The Royal Wedding: Inspiring Americans to visit Great Britain

BIG BEN, the London Eye, Buckingham Palace, the River Thames have all lured Americans to Great Britain through the years, but now there's a renewed interest as England's Prince Harry is set to wed American actress Meghan Markle on May 19, 2018. According to a quick poll of travel agents in Travel Leaders Network – one of America's largest retail travel agency organizations – some are seeing an increase in clients wanting to travel to Great Britain as a result of the Royal wedding.

The #royalwedding is expected to be one of the largest events for #Windsor Castle and thousands are planning to flock to the area hoping to get a glimpse of the lovebirds as they travel in procession after their wedding ceremony. Whether you're traveling to #GreatBritain this spring or later in the year, here are some things to see and do while you're there.

Ride in Royal Footsteps - Horse-drawn tours are available to the public from Windsor Castle, with private guided tours on the Long Walk.

Art and Architecture in Windsor - Windsor Castle, about 45 minutes from London by train, has been home to 39 monarchs.

Buckingham Palace - The queen's official London residence, is open for tours from July 21 to Sept. 30. 

Diana's Fashion Sense - The memory of Prince Harry's mother, Princess Diana, lives on around Kensington Palace, home to many of today's British royals. On display here is "Diana: Her Fashion Story," featuring outfits worn by the late Princess of Wales. 

Warwick Castle - A medieval fortress built in 1068 and located on the River Avon, is about 90 minutes from London by train. Take an intriguing tour of the medieval vaults and climb to the top of the castle's towers and ramparts.

Southwest England - A visit to Southwest England is gorgeous, even from a train window, but it is not complete without a stop at Tintagel Castle's legendary ruins.

Trooping the Colour - The annual parade, which for nearly 300 years has marked the official birthday of the British sovereign, will be June 9th this year.

Feast Like a King -  A train ride would allow one to stop for mouth-watering experiences in many different cities, from avant-garde haute cuisine to renowned ethnic and regional dishes.

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Shakespeare’s school to open in Stratford

THE SCHOOLROOM in which #WilliamShakespeare was educated, and the venue where he first experienced live theatre, is to open on Saturday, April 23, exactly 400 years after his death.

The transformation of Shakespeare’s Schoolroom into a visitor attraction in Stratford-upon-Avon was possible thanks to a £1.8 million restoration of the Grade I-listed 15th century building.

The attraction allows visitors to explore Shakespeare’s formative years to see how his schooling, coupled with the opportunity to see actors performing in the local guildhall, inspired him to become England’s – and arguable the world’s –greatest playwright.

Visitors can sit in the room where he sat in as a pupil and take part in a live Tudor lesson with a ‘master’.

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Picture Credit: Bard of Avon:  the Story of William Shakespeare</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com

Kent – England’s garden of delights

HEAD just a little way south-east of London to discover castles, moated manors, and perfect gardens and villages. 

The county of Kent acquired the nickname of the Garden of England, a provider of fruit, flowers, and hops. Here are five of its must-see highlights: 

• The Boleyn family home of Hever Castle played its part as the backdrop of Henry VIII’s romance with Anne Boleyn, one of the greatest love affairs in history. See Anne’s bedroom, and take a boat on the lake. 

• Whitstable is known for its oysters and maritime history. Sup a local ale at the Old Neptune pub on the beach and see how the building has stood up to many a storm with its wonky window frames and sloping floor. 

One of Britain’s most striking beaches, Botany Bay is recognized for its tall chalk stacks and stretching sandy shores that Turner captured on canvas. 

Then head to Margate, where you can watch those famous Turner sunsets. 

• Lovers are powerless to resist the romantic allure of Leeds Castle, surrounded by its own reflections in the moat. The interior is an art deco dream. 

•  The 14^th century Scotney Castle (pictured) has acres of woodland to explore, complete with a secluded picnic area. 

