Amazing Views at Lake Vyrnwy Hotel & Spa
On his journey through the countryside and castles of Wales, Mark Bibby Jackson stays at Lake Vyrnwy Hotel & Spa to enjoy what must be one of the most spectacular…
Travel Topics
On his journey through the countryside and castles of Wales, Mark Bibby Jackson stays at Lake Vyrnwy Hotel & Spa to enjoy what must be one of the most spectacular…
On his visit to London’s East End, Mark Bibby Jackson stays at the Hyatt Place London City East, and discovers a wonderful new hotel with breath-taking views and excellent cocktails…
The Royal Court’s ambitious and refreshing new programme has continued with Aleshea Harris’ revenge drama Is God Is at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs. Fast and furious from the off, Aleshea Harris’…
Neil Hennessy-Vass visits the Holburne Museum Bath for a brilliant romp through medieval mythology and obsession. Along from the Bath Abbey, just over the famous Pulteney Bridge is the perfectly…
Roger Hermiston and Eileen Wise use the Marylebone Hotel London to examine the surrounding area including The Wallace Collection and the oldest existing bookshop. Is it mar-li-bone or mar-li-bun? Or…
Roger Hermiston and Eileen Wise use the Marylebone Hotel London to examine the surrounding area including The Wallace Collection and the oldest existing bookshop. Is it mar-li-bone or mar-li-bun? Or…
Mark Bibby Jackson chills out while sailing a traditional wherry boat on the Norfolk Broads, a short drive from London. I am not a natural sailor. I was scarred for…
Mark Bibby Jackson checks in at Château Rhianfa Hotel Anglesey on his travels through the countryside and castles of Wales, and can’t believe he is still in the Principality. Entering…
Julia Bright reviews Tom Stoppard’s Leopoldstadt play currently showing at the Wyndham’s Theatre in London. Leopoldstadt is, in Tom Stoppard’s own words, “all about being Jewish” – this means…
London Begins at 40’s food critic James Clark gives his round up of London restaurant Autumn openings including the finest Italian cuisine and freshest seafood. I don’t know about you…
James Clark books into the Clarendon Hotel in Blackheath as his base for exploring the things to do in Greenwich, and discovers a most friendly gem. If it’s all about…
Julia Bright reviews Regent’s Park Open-Air Theatre’s production of Carousel which has been transposed to the North of England. Good gracious. Carousel set in a northern England seaside town and…
Mark Bibby Jackson returns to the principality of his birth to explore both the countryside and castles of Wales, and forecast a very bright future. Staring across the magnificent Lake…
James Clark books into the Clarendon Hotel in Blackheath as his base for exploring the things to do in Greenwich, and discovers a most friendly gem. If it’s all about…
Mark Bibby Jackson chills out while sailing a wherry boat on the Norfolk Broads before having a go himself. I am not a natural sailor. I was scarred for life…
London Begins at 40 arts columnist Irene Caswell takes a look at the London art openings in September. The cooler temperatures and shortening days signify a move into autumn which…
Mark Bibby Jackson reviews Josh Azouz’s tragi-comedy Once Upon a Time in Nazi Occupied Tunisia at the Almeida. From the off as we are greeted with a character buried up…
James Clark lived in London for many years, but never really spent much time in Greenwich, apart from the odd night at The George & Dragon on Blackheath Hill. So…
James Clark lived in London for many years, but never really spent much time in Greenwich, apart from the odd night at The George & Dragon on Blackheath Hill. So…
Summer’s fading but the beat goes on. There are some fantastic shows to take you into the autumn, so London Begins at 40 music editor Robert Spellman has compiled an…
Britain’s largest boating show returns to the shores of the Solent in Europe’s largest purpose built marina this September with the 54th Southampton International Boat Show 2024. Sample a range…
Kim Brookes is the founder of innovative natural scent jewellery brand Perfino, she explains where essential oils come from and why they are so expensive. The best essential oils are…
Mark Bibby Jackson takes a look at a couple of London guidebooks released earlier this year that make navigating the myriad streets of London slightly easier. Like London buses just…
Mark Bibby Jackson visits Waterperry Gardens near Oxford for a performance of Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love set in the most spectacular setting. Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love started the…
The UK has so much to offer with its rich history, galleries, theatres and concert halls, its commercial and scientific enterprise and its varied and undeniably scenic countryside.
UK National Parks
There are 15 National Parks in the UK, ranging from coastal areas to mountainous regions in England, Wales and Scotland. There are currently none in Northern Ireland. Unlike National Parks in other countries, in the UK parts of the designated, protected areas can be owned by private landlords. Such areas as the Lake District, Yorkshire Moors, Pembrokeshire Coastal Path, Snowdonia and the Cairngorms draw hikers and naturalists to them like a magnet.
UK Weather
The British never tire of the weather as a talking point. Broadly speaking it is a temperate climate, although winters are becoming wetter and summers warmer, probably from climate change. Warmer in the South, wetter in the West and colder in Scotland and Northern Ireland, the UK climate can be subject to diurnal change on a sudden basis, although, with the advent of satellites, the weather forecasts are more accurate. It is wise to take a waterproof with you on an extended trip.
Northern Ireland
Since the Good Friday Agreement brought greater stability to this previously troubled land, visitors are on an increase. The Titanic Museum displaying memorabilia regarding that renowned disaster and Ulster Museum looking at 3,000 years of Irish culture and history, are well worth a visit. Outside of Belfast, the Mountains of Mourne in County Down and the Giant Causeway, 60 miles outside Belfast, are not to be missed.