The Grand Brighton Review : Changing with the Tides
Mark Bibby Jackson checks into The Grand Brighton and really does have a grand time in the Palace by the Sea. The Grand Brighton hotel has always been a place…
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Mark Bibby Jackson checks into The Grand Brighton and really does have a grand time in the Palace by the Sea. The Grand Brighton hotel has always been a place…
Of course, some of Cornwall’s main attractions are the beaches you’ll find along the coastline which all have their unique charm. Depending on if you’re looking for golden sands for…
Are you ready to plan your holidays for 2024? A road trip could be a great option. You can explore a new area of the UK and escape the cost…
From the India to Turkey and Colombia to Belgium, we bring you the best festivals in December, including where to ring in the New Year, and that is not even…
From the original December market to the city that created stollen, the source of mulled wine and the first Christmas tree, let Travel Begins at 40 guide you through some…
Thinking of booking a holiday soon? This can be an exciting time for anyone but during the process, you’ll be asked to select any extras you want to add to…
Hull’s historic Spurn Lightship has returned to the city’s waterfront following a 14-month restoration in the latest stage of a multi-million-pound…
Mark Bibby Jackson does some guided walking in the Yorkshire Dales with HF Holidays to Gordale Scar and Bolton Abbey. I’ve never been a great fan of footwear. Barefooted is…
For those who live to reach the highest peaks and to push themselves physically and mentally, there’s no doubt that hiking takes one of the top spots when it comes…
Welcome fellow adventurers! Are you ready to dive into London’s vibrant fall season? It’s that time of year when London transforms into a kaleidoscope of rustling red, orange, and yellow…
In the UK, the popularity of camping has enjoyed a boom over the past few years. It’s a low-budget way to get away from it all while immersing yourself in…
From the Day of the Dead to Christmas markets and Thanksgiving, November is a month that celebrates the emergence of winter. Here is our selection of the best festivals in…
In the Offing, a new exhibition by Turner-prize winning artist Mark Leckey, will be on show at the Turner Contemporary, Margate Kent from 7 October to 14 January. The exhibition…
Roger Hermiston and Eileen Wise stay at the Rudding Park Hotel and Spa on their visit to Harrogate for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival. Charles Dickens thought it…
From two of the most important festivals in the Indian calendar, to sausage festivals in Lincoln and Weimar, October is a month full of fun. Here is our selection of…
So many of London’s hotels tend to be big, showy, and audacious, with an extra helping of elitism added on for good measure, but where do you rest your head…
To music on a Holy Island to Derby’s biggest street festival, read Travel Begins at 40’s round-up of the best UK festivals in September 2023. UK Music Festivals in September…
Mark Bibby Jackson tries out cocktails in London at the 40 Elephants, in the Great Scotland Yard Hotel Westminster, one of the best cocktail bars in London. In my early…
Travel Begins at 40 looks at Unique hideaways a company that provides eco glamping escapes in the UK, from staying in a treehouse to a converted wagon or yurt. The…
Marion Ainge steams across Ullswater and savours a sumptuous afternoon tea while staying in Askham in the Lake District. The sunlight sparkles on the water as the historic Western Belle…
Roger Hermiston takes a cookery course from Linda Duffin of Mrs Portly’s Kitchen in Brockford, Suffolk. It seems that there’s a word for it – but I’ll wager you’ve never…
From Peru to Ghana, intermingling the UK’s multicultural beat, this year’s world music festival certainly lived up to its billing. Read Robert Spellman’s WOMAD 2023 review. “What acts are you…
Kathryn Williams, Morganway, The Leisure Society and India Electric Co. headline the Deepdale Festival in Norfolk this September. More than 40 acts will perform over the four days of the…
The VW Festival returns to Harewood House in August. The festival involves live music, food and entertainment as well as the best in vintage – and modified – VW automobiles…
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.