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Picture Credit: "Hever Castle & cottages over moat". Licenced under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons; "Cliffs at Botany Bay, Kent 3" by Nilfanion - Own work. Licenced under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons; "Scotney Castle, Lamberhurst, Kent" by Brian - originally posted to Flickr as Scotney Castle, Lamberhurst, Kent. Licenced under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Wolsey Lodges adds to its collection

NINE B&B properties – from Scotland to Cornwall – have been added to the Wolsey Lodge collection this year, with more in the pipeline. 

The properties include: two manor houses; a former residence of the 9th Duke of Athol; an original Somerset Long House; a former bakery; a rectory and a Victorian keeper's cottage; a Georgian Grade II listed townhouse; and an Edwardian country house. All have either en suite or private bathrooms.

‘Wolsey Lodges is the forerunner in terms of luxury B&B,’ says Robin Clough, chairman of the not-for-profit marketing organization. ‘We were founded almost 35 years ago and have long been one of the best-kept secrets of the travelling cognoscenti. We have always had the strong ethos that the welcome received by guests is one that a friend would receive, and a stay that charms and exceeds expectations.’

The group’s B&Bs are vetted and inspected carefully to ensure they meet exacting standards, says Mr Clough. ‘There has always been something rather special about the type of guest who enjoys staying at Wolsey Lodges and this takes Wolsey Lodges into a different league from most B&B organizations.

 www.wolseylodges.com

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From the Ministry of Strange Events …

WE all know about Glastonbury, but have you heard of …

The World Bog Snorkelling Championships, Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys, Wales – August 30: Most festival-goers hope to keep their wellies clean this summer, but some relishing the muddier side of festival season. 

This sport – if it is a sport – consists of jumping into a water-filled trench in a bog and swimming two lengths as fast as possible. It attracts competitors from all over the world, some from as far away as New Zealand.

Tar Barrels, Ottery St. Mary, East Devon – November 5: A tradition which has continued for hundreds of years and sees locals holding flaming barrels of tar running through the crowds. Seventeen barrels are carried through the streets. 

British Lawn Mowing Championships, Coneyhurst West Sussex – September 26-27: Like many potty ideas, lawn mower racing was dreamt up over a pint in a pub in 1973 … can you tell? The British Lawn Mower Racing Association organizes races all over the UK, enabling grown men and women enjoy the sheer thrill of racing modified lawn mowers. It’s not as expensive as motor racing. 

To enter, your mower has to be approved for use in a particular class of racing, stamped, and given a log book and race number. 

Up Helly Aa, Lerwick, Scotland – January 26: Dating back to the 1840s Europe’s biggest fire festival lights up a dark winter’s day in January. Celebrating Shetland’s Viking heritage, one of the biggest draws is the Jarl Squad, a band of modern-day Viking warriors who make various appearances throughout the day.

Dunmow Flitch Trials, Great Dunmow, Essex – July 9, 2016: Originating, it’s believed, in the 12th century, the trials exist to award a flitch of bacon to married couples if they can satisfy a judge and jury of six maidens and six bachelors that in the previous year and a day they have not – not even once – ‘wisht themselves unmarried again'. The winning couple get the bacon and are carried through the village on the shoulders of local men. Do you fancy your chances?  You’ve got a year in which to work out a way of convincing the jury. Oh, and that flitch word: It’s a side, or a steak cut from the side, of an animal or fish.

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Picture Credit: RUD 2880 by Rud-gr - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons, 

The golden age of the British seaside

David Kernek has been enjoying a new book about a long gone British institution

SOME of the most unclouded memories of my childhood in a gritty, post-war inner London borough were of annual one-week holidays in Great Yarmouth on the Norfolk coast. I remember the beaches – most of them newly-cleared of WW2 mines – the end-of-the-pier shows, the ice cream and hot dog stands, the tea stalls on the prom, candy floss, chips served up on pages from yesterday’s Daily Mirror, the stench of boiling hops from the town’s brewery and, of course, because it was July, the relentless east wind, rain, and the icy sea.

