Great British Food Festival 2023 (GBFF)
What started as a small family business in 2010 has turned into one of the major food festivals in the UK. The Great British Food Festival (GBFF) features the country’s…
Travel Topics
What started as a small family business in 2010 has turned into one of the major food festivals in the UK. The Great British Food Festival (GBFF) features the country’s…
Frieze Art Fair London is one of the most influential contemporary art fairs in the world. It is held in October in The Regent’s Park. It only focuses on living artists and contemporary art…
Hosted by Blur bassist Alex James at his Cotswolds farm and now in its 12th year, The Big Feastival is held over three days across the August Bank Holiday, and has become one…
Since Foodies Festival was started with the Foodies Festival Edinburgh in 2006, it has grown into what the organisers claim is the largest food and drink festival in the UK…
Mark Bibby Jackson takes a break at the Gilpin Hotel & Lake House in the Lake District and receives a Michelin Star experience. There is something about the Lake District…
Neil Hennessy-Vass visits Christmas at Waddesdon Manor and declares that the festive season has officially commenced. After a hiatus of two years (we all know why) that glorious Victorian confection…
Hampton Court Festive Fayre is a wonderful festive food lover’s treat replete with artisan food, drink and perfect gifts. The fare ranges from Christmas puds to sausages…
Held in the Yorkshire market town of Malton, the Malton Christmas Festival is two days of food, music and fun held across the weekend of 2 to 3 December. The free festival…
Jonathan Hiltz discovers the amazing things to do in Plymouth in the south west of England. There’s something to be said for getting into the outer areas of a well-known…
This Autumn/Winter, the historic city of Cambridge invites travellers to explore boutique shops, experience calming wellness treatments and indulge in delicious food in local restaurants celebrating seasonal produce. Explore autumnal…
Down at the V&A at the moment is an unmissable exhibition called ‘Hallyu! The Korean Wave’, which showcases the vibrant world of South Korean popular culture. Also running is London’s…
The night before walking along the Pilgrims’ Way from New Alresford to Winchester, Mark Bibby Jackson dines at Kyoto Kitchen Winchester. I must admit to being a bit of a…
Mark Bibby Jackson follows a stretch of the old pilgrims’ way from New Alresford to Winchester, on the recently opened St James’ Way. Perhaps it was all the Chaucer I…
Roger Hermiston and Eileen Wise stay at Toppesfield Vineyard in Essex, to enjoy the excellent wine and luxury accommodation. It was the most ravishing of views. As the late summer…
Mark Bibby Jackson stays at the De Vere Wokefield Estate Hotel just outside of Reading for his cousin’s wedding. Reading has never been my idea of somewhere to visit from…
Mark Bibby Jackson stays at the De Vere Wokefield Estate Hotel just outside of Reading for his cousin’s wedding. Reading has never been my idea of somewhere to visit from…
Neil Hennessy-Vass discovers the fruits of tasting wine in the UK at Gusbourne Estate Vineyard in Kent. Started in 2004 by founder Andrew Weeber across 350 acres in south facing…
Supported by BBC Studios Natural History Unit, the Wildscreen Festival is the leading natural world storytelling event. This year marks the 42th anniversary of the biennial festival, with the theme…
Inspired by the Marathon du Medoc, the Marathon du Malton 10K returns to the streets of Yorkshire’s foodie town on 21 September, 2025. “Britain’s Tastiest 10k”, the Marathon du Malton…
Best-selling author Helen Fields provides her selection of ideas on what to do on the Isle of Mull Scotland, a place she knows well and will soon be the setting…
For many Londoners the advent of summer can only mean one thing – the Wimbledon Tennis tournament, or The Championships Wimbledon. The oldest tennis tournament…
Roger Hermiston and Eileen Wise visit Worlington Hall near the town of Mildenhall in Suffolk for a delightful dinner. It’s one thing to claim that the rooms in your country…
Ushaw Flower Festival returns this September to a grand 500-acre country estate near historic Durham City. The three-day festival runs from September 6-8 and will fill the halls, chapels and…
After walking along the Herefordshire Trail, Mark Bibby Jackson checks into Thornbury Castle hotel, close to Bristol, following in the footsteps of Henry VIII. Thornbury Castle would be the ideal…
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.