Taking the Train for a Festive Manchester City Break
Mark Bibby Jackson takes the train from London Euston for a Manchester city break and sample the city’s festive offerings including its Christmas Markets. It’s been a long time since…
Unforgettable Global Festivals and Events in December
Explore global festivals and events in December 2024, from Europe’s enchanting Christmas markets to Guatemala’s colourful Fiesta de Santo Tomás. Experience diverse cultures, dazzling lights and unforgettable traditions worldwide. Follow…
Manchester Christmas Markets 2024, Manchester
The unmistakable glow of Manchester Christmas Markets 2024 is set to illuminate the city centre once again, transforming streets and squares into a wintry wonderland from Friday, 8 November, through…
British Ceramics Biennial 2025, Stoke-on-Trent
The British Ceramics Biennial will return to Stoke-on-Trent from 6 September to 19 October 2025, offering an ambitious programme of free exhibitions, screenings, talks, and events that celebrate the city’s…
Drinking in The Best Pubs in Shrewsbury Shropshire
Discover the best pubs in Shrewsbury town centre from historic inns and real ale pubs to dog-friendly options and pubs with accommodation. Shrewsbury, with its winding river Severn and medieval…
Discover 10 Things to Do in Shrewsbury from the Culture to Pubs
Nestled in the heart of Shropshire, Shrewsbury is a medieval English market town that oozes history and charm. With almost 800 listed buildings, medieval streets full of timber buildings and…
New Travel Begins at 40 YouTube Channel
Travel Begins at 40 has just launched an exciting video project. Our founder and editor Mark Bibby Jackson, aka the ‘hairy traveller’, will travel across the UK and beyond to…
7 Global Festivals in December
From the India to Turkey and Colombia to Belgium, we bring you the best festivals in December, including where to ring in the New Year, and that is not even…
Seal Watching at Winterton Beach Norfolk
Mark Bibby Jackson takes a short break in Norfolk where he makes friends with some seals in total isolation on Winterton Beach. When people ask me what’s the favourite place…
Derby Film Festival 2024, Derby
The Derby Film Festival, a premier regional film festival in the UK, will be uniting film enthusiasts, filmmakers and industry professionals once again in November. Derby Film Festival 2024 Programme…
Christmas Markets in Europe and the UK
From the original December market to the city that created stollen, the source of mulled wine and the first Christmas tree, let Travel Begins at 40 guide you through some…
Chepstow Walking Festival 2025, Wales
Head to Wales in April to discover the amazing countryside during the Chepstow Walking Festival. The Chepstow Walking Festival, established in 2014, is a highly anticipated six-day annual event that…
Buckingham Palace and The Cadogan Hotel Review
Roger Hermiston and Eileen Wise visit Buckingham Palace on their London stay at the Cadogan Hotel If its walls could talk London’s Belmond Cadogan Hotel would have some mighty colourful…
7 Unmissable Global Festivals in November
From the Day of the Dead to Christmas markets and Thanksgiving, November is a month that celebrates the emergence of winter. Here is our selection of the best festivals in…
Great Cornish Seafood Weekend 2024
The inaugural Great Cornish Seafood Weekend is set to take place on October 26 and 27 at the Great Cornish Food Store in Truro. This event will celebrate seafood, Cornwall’s…
Celebrate the 250th Birthday of Jane Austen in Bath
In 2025, Bath is celebrating a big milestone — 250 years since the birth of Jane Austen in 1775. So, if you’re a fan of the iconic author, this is…
Birmingham Comedy Festival 2024
Taking place from Friday 4 to Sunday 13 October 2024, the Birmingham Comedy Festival returns with a stellar line-up of over 150 performances. This award-winning festival promises to deliver an…
Egremont Crab Fair 2024, Cumbria
The Egremont Crab Fair and Sports, established in 1267, is one of the world’s oldest fairs. Don’t worry if you are not a fan of crustaceans – the crabs in question are apples. It uniquely…
Monkey Island Estate Bray Review
Roger Hermiston and Eileen Wise review Monkey Island hotel and Estate on the banks of the Thames near the village of Bray. It is just a small, seven-acre island in…
Gainsborough’s House, Sudbury Suffolk
It has been a motto of mine to expect little and to be pleasantly surprised at the outcome. Gainsborough’s House in Sudbury Suffolk proved an excellent case in point. Driving…
Asylum Steampunk Festival 2024, Lincoln
The biggest and longest running Steampunk festival globally, the Asylum Steampunk Festival, or Weekend at the Asylum returns to Lincoln in August. The Cathedral Quarter in Lincoln is set to…
WOMAD 2024 Review : A Reliable Friend
In returning to Womad 2024 there’s an echo of that joy felt in childhood, of revisiting a favourite place where all will be well. You’ll have a blast and feel…
Congham Hall Hotel and Spa Review
There are hotels you go to for their destination and hotels that become destinations in themselves, Congham Hall Norfolk is both. Set in glorious countryside just outside of the Sandringham…
Creating New Heritage in Newcastle and Gateshead
Mark Bibby Jackson visits some of the industrial heritage in Newcastle given new life. One of my particular likes when travelling is to see how industrial buildings can be transformed…
