's Travel Writer of the Year Award, and will be keeping our fingers crossed from now until November 9th, when the results will be announced at at the Marriott Grosvenor Square Hotel in London.
Posted by
Mike Gerrard
Mike Gerrard
If you plan to visit Durham, travel after visiting the County Durham Tourism partnership website where you can download discount vouchers for over 20 visitor attractions.
I was recently in Durham and as well as seeing the magnificent Cathedral, the famous Durham Miners' Gala and Crook Hall and Gardens in Durham itself, I also saw the wonderful Auckland Castle in Bishop Auckland. Several of these attractions have got together and agreed some discount deals for visitors this summer, to help everyone who's facing up to the credit crunch.
Some of the deals on offer include 2-for-1 admission to places including Auckland Castle, the Weardale Railway, the Tanfield Railway, Barnard Castle, the Bowes Mseum, Crook Hall and Gardens, Durham Castle, the Treasures of St Cuthbert at Durham Cathedral, Prince Bishop River Cruises, the Botanic Garden, the North of England Lead Mining Museum at Killhope, Durham's fabulous Oriental Museum, and several other attractions.
There are other offers too, such as free admission for kids at Hall Hill Farm, shopping discounts, and 10% off selected bike rides with North of England Trike Tours.
The full details are available on the Durham Tourism Partnership website by clicking this link, and you'll also be able to download the discount vouchers. Well done Durham, I say!
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Read here all about the Durham Miners' Gala.
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Some of the deals on offer include 2-for-1 admission to places including Auckland Castle, the Weardale Railway, the Tanfield Railway, Barnard Castle, the Bowes Mseum, Crook Hall and Gardens, Durham Castle, the Treasures of St Cuthbert at Durham Cathedral, Prince Bishop River Cruises, the Botanic Garden, the North of England Lead Mining Museum at Killhope, Durham's fabulous Oriental Museum, and several other attractions.
There are other offers too, such as free admission for kids at Hall Hill Farm, shopping discounts, and 10% off selected bike rides with North of England Trike Tours.
The full details are available on the Durham Tourism Partnership website by clicking this link, and you'll also be able to download the discount vouchers. Well done Durham, I say!
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Read here all about the Durham Miners' Gala.
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Posted by
Mike Gerrard
Mike Gerrard
Every July the beautiful cathedral city of Durham is transformed for the historic Durham Miners' Gala, and the streets are filled with colorful banners and brass bands.
I've long wanted to see the Durham Miners' Gala. I grew up in St Helens in the north of England, which is best-known for glass-making. But there were collieries too, and with an uncle and a grandfather who both worked in the coal mines I've always been aware of the tough and dirty work that the miners do in the pits.
Although we were a long way from Durham, their annual Miners' Gala was not just a physical get-together for the Durham miners, but was a spiritual gathering of miners from everywhere in Britain. Whether you lived in a mining town in Lancashire or Yorkshire, in south Wales or Scotland, you were there supporting the miners in Durham, as they celebrated the work they were proud of, and remembered their colleagues who had lost their lives.
So to be in Durham last Saturday was a very special day for me. It's rare these days to see such a gathering of working men, especially as the last coal mine in Durham closed in the early 1990s. The miners who helped to build Britain will never be forgotten, though, and it was heartening to see so many young people in the brass bands, continuing the musical traditions, and to see the older men proudly marching. And if there was an occasional tear in my eye, it must have been caused by the wind blowing in off the River Wear.
To read more about the Durham Miners' Gala, click here.
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Although we were a long way from Durham, their annual Miners' Gala was not just a physical get-together for the Durham miners, but was a spiritual gathering of miners from everywhere in Britain. Whether you lived in a mining town in Lancashire or Yorkshire, in south Wales or Scotland, you were there supporting the miners in Durham, as they celebrated the work they were proud of, and remembered their colleagues who had lost their lives.
So to be in Durham last Saturday was a very special day for me. It's rare these days to see such a gathering of working men, especially as the last coal mine in Durham closed in the early 1990s. The miners who helped to build Britain will never be forgotten, though, and it was heartening to see so many young people in the brass bands, continuing the musical traditions, and to see the older men proudly marching. And if there was an occasional tear in my eye, it must have been caused by the wind blowing in off the River Wear.
To read more about the Durham Miners' Gala, click here.
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London Travel & Guidebook Reviews
Posted by
Mike Gerrard
Mike Gerrard
Reviews of the best London guidebooks and other travel guides including walking in London, movie locations, bars and pubs, restaurants and the stylish Wallpaper guide.