Great Yarmouth’s brewery has long since gone – there’s a supermarket on the site now –just as the world of the Great British #Seaside experience has vanished. It was the product of the 19th century railway boom that carried the toiling masses and their children from the dark, satanic cities to their weeks by the sea, creating a coastal network of towns – many of them previously small fishing ports – whose principal business was the provision of pleasure. Its end came a little more than a century later, done in – year by year – by the growth in the 1960s of the foreign package tour industry. The toiling masses could have their funfairs, hot dogs, chips, and tea in Benidorm, plus the things the Blackpools, Brightons, and Butlins’ couldn’t guarantee: sun and a warm sea.

Beside the Sea: Britain’s Lost Seaside Heritage by Sarah Freeman is an affectionate and informative history of the rise and protracted decline of this island’s coastal pleasure towns, from #Blackpool, #Brighton and Bangor and Scarborough and Southport – the towns that gave us holiday camps, donkey rides, knobbly knees and beauty contests, deckchairs and funfairs, and the great piers stretching out into the oceans. It was in the pavilions at the end of the piers that the entertainment stars of the 20th century laid the foundations of their fame.

Max Miller began his career on Brighton’s – now destroyed – West Pier. The Rolling Stones played the Tower Ballroom in New Brighton in 1964. By 1963, the Beatles had played at that venue 27 times. My first adolescent crush was on Helen Shapiro, a very young blues and pop singer. She topped the bill at a variety show in Great Yarmouth to which I was taken. I’ve never forgotten her!

Beside the Sea: Britain’s Lost Seaside Heritage by Sarah Freeman. Aurum Press, £25.

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Picture Credit: Eastbourne Bandstand - geograph.org.uk - 256414 by Colin Smith. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons, Courtesy of Beside the Sea: Britain's Lost Seaside Heritage.

Take Afternoon Tea at the Treasure Houses of England

ENJOY the English tradition of Afternoon Tea in the finest houses, castles, and palaces in England.

Woburn Abbey, Bedfordshire: The quintessential English tradition of Afternoon Tea is said to have been started around 1840 by Duchess Anna Maria, wife of the 7th Duke of Bedford, who entertained her friends in the Blue Drawing Room at Woburn Abbey. 

Visitors today can experience Afternoon Tea at Woburn at the Duchess' Tea Room or at the estate's hotel in the village.

Burghley House, Lincolnshire: Have tea in Capability Brown's Orangery restaurant overlooking the topiary in the South Gardens. 

Beaulieu, Hampshire: Try Afternoon Tea with a wide selection of cakes and pastries all baked in-house in the Brabazon coffee shop and restaurant. Some of the produce comes from Lord Montagu's Victorian Kitchen garden.

Hatfield House, Hertfordshire: Take tea to dizzy heights with Hatfield's Helicopter Discovery Tour, an eight-mile helicopter flight over the estate followed by a cream tea at the house.

Castle Howard, North Yorkshire: From traditional sponge cake and scones with jam and cream to golden flapjack and caramel shortbread, try afternoon treat at one of Castle Howard's cafés.

Leeds Castle, Kent: Cream teas are served the 17th century oak-beamed Fairfax Restaurant or on the terrace overlooking the castle.

www.treasurehouses.co.uk


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Picture Credit: Richard Edward Miller - Afternoon Tea by Richard Edward Miller - http://www.pinterest.com/jloonvan/richard-edward-miller/. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons, Afternoon tea at Windsor Armsby ~Bani~ - Afternoon tea at Windsor Arms. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons 

Take a wild walk in Wiltshire

WILTSHIRE has a large array of wildlife and a huge variety of habitats, including chalk grassland, ancient woodland, heaths, and forest. One way to see it up close and personal is to join a Wiltshire Wild Walk.

On nature watching walks, participants are given binoculars and telescopes. There are also photography walks in areas of outstanding beauty.

