Bowled Over by the Hilton at The Ageas Bowl
On a cricket-inspired trip to Hampshire and the docks of Portsmouth, Mark Bibby Jackson reminisces at the Hilton at The Ageas Bowl on cricketing feats past. I have to confess…
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On a cricket-inspired trip to Hampshire and the docks of Portsmouth, Mark Bibby Jackson reminisces at the Hilton at The Ageas Bowl on cricketing feats past. I have to confess…
The Dorset town of Lyme Regis, immortalised in John Fowles’ novel The French Lieutenant’s Woman, will once more be the setting for the seventh Food Rocks this September…
Now a veteran of the UK food festival circuit, the first Ludlow Food Festival was held in 1995 when members of the local Chamber of Trade and Commerce decided a food festival would be a…
On 14 May, the world-famous Blackpool Tower celebrated its 125th anniversary, having opened for business way back in 1894. This celebration will in turn draw attention to one of the…
Meat lovers should head to London’s Tobacco Dock from 29 August to 1 September for Meatopia, the celebration of sustainable, quality meat. Founded by Josh Ozersky in the States, Meatopia…
This September will see the Abergavenny Food Festival with more than 190 exhibitors and producers lined up to attend, in addition to chef demonstrations and food talks. Created in 1999…
The Balham Comedy Festival will once more douse the streets of south London with a liberal sprinkling of mirth this July at The Bedford Balham. Hosted by the Banana Cabaret…
Mark Bibby Jackson travels to Hampshire where he learns of cricketing tales of yore, seafaring adventures and discovers a most poignant reminder of man’s follies in the D-Day Story. Although…
Roger Hermiston and Eileen Wise spend a night in London taking in Covent Garden and the West End before dining at Simpson’s in the Strand. Despite living the life of…
Held in Walpole Park, the Ealing Beer Festival each July is a highlight of the London borough’s series of summer events. This year marks the 33rd anniversary of what is the UK capital’s…
The Chelsea Fringe, an alternative garden festival that has become a staple of the horticultural calendar, will return for a 12th year in 2023 with nine days of celebrations scheduled…
Mark Bibby Jackson returns to a scene in his youth to become reacquainted with the charms of Mevagissey and its windswept coastline while on his Cornwall holidays. In our pampered…
Mark Bibby Jackson ventures to the English Riviera to sample the local fare at Orestone Manor, award-winning restaurant and hotel, wondering whether he will encounter an ill-tempered, moustachioed proprietor. I…
The North Yorkshire town of Whitby is famed for its fabulous fish and chips, that and a nautical traditional that includes Captain Cook. So, why not combine the two together…
Mark Bibby Jackson returns to the scene of one of his previous crimes to spend a night in St Ermin’s Hotel in London’s Westminster to discover a building with a…
On a short trip to the Channel Islands, Mike Pickup enjoys stepping back in time on his Guernsey Holidays, as well as the short excursion to the car-free Isle of…
If you are looking for a Bath spa hotel, there really is just one place to choose, as Irene Caswell discovers, when she visits the only Landmark building in the…
Mark Bibby Jackson samples the fare at Plate Restaurant in London’s Shoreditch to see how inclusive Arnaud Stevens’ restaurant is. On a recent Facebook debate a fellow travel journalist asked…
Whether you are looking to take a coastal break or a pad in town, from glamping in a horse box, to staying in your own windmill, Cool Places lists the…
Unfortunately the 2021 Bury St Edmunds Festival was cancelled. The 2022 Festival should go ahead in 2022. Spread over 11 days, in 12 different venues and with 50 different events…
On a trip to Scotland’s northerly region Robert Spellman discovers in Aberdeenshire holidays the most wonderful wildlife, great castles and whisky galore. In 2017, an eminent travel publication conducted a…
Newchurch, in the centre of the picturesque Isle of Wight, nestling amidst sloping hills, is the perfect location for a festival. It is here that every year in August the Isle of Wight Garlic…
A walking food tour is a great way to explore a new area. Find a local guide with a good reputation who knows their home turf well and enjoys sharing…
It is the time of year when traditionally we make our predictions for the ensuing 12 months. So, Travel Begins at 40 has gazed into our collective crystal ball to…
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.