I've reviewed several London guidebooks, walking guides, guides to the best London pubs and bars, the best London restaurants, and even its movie locations and Beatles links. Here's a list of links, bringing them all together in one place:
Beatles in London Walk
Complete London Residents' Guide
The Good Food Guide to London
Historic London Shakespeare Walk
Historic Riverside London Pub Walk
Jack the Ripper Tour of London
London's Best Bars and Pubs
London Movie Location Guide
Mini London Visitors' Guide
Real City London
Sherlock Holmes London Walk
Walking Dickensian London
Wallpaper City Guide to London
Beatles in London Walk
Complete London Residents' Guide
The Good Food Guide to London
Historic London Shakespeare Walk
Historic Riverside London Pub Walk
Jack the Ripper Tour of London
London's Best Bars and Pubs
London Movie Location Guide
Mini London Visitors' Guide
Real City London
Sherlock Holmes London Walk
Walking Dickensian London
Wallpaper City Guide to London
Top Ten Free Europe Attractions
Posted by
Mike Gerrard
Mike Gerrard
The TripAdvisor website, the world's biggest travel community, has released its list of the top ten free European attractions, with England and Northern Ireland on top!
England has three entries in the TripAdvisor top ten list, the same as Italy, but with the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland included as well, that makes the UK the best place in Europe for free attractions.
I was delighted to see the list as I spent this morning writing about the Giant's Causeway for my next book, the Traveller's Atlas of Europe. It's published in February 2009 (order your copy today!) and is my personal choice of the 50 'must see' travel sights in Europe. I was fondly remembering my trip to the Giant's Causeway, and all along the fantastic North Antrim coast, so was pleased to see that the users and editors of TripAdvisor acknowledged what a great place it is – and that thanks to the National Trust who manage it, admission is still free (with donations always welcome, of course.)
So here's that list in full, so you can debate whether you agree with the TripAdvisor choice. But I'm not arguing with their pat on the head for the UK:
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I was delighted to see the list as I spent this morning writing about the Giant's Causeway for my next book, the Traveller's Atlas of Europe. It's published in February 2009 (order your copy today!) and is my personal choice of the 50 'must see' travel sights in Europe. I was fondly remembering my trip to the Giant's Causeway, and all along the fantastic North Antrim coast, so was pleased to see that the users and editors of TripAdvisor acknowledged what a great place it is – and that thanks to the National Trust who manage it, admission is still free (with donations always welcome, of course.)
So here's that list in full, so you can debate whether you agree with the TripAdvisor choice. But I'm not arguing with their pat on the head for the UK:
- Pantheon, Rome, Italy
- National Gallery, London, England
- Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham, England
- Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, France
- St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral, Brussels, Belgium
- Duomo, Florence, Italy
- Retiro Park, Madrid, Spain
- Westminster Abbey, London, England
- St. Mark’s Basilica, Venice, Italy
- Giant’s Causeway, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
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Posted by
Mike Gerrard
Mike Gerrard
The 2010 Ryder Cup course is the first to have been purpose-built for this great golf competition. The Twenty Ten course is open at the Celtic Manor Resort in Wales.
I've unfortunately never stayed or played golf at the Celtic Manor Resort near Cardiff in Wales, the venue for the 2010 Ryder Cup. But I have been to a big function there, when a few hundred members of the Society of American Travel Writers attended their annual convention in Cardiff. I went along with other members of the British Guild of Travel Writers, having a rare chance to meet up with our American colleagues. We were all stunned by the quality of the Celtic Manor. It was stylish, and then some.
The new Twenty Ten Ryder Cup course is the first golf course in history that has been custom-designed for this biennial tournament between Europe and the USA. The course, and its clubhouse, were opened on 28 May 2008 by the Right Honorable Rhodri Morgan, the First Minister for Wales, which shows how important this event is for the country.
The Twenty Ten course and clubhouse cost about £16 million to build, and have been designed not only to challenge the golfers but also to appeal to the spectators. Steep hillside runs alongside the closing three holes, to allow the maximum number of spectators the best view of the final action. The course is a par 71, and half the holes have water hazards that are described as both picturesque and penalising.
The new Ryder Cup course sounds amazing, and I know people attending the tournament will have a fabulous time. I'm a big fan of the city of Cardiff, and the beautiful area surrounding it. And of the Celtic Manor Resort. I must go and stay there sometime!
Check out the Celtic Manor Resort website and see what I mean.
Find out a little more about the Ryder Cup course and the Celtic Manor Resort by reading an earlier article. Click here.
The new Twenty Ten Ryder Cup course is the first golf course in history that has been custom-designed for this biennial tournament between Europe and the USA. The course, and its clubhouse, were opened on 28 May 2008 by the Right Honorable Rhodri Morgan, the First Minister for Wales, which shows how important this event is for the country.