Half day tours – approximately four hours – allow plenty of time to visit a diverse range of wildlife habitats in and around some of Wiltshire’s beautiful and historic landmarks. Full day tours run for approximately eight hours, including a lunch break.

Groups, families, and individuals are all welcome and the walking tours are available to everyone regardless of their level of fitness or ability. Half day tours start from £60 and full day tours are from £95.

For full details, call 07977 070451 or send an e-mail to nature@wiltshirewildwalks.com 

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Picture Credit: Bluebells on the earthworks at Castle Ditches - geograph.org.uk by Jim Champion. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons, Stourhead, gardens and the lake by Delta 51 - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

UK holiday standards rising, say 42%

ALMOST half of people (42%) believe that holiday standards in the UK have risen over the last five to 10 years, according to a poll by property rental company holidaycottages.co.uk

More than a third (35%) find it less stressful to take a domestic holiday than abroad, without concerns about airports and luggage allowances, while 51% believe there is now more choice of UK holidays available.

The research found that 72% are more likely to support local business when holidaying within the UK than when they are at home. Sixty three percent of 25-34 year-olds surveyed make an effort to stay in independently-owned holiday homes as a way of supporting local businesses. This compares with 82% of those aged 55 or above who visit local attractions and tourists sites.

Holidaycottages.co.uk director James Morris said: ‘It’s encouraging to see Brits supporting tourism in the UK. We have a great range of coastlines, countryside, and fresh produce to enjoy right on our doorsteps, and it is pleasing that people are taking advantage of them. Such support indicates that we are set for a strong summer season.’

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Magna Carta in Lincoln

LINCOLN CASTLE has one of the only four original copies of #MagnaCarta. 

It can be seen there in a new visitor centre which opened on April 1.

The centre also features a 'wall of words' on which each word of the 1215 document is translated into modern English, plus a cinema screen to tell the document's story. 

Also on display is one of only two surviving original copies of the Charter of the Forest, issued in 1217 to amplify Magna Carta.

www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/visiting/historic-buildings/lincoln-castle

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Picture Credits: "Lincoln Castle Turret" by Stuart Herrington (Own work) via Wikimedia Commons; "Magna Carta" parchment Courtesy lincolnshire.gov.uk/visiting/historic-buildings/lincoln-castle

Coastal project to reel in tourists

AMBLE HARBOUR VILLAGE – to be officially unveiled on March 28 – aims to showcase Amble, Northumberland, as a coastal destination for British and foreign tourists, including active holidaymakers, birdwatchers, walkers, yachting people, and families. 

It comprises a new seafood centre and 15 wooden retail pods located on the regenerated harbour and waterfront. It is part of a wider regeneration project for Amble.

Sarah Dunne, Amble Harbour Village co-ordinator, said: 'We want Amble to be recognized as a lively, welcoming town that is proud of its social, industrial, and maritime heritage. This involves working with local businesses, including the fishing community, food retail outlets, and other waterfront and town centre businesses, to ensure the harbour area and marina is fundamental to the visitor experience of Amble.'

Pictured in Amble harbour are two cobles (those furtherest from camera) - clinker-built open fishing boats unique to the north east coast of England. Characterised by their shallow draft for landing and launching from beaches, twin keels, high bow to cope with heavy seas and launching into surf, a steeply raked transom, and a tarpaulin shelter instead of a cabin.

The launch will be nautical-themed family event. 

The Newcastle University Training vessel The Princess Royal, the Amble inshore lifeboat, and a locally built skiff will be on display at the harbour. 

There will also be cooking displays, food and drink from Amble businesses, plus arts and crafts.

www.ambleharbourvillage.co.uk

www.visitnorthumberland.com/coast  

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Picture Credit: Courtesy ambleharbourvillage.co.uk; "Cobles in the harbour, Amble (1)" by Andy F via Wikimedia Commons

Time for tea!

