Cliveden Literary Festival 2024
Salman Rushdie, Rachel Weisz, William Boyd, Ian McEwan, Tom Holland and Emily Maitlis are among the authors who will be appearing at the Cliveden Literary Festival from 21-22 September 2024…
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Salman Rushdie, Rachel Weisz, William Boyd, Ian McEwan, Tom Holland and Emily Maitlis are among the authors who will be appearing at the Cliveden Literary Festival from 21-22 September 2024…
Travel Begins at 40 has produced its own brief round-up of the best festivals in August around the world from Colombia to Nevada and Utah to Notting Hill. Cultural Festivals…
Grand Designs Live returns to Birmingham’s NEC this October. The premier home design and innovation exhibition will take place from 4 to 8 October, 2023…
If you’re a book lover, then you won’t want to miss out on this fantastic festival. Held annually in the charming city of Derby, this event is a must-attend for anyone who loves literature…
The Chiswick Book Festival is an event that celebrates literature in all its forms. The festival takes place every year in Chiswick, a beautiful suburb of west London, and is a must-see for all book lovers…
This article compares the United States and Great Britain, examining ten areas in which the United States demonstrates unique characteristics. This is not a competition for supremacy, but an exploration…
Are you a book lover looking for an event to feed your literary soul? Look no further than the Appledore Book Festival! Held annually in the charming village of Appledore in North Devon, this book festival…
Mark Bibby Jackson travels to north Cornwall to experience the St Moritz Hotel, and takes some time to chill. I must admit to being a bit of a Poirot fan…
Neil Hennessy-Vass visits Hartwell House Hotel and Spa in Buckinghamshire, near London, which was the home for former kings. With a history of over 1,000 years and plenty of notable…
Travel Begins at 40 rounds up the best global festivals in July 2023 from Pennsylvania to South Korea, so wherever you are you can join in the celebrations. Music Festivals…
Early July is a great month for travelling in Europe, although by the end of the month the main tourism attractions tend to fill up with fellow travellers and tourists…
Neil Hennessy-Vass learns about the discover of the lifetime at Hever Castle with the finding of Thomas Cromwell’s prayer book. Those clever historians have been at it again at Hever…
Judith Schrut previews this summer’s BBC Proms, eight weeks of joyous musical feasting at the Royal Albert Hall and around the UK. For classical music lovers it doesn’t get much…
Judith Schrut previews the wonderful world of WOMAD 2023. WOMAD stands for World of Music, Arts and Dance and is simply the biggest international music festival on the planet. Happening…
Travel Begins at 40 rounds up the best global festivals in June 2024 from Peru to Colorado, so wherever you are you can join in the celebrations. Cultural Festivals in…
James Clark books into The Priory Wareham on a UK staycation to discover the perfect English weekend away with more than a touch of the French. I may have arrived…
June is a great month for travelling. Northern Europe sees endless hours of sunshine while southern Europe seems to be exploding with music. There is even plenty to keep you…
Roger Hermiston and Eileen Wise check into Cley Windmill, Norfolk, go birdwatching, have a brush with a headless queen, and discover an inspirational wildlife sanctuary. Back in the Middle Ages…
Neil Hennessy-Vass finds his meal upstaged by the amazing jazz at the Troubadour London. The Troubadour is quite simply an institution that means a lot to people of a certain…
Mark Bibby Jackson visits Hever Castle & Gardens in Kent and discovers there is much more to the historic building than tales of a lovestruck king and a queen who…
Images from packed airports demonstrate the desire to wander has lost none of its lustre during the last couple of years. If you are looking to go on holiday next…
Neil Hennessy-Vass visits This Fragile Earth, an exhibition at Coventry Cathedral that examines how pioneer Scottish Artists anticipated the climate crisis. I’m not sure there could be a better backdrop…
Neil Hennessy-Vass visits Middlethorpe Hall and Spa near York, and enjoys the elegant proficiency. Middlethorpe Hall and Spa is an elegant building with a large simple garden where deer roam…
Roger Hermiston and Eileen Wise stay at The Space, Holt Norfolk and enjoy the surrounding countryside. Our trip to Norfolk generates that familiar feeling of keen anticipation as we reach…
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.