The Twenty Ten course and clubhouse cost about £16 million to build, and have been designed not only to challenge the golfers but also to appeal to the spectators. Steep hillside runs alongside the closing three holes, to allow the maximum number of spectators the best view of the final action. The course is a par 71, and half the holes have water hazards that are described as both picturesque and penalising.
The new Ryder Cup course sounds amazing, and I know people attending the tournament will have a fabulous time. I'm a big fan of the city of Cardiff, and the beautiful area surrounding it. And of the Celtic Manor Resort. I must go and stay there sometime!
Check out the Celtic Manor Resort website and see what I mean.
Find out a little more about the Ryder Cup course and the Celtic Manor Resort by reading an earlier article. Click here.
Best Bed and Breakfasts in Britain
Posted by
Mike Gerrard
Mike Gerrard
The winners of the AA's 2008 B&B Awards are announced, naming London B&B of the Year, Funkiest bed and breakfast, and best accommodation in England, Scotland and Wales.
What's the best bed and breakfast in Britain? Impossible to say. But each year Britain's AA announces the winners of its B&B Awards and highlights some of the people giving outstanding service in guest accommodation in the UK.
The winners this year are:
London B&B of the Year
San Domenico House, Chelsea
Although the 16-room San Domenico started as a luxury B&B, these days's it's more like a boutique hotel in Chelsea, so not quite the average British b&b, and prices start at £230 per night. It's a 3-minute walk from Sloane Square tube station and 45 minutes by taxi from Heathrow, and obviously a superior stop if you want a quality London boutique hotel.
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Funkiest B&B
The Enchanted Manor, Isle of Wight
Landscaped woodlands, outdoor sculptures, indoor artworks, four-poster beds and slipper baths are all part of the experience at this magical boutique retreat on the Isle of Wight.
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Friendliest Landlady of the Year
Margaret Frost, Diggins Farm, Chipping Ongar, Essex
Margaret has been welcoming guests to her 16th-ccentury farmhouse for 8 years, and provides extra treats like homemade cakes, complimentary taxis to Stansted airport, and even surprise gifts to guests who stay a few days.
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AA Guest Accommodation of the Year: England
The Stables Lodge, Lamesley, Newcastle
Indulgent luxury in a 'Hunting Lodge' theme in a semi-rural retreat but close to one of England's liveliest cities, Newcastle.
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AA Guest Accommodation of the Year: Scotland
Fauhope House, Melrose
Luxury 5-star standards in the Scottish Borders in an 1897 house that still manages to feel like home.
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AA Guest Accommodation of the Year: Wales
Tan-y-Foel Country House, Betws-y-Coed
Just 6 bedrooms, all with views over Snowdonia, with country house luxury but an informal feel have won Tan-y-Foel several awards.
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The winners this year are:
London B&B of the Year
San Domenico House, Chelsea
Although the 16-room San Domenico started as a luxury B&B, these days's it's more like a boutique hotel in Chelsea, so not quite the average British b&b, and prices start at £230 per night. It's a 3-minute walk from Sloane Square tube station and 45 minutes by taxi from Heathrow, and obviously a superior stop if you want a quality London boutique hotel.
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Funkiest B&B
The Enchanted Manor, Isle of Wight
Landscaped woodlands, outdoor sculptures, indoor artworks, four-poster beds and slipper baths are all part of the experience at this magical boutique retreat on the Isle of Wight.
*
Friendliest Landlady of the Year
Margaret Frost, Diggins Farm, Chipping Ongar, Essex
Margaret has been welcoming guests to her 16th-ccentury farmhouse for 8 years, and provides extra treats like homemade cakes, complimentary taxis to Stansted airport, and even surprise gifts to guests who stay a few days.
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AA Guest Accommodation of the Year: England
The Stables Lodge, Lamesley, Newcastle
Indulgent luxury in a 'Hunting Lodge' theme in a semi-rural retreat but close to one of England's liveliest cities, Newcastle.
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AA Guest Accommodation of the Year: Scotland
Fauhope House, Melrose
Luxury 5-star standards in the Scottish Borders in an 1897 house that still manages to feel like home.
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AA Guest Accommodation of the Year: Wales
Tan-y-Foel Country House, Betws-y-Coed
Just 6 bedrooms, all with views over Snowdonia, with country house luxury but an informal feel have won Tan-y-Foel several awards.
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Posted by
Mike Gerrard
Mike Gerrard
Robert Mondavi, the man who really helped turn Napa Valley and California wines into some of the best wines in the world, beating top French wines, has died.
The death of Robert Mondavi on May 16, 2008, at the age of 94, saddened me. It wasn't that I knew him, but I have enjoyed many of his fine California wines, and he was a figurehead and a pioneer in improving American wines. He was also a very real person, a friendly-sounding name at a time when it seemed you had to be a Baron in France in order to make good wine.