ALONG with warm ale, cricket on a village green and the lost discipline of queuing at bus stops, there are few things so quintessentially English as afternoon tea: scones, cream cakes, and a cuppa or two. 

But where to find the best when you’re out and about on holiday? .... Afternoontea.co.uk might be able to help. It offers free online booking at more than 500 afternoon tea venues nationwide. 

Ranging from country tea rooms to five-star hotels and medieval castles to double-decker buses, whether you’re looking in a particular area, have a budget in mind or searching for something unusual, the website is a resource for holidaymakers and locals alike.

Searches can be tailored for specific needs; gluten-free, vegan, gardens, and dog-friendly.

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Snowdrops at Hodsock

VISIT Hodsock Priory in Worksop, Nottinghamshire in February and you’ll be pretty certain to see 12 acres of snowdrop-covered woodland. 

The village will have a tea room, gift shop, and plant sale.

www.snowdrops.co.uk

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Picture Credit:'250th banner' courtesy sowdrops.co.uk;  'Hodsock over a bank of snowdrops' by martin dawes via Wikimedia Commons

Upstairs, downstairs at Holkham Hall

A SHOW of photographs recording a year in the life of an English country estate will be the main exhibition at Holkham Hall, Norfolk, in 2015.

Behind Closed Doors: A Year in the Life of a Working Estate features the work of Magnum photographer Chris Steele-Perkins, who visited Holkham during a 12-month period. 

The portfolio includes informal pictures of the owners – Viscount and Viscountess Coke – gamekeepers, gardeners, and housekeepers.

The exhibition will be open to visitors from March 29 to October 31.

www.holkham.co.uk

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Picture Credit: 'Deer in the park, Holkham Hall, Norfolk' by chris cox via Wikimedia Commons

What to do in Windsor …

ROYAL WINDSOR'S attractions are open during the Christmas and New Year holiday for winter garden walks, a peek at festive Windsor Castle, calorie burning on ice, or a gallery's cultural inspiration.

Windsor Castle is the planet’s oldest and largest inhabited castle. 

Queen Elizabeth spends Christmas at her country home in Norfolk, which means visitors can see the State apartments transformed with festive decorations. In the State dining room, a table of glittering silver-gilt from the Grand Service takes centre stage. Closed December 25-26, then open to December 31.

The Savill Garden in Windsor Great Park comprises 35 acres of colour and scent. 

One of England’s finest ornamental garden includes The Queen Elizabeth Temperate House, where poinsettias provide festive cheer in the lead up to Christmas and hyacinths and scented narcissi fill the house with perfume through to January and February. The garden is closed only on December 25 and 26.

Windsor on Ice offers a great family day out regardless of the weather. The covered rink is open daily (except Christmas Day) until Sunday January 4.

Dedicated to one of the most original British painters of his generation, the Stanley Spencer Gallery in Cookham has the world's largest collection of his works in the former Methodist Chapel he attended as a child.  Closed December 25.

www.windsor.gov.uk

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Picture Credit: FromTop - Windsor Castle - "Estatua de la Reina Victoria en la colina del castillo, Windsor, Inglaterra" by Diego Delso via Wikimedia Commons; "Bridge, Savill Gardens - geograph.org.uk - 1582279" by John Myers via Wikimedia Commons

Benedict puts Sherborne on the map

SHERBORNE, Dorset, is celebrating its new-found fame as Benedict Cumberbatch's new film, The Imitation Game, opens in cinemas.

The film features Sherborne School as the set for the biopic film starring Cumberbatch as the WW2 Bletchley Park code-breaker Alan Turing, who was a pupil at the school in the 1920s.

Dominic Elliott, Mayor of Sherborne during the filming, commented on the impact of the film crew and the interest in the town. ‘We have a history of filming in this town and I am very pleased to see it continue. Like the filming for Far From the Madding Crowd, this puts Sherborne back on the map.’

