Discover London Explored
Mark Bibby Jackson reviews London Explored, a photographic-led guide to London by Peter Dazeley published by Frances Lincoln. The greater you get to know London the more you realise how…
Travel Topics
Mark Bibby Jackson reviews London Explored, a photographic-led guide to London by Peter Dazeley published by Frances Lincoln. The greater you get to know London the more you realise how…
Roger Hermiston and Eileen Wise visit Lucknam Park Equestrian Centre for some equine therapy and make some four-legged friends. It’s halfway through our Equine Connect course at Lucknam Park Equestrian…
Fairmont Windsor Park, located on the edge of Windsor Great Park and The Savill Garden, is the UK’s newest luxury spa and wellness hotel officially opening 1 January 2022. Setting an unprecedented standard in the UK…
Mark Bibby Jackson spends a night in Chelsea’s Mantis Draycott Hotel, an elegant boutique hotel with a homely feel and a great London location. Entering the Mantis Draycott Hotel is…
A giant monk sculpture made from steel will be on display in the Abbey Gardens to celebrate St Edmund’s Day (20 November) in Bury St Edmunds and to promote the Abbey 1000 celebrations for…
On his recent tour along the Hockney Trail in Yorkshire, Mark Bibby Jackson checks in at Sandburn Hall and goes for a stroll around the grounds of Castle Howard. In…
Mark Bibby Jackson spends a night in Chelsea’s Mantis Draycott Hotel, an elegant boutique hotel with a homely feel and a great London location. Entering the Mantis Draycott Hotel is…
Mark Bibby Jackson visits The Gate, Marylebone to sample the most wonderful food which just happens to be plant-based. One of the most significant trends in the global restaurant scene…
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…
Mark Bibby Jackson visits The Gate, Marylebone to sample the most wonderful food which just happens to be plant-based. One of the most significant trends in the global restaurant scene…
Continuing his journey from Stoke to Cardiff, Mark Bibby Jackson stops of at the Cottage in the Wood hotel just outside of Malvern to enjoy the breath-taking views and amazing…
On his visit to Staffordshire, Mark Bibby Jackson takes a ride on the Churnet Valley Railway, pops in on a Spitfire and visits the original Royal Oak at Boscobel House…
Neil Hennesey-Vass visits Karma Salford Hall to unearth a hotel rich with history set in one of the most beautiful spots in England. Venturing out and about still has that…
Mark Bibby Jackson visits Gilsland Hall Hotel a former spa and convalescent home straddled on the borders of Cumbria and Northumberland with great access to Hadrian’s Wall. Few parts of…
Mark Bibby Jackson’s tour of the countryside and castles of Wales, concludes in the peaceful village of St Florence, just outside Tenby where he relaxes at the excellent Elm Grove…
Mark Bibby Jackson experiences street life in London’s East End discovering arguably the best samosas in London. The East End of London has always been one of my favourite parts…
Mark Bibby Jackson experiences street life in London’s East End discovering arguably the best samosas in the capital. The East End of London has always been one of my favourite…
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…
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.