When I first drank American wine in England, there was only one choice. It was Paul Masson wine, red or white, and it owed its popularity as much to the fact that it came (as it still does) in unusual large bottles with metal caps that you prised off. Afterwards the wine bottles made good flower vases, or you could put kitchen utensils in them. It's amazing to think back, not so very far, to a time when that was the only non-European wine you would find in most stores. It was a time when Monty Python made sketches about Australian wines – the very notion of a decent Australian wine made us laugh.
It was also about the time when Robert Mondavi was opening his first Napa Valley vineyard, in 1966, independently from his family firm. By 1976 Napa Valley wines, including Robert Mondavi's, were beating the most expensive French wines at the infamous blind tasting in Paris.
Yes, California wines have come a long way in a short time, and the death of Robert Mondavi – the man who invented Fumé Blanc, among so many other achievements – should make us all sad. But happy too for a long and full life.
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Here's a link to a piece I did for Suite101 about visiting Napa Valley vineyards, including Robert Mondavi's.
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When I first drank American wine in England, there was only one choice. It was Paul Masson wine, red or white, and it owed its popularity as much to the fact that it came (as it still does) in unusual large bottles with metal caps that you prised off. Afterwards the wine bottles made good flower vases, or you could put kitchen utensils in them. It's amazing to think back, not so very far, to a time when that was the only non-European wine you would find in most stores. It was a time when Monty Python made sketches about Australian wines – the very notion of a decent Australian wine made us laugh.
It was also about the time when Robert Mondavi was opening his first Napa Valley vineyard, in 1966, independently from his family firm. By 1976 Napa Valley wines, including Robert Mondavi's, were beating the most expensive French wines at the infamous blind tasting in Paris.
Yes, California wines have come a long way in a short time, and the death of Robert Mondavi – the man who invented Fumé Blanc, among so many other achievements – should make us all sad. But happy too for a long and full life.
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Here's a link to a piece I did for Suite101 about visiting Napa Valley vineyards, including Robert Mondavi's.
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This Man Isn't Tired of London
Posted by
Mike Gerrard
Mike Gerrard
When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life. Dr Johnson's famous quotation to James Boswell about London is as true today as it was when he said it in 1777.
It was September 20, 1777, when Dr Samuel Johnson made his famous remark about London to James Boswell:
"Why, Sir, you find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford."
I am indebted to the Samuel Johnson Soundbite Page, for this and other marvelous quotes by Dr Johnson. This in particular appealed to me right now:
"Sir, if you wish to have a just notion of the magnitude of this city, you must not be satisfied with seeing its great streets and squares, but must survey the innumerable little lanes and courts."
The reason I went looking for that famous Johnson quotation, which is as true today as it was when it was said, over 200 years ago, is because of some London walks I've been reviewing lately. What would Dr Johnson have made of audiowalks, or podcasts? As he was a man of intellectual energy and great curiosity, I'm sure he would have loved them. He would have been fascinated by the way Brick Lane, for example, had changed over the centuries.
And he would have loved the London walks booklets produced by Louis' London Walks, which explore those little lanes and courts, and cover the tapestry of London life that Johnson relished so much, from the Beatles to Jack the Ripper, from the historic riverside pubs (old enough for Johnson to have drunk in them) to Princess Diana, and from the fictional London of Sherlock Holmes to the all-too-real London of the Kray Twins.
Next weekend I'm off exploring Maritime Greenwich, and can't wait. I'm not yet tired of London, and so thankfully not yet tired of life.
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"Why, Sir, you find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford."
I am indebted to the Samuel Johnson Soundbite Page, for this and other marvelous quotes by Dr Johnson. This in particular appealed to me right now:
"Sir, if you wish to have a just notion of the magnitude of this city, you must not be satisfied with seeing its great streets and squares, but must survey the innumerable little lanes and courts."
The reason I went looking for that famous Johnson quotation, which is as true today as it was when it was said, over 200 years ago, is because of some London walks I've been reviewing lately. What would Dr Johnson have made of audiowalks, or podcasts? As he was a man of intellectual energy and great curiosity, I'm sure he would have loved them. He would have been fascinated by the way Brick Lane, for example, had changed over the centuries.
And he would have loved the London walks booklets produced by Louis' London Walks, which explore those little lanes and courts, and cover the tapestry of London life that Johnson relished so much, from the Beatles to Jack the Ripper, from the historic riverside pubs (old enough for Johnson to have drunk in them) to Princess Diana, and from the fictional London of Sherlock Holmes to the all-too-real London of the Kray Twins.
Next weekend I'm off exploring Maritime Greenwich, and can't wait. I'm not yet tired of London, and so thankfully not yet tired of life.
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