Sherborne can expect more interest next spring, with the release of the much anticipated Thomas Vinterberg adaptation of Hardy's Far From the Madding Crowd starring Carey Mulligan and Tom Sturridge. Film locations included Sherborne Abbey, Castleton Church, and Abbey Close, the streets of which were transformed into an 1870s market square located in the town of Casterbridge.

Sherborne School and the surrounding area will feature again in a BBC adaptation of Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel's novel.

Why can't Hollywood and independent film makers keep away from this small market town situated on the Dorset-Somerset border?

It has two castles, one of which was commissioned by Sir Walter Raleigh, Sherborne Abbey – which goes back much further than its perpendicular arches suggest – the 16th century Sherborne School, and an independent butcher, J & M Parsons, which can trace its trading history back to 1840.

www.sherbornedorset.co.uk

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Picture Credit: 'The new castle, Sherborne' by Pengannel via Wikimedia Commons

Light up the village!

THE Dunster by Candlelight Festival takes place on December 5 and 6. Stilt-walkers lead a procession through the cobbled streets of the Somerset village to light the lanterns, which take the place of electric street lamps for two evenings every year.

The village’s medieval streets throng with carol singers, choirs, and street entertainers, as well as food and craft stalls. Profits from the sale of the festival programme go to the local St Margaret's Hospice.

No cars are allowed in the village during these two evenings, so visitors get there on one of the special buses (£3 per person) which leave from neighbouring Minehead, Watchet, Wheddon Cross, and Porlock.

www.dunsterbycandlelight.co.uk

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Picture Credit - From Top: 'Dunster by Candlelight' - www.dunsterbycandlelight.co.uk; 'Musicians accompanying the Morris Dancing at Dunster' by Basher Eyre via Wikimedia Commons

Pubs urged to back English Tourism Week

VISITENGLAND hopes to get further support for English Tourism Week (ETW) next year in a collaboration with the British Beer & Pub Association.

Pubs will be encouraged to get behind the promotional week that aims to raise awareness of the English tourism product among consumers and the trade.

Pubs have been described as a ‘beacon’ for tourists and are cited as a major attraction for 13 million foreign tourists, according to the tourism authority.

ETW will run from March 14 to March 22 next year and it is hoped pubs will get involved with English-themed menus, quiz nights, and music events.

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Picture Credit: "The Fleece Inn, Traditional English Pub, Bretforton, Worcestershire" by IDS.photos from Tiverton via Wikimedia Commons

Wild Boar in Sussex

WILD BOAR WEEK in Rye, East Sussex, starts on October 25.


Wild boar is celebrated in a week-long event featuring walks, talks, and tours, plus more than 20 pubs, restaurants and hotels showcasing boar and other medieval and game dishes on their menus. 


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Picture Credit: GoHoliday magazine

On the trail of Magna Carta …

VISITWILTSHIRE and Salisbury Cathedral have created a two-day Magna Carta tourist trail to increase domestic and international tourism in Wiltshire.

The trail includes Salisbury Cathedral and Magna Carta, Stonehenge, Avebury, and Trowbridge. 

It is one of six special trails, each covering different aspects of the Magna Carta story as part of the commemoration of the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta in 2015.

Momentum has been building in anticipation of June 15, exactly 800 years after King John put his seal to Magna Carta, as presented to him by barons at Runnymede on the Thames near Windsor. 

Magna Carta is widely regarded across the English-speaking world as the first key document in an historical process that led to the establishment of constitutional law in England and beyond. 

It influenced the early settlers in New England and inspired later constitutional documents, including the United States constitution.

Salisbury Cathedral is home to the finest preserved of only four remaining original 1215 Magna Carta, to be re-displayed in an interactive exhibition for 2015.

The trails, lasting from two to four days, are detailed in a new leaflet and dedicated website. They are deigned to be self-guided, and suitable for both British and foreign visitors.

www.visitwiltshire.co.uk/magnacarta

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