United Kingdom
-
A weekend in Norwich
After enjoying recent weekends away in Bristol and Birmingham we decided to turn our attention to Norwich and take a look at the county town of Norfolk. Norwich lies approximately 100 miles (161 km) north east of London in East Anglia. We travelled by train and coming from the north of England, I took a…
-
Norwich Travel Guide: What to See, Do & Experience
After a hearty breakfast in The Bell Hotel we were ready to spend the day viewing more of the city’s cultural attractions. We’d planned our first stop at the Plantation Garden but on the way discovered a hidden gem. Tucked away on Bethel Street is the South Asia Decorative Arts & Crafts Collection museum and…
-
A Day in Great Yarmouth: Top Things to See and Do
After breakfast in Norwich we travelled by train to the seaside resort of Great Yarmouth. Getting there from Norwich is very easy with a frequent service on Greater Anglia trains and journey times of 35 minutes, with off-peak return fares costing £8.30. Arriving into Great Yarmouth, we followed signs to the seafront, the route taking…
-
How to enjoy a riversde walk in Norwich
After checking out of our hotel the Travelodge, Norwich Central Riverside and leaving our luggage to collect later in the day, we walked across the city to visit Elm Hill. This historic, cobbled lane is the most complete medieval street in Norwich with many of its buildings dating back to the Tudor period. The photogenic…
-
Visiting Wicken Fen Nature Reserve
One wintry weekend we decided to visit the Wicken Fen National Nature Reserve in East Anglia. It’s one of Britain’s oldest nature reserves and it has been owned by the National Trust since 1899. My husband is a keen ornithologist, so equipped with binoculars and hiking boots we drove to the Cambridgeshire Fens. As we approached the…
-
A Day in Southampton: What to See & Do
I decided to visit Southampton to explore its rich, maritime history. It’s a port city in Hampshire located on the south coast of England and is now known as the cruise capital of Europe. The Pilgrim Fathers sailed the Mayflower from Southampton in 1620 taking settlers to the new world of America. More recently, in…
-
Bolton Abbey, Wharfedale – a winter break
The Yorkshire Dales offers some beautiful scenery and walking trails so we packed our walking boots and set off bright and early one late January morning for an overnight visit. We decided to stay in Bolton Abbey nestled in the heart of Wharfedale. It’s a picturesque village located between Skipton and Harrogate in North Yorkshire.…
-
Bolton Abbey Estate Guide: What to See, Walks & Parking
It was such a peaceful start to the day, being able to wake gently and admire the countryside views as we pulled back the curtains. Breakfast was served in the conservatory which was bathed in sunlight as we took our seats. We helped ourselves to some cheese, fruit and yogurt and then chose hot dishes…
-
Marks & Spencer Company Archive on the Leeds Heritage Trail
Michael Marks, a Russian born Polish refugee, opened his first penny bazaar in a covered arcade in Leeds in 1884. His slogan was ‘Don’t ask the price, it’s a penny’ and after successful trading, went into partnership ten years later with Tom Spencer, creating the beginnings of the company we know today. To celebrate the…
-
Quarry Bank Mill: Guide to England’s Historic Industrial Site
It was a sunny Saturday morning when we set off early to visit Quarry Bank Mill, one of the finest places to explore Britain’s industrial heritage. Quarry Bank is located on the Styal Estate in Wilmslow close to Manchester Airport and is now owned by the National Trust, further details can be found here. After finding…
-
The Shipley Glen Cable Tramway: Visitor Guide & History
One weekend we decided to travel to Saltaire to take a ride on the oldest functioning funicular railway in the United Kingdom. Getting there by public transport was relatively easy, Saltaire having a railway station on the Airedale line with links to Leeds, Bradford and Skipton. Leaving the station by a short flight of stone…
-
Bristol City Break – Day 1
After enjoying city breaks in London, Edinburgh and Birmingham we decided to head to the south west of England for our next weekend away. My journey on board a CrossCountry train was pleasant, having an interesting conversation with an Edinburgh green keeper, learning about life on one of Scotland’s premier golf courses as we journeyed…
-
Exploring Bath
We were up bright and early as we had planned to spend the day in neighbouring Bath, 10 miles (16km) from Bristol. Getting there was easy as trains depart frequently from Bristol Temple Meads taking just over 10 minutes to Bath Spa station, adult off-peak day return fares are £8.60. From the moment we left…
-
SS Great Britain & Aerospace Bristol
After the previous day’s glorious sunshine, we woke to grey skies but as we’d planned to spend the day visiting two of Bristol’s top cultural highlights which were both indoors, it didn’t bother us too much. So, after our usual cooked breakfasts and large cappuccinos we felt suitably nourished and ready for a day of…
-
The Clifton Suspension Bridge & M Shed, Bristol
Our final day in Bristol, but still plenty of time for more sightseeing, so after checking out of the Travelodge and leaving our luggage to collect later in the day we once again caught the Bristol Ferry Boats 10.00 a.m. service. Unlike the previous day, when we disembarked at SS Great Britain, this time we…
-
Harewood House at Christmas
As we’d recently had the pleasure of viewing the exquisite toys and dolls on display at the Ilkley Toy Museum we couldn’t resist the temptation of seeing them once again whilst they were on loan to Harewood House. Harewood is a stately home in North Yorkshire, located mid way between Harrogate and Leeds and it’s…
-
RHS Harlow Carr Glow Winter Illuminations
What better way to lift our spirits on a dark, damp evening than with a visit to the RHS Garden Harlow Carr to view their Glow Illuminations. It’s the first year that lights have been installed in the gardens, and as we have visited Harlow Carr on numerous occasions in daylight we were eager to…
-
Historic Lancaster
A weekend visit to the historic city of Lancaster located in the north west of England was our plan, approximately a two hour drive from our home. I’d visited Lancaster before but not for many years and on entering the city, it was still congested through the one way system as we crept along until…
-
The Ilkley Toy Museum
Tucked away on a side street yet only a few minutes walk from Ilkley railway station stands the Ilkley Toy Museum. This hidden gem has been located in a former Sunday School building in the attractive small West Yorkshire town of Ilkley for the past 16 years. The museum contains one of the finest private collections…
-
A day at the seaside in Blackpool
It’s been a number of years since we last visited Blackpool, one of England’s premier seaside resorts, so we thought we’d return and see if it had changed. Blackpool is located in the north west of England on Lancashire’s Fylde coast. We travelled by train, arriving into Blackpool North station shortly before lunch. When purchasing…
-
The Blackpool Illuminations
The Blackpool Illuminations is an annual lights festival which was founded in 1879. It started life with garlands of 10,000 coloured light bulbs strung along the seafront and was such a huge success that it continued as an annual event extending the tourist season by an extra two months. The Illuminations or ‘The Lights’ as…
-
St. Annes-on-Sea & Poulton-le-Fylde
After a good night’s sleep we enjoyed the Ibis buffet breakfast which was included in our room rate. The breakfast room features a seaside theme with imitation sticks of Blackpool rock adorning it’s walls. The restaurant overlooks the sea so we were able to watch the trams pass along the promenade whilst we were sipping…
-
A weekend in Birmingham
Meeting my son for a weekend away in the U.K. has usually resulted in trips to London or Edinburgh so for a change we decided to explore Britain’s second city, Birmingham. Strangely, Birmingham isn’t a city I am familiar with, in fact I’ve only ever visited three times and then only to attend courses and…
-
Exploring Birmingham
After a leisurely breakfast we were ready for a morning of sightseeing in Birmingham’s city centre. Our first stop was to the Great Western Arcade, an elegant Victorian shopping arcade built in 1876 over the Great Western Railway line. The arcade has two entrances, one on Temple Row and the other on Colmore Row, the…
