Travel Topics
Robert Spellman reviews Nature’s Imprint: A Journey Through Time And Art an exhibition at the Whitebox gallery space of the Bankside Hotel. Neatly curated in the below-ground Whitebox gallery space…
Mark Bibby Jackson travels to Brean in Somerset to experience a traditional British holiday. One of the consequences of Covid was the growth of domestic UK staycations. In recent months…
Mark Bibby Jackson leaves Lake Ullswater to visit three castles of Cumbria – Brougham Castle, Lowther Castle and Hutton-in-the-Forest, as well as Rheged. “The river used to mark the border…
Mark Bibby Jackson takes a hike and a boak trip around Ullswater Lake in the Lake District We could not have wished for a more beautiful drive up to the…
Since its launch in 2016 in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, Kynren – An Epic Tale of England has taken audiences on an immersive journey through 2,000 years of history, myth…
Prepare to set off on a gastronomic adventure through Somerset at the eagerly awaited Taste of Somerset event. On Saturday, 15 June, Brean Leisure Park will become a haven for…
If you’re a foodie planning to visit the UK, don’t miss the chance to attend summer food festivals. These vibrant events showcase the best of British cuisine, featuring top chefs…
We do excel at music festivals here in Blighty and this summer’s offerings more than pass muster. So give the tent a once-over and pick a party or two from…
It used to be that the British summer was more fleeting than a UK PM, but whether it’s a consequence of climate change or fake news, summers too seem to…
Judith Schrut reviews La Linea 2024, the annual London Latin Music Festival. London has long been home or host to diverse nationalities and cultures; one recent study shows London as…
It was 1979, and the future was looking somewhat chilly for English country houses. The Labour Government’s ‘Winter of Discontent’ with the unions had left its mark, another energy crisis…
Heatwave, Harold Melvin’s Blue Notes and Dexter Wansel are amongst the artists performing at the Margate Soul Festival from 2 to 4 August 2024. The Kent music festival is dubbed as…
Lindisfarne, Eddi Reader, Sam Brown, Flook and Bella Gaffney will appear at the Broadstairs Folk Week 2025. The Kent music festival will take place from 8 to 15 August. Broadstairs…
River Stage National Theatre is the biggest free outdoor arts festival in the UK capital. It takes place at the National Theatre (NT) on London’s Southbank from 5 to 28 July. This year…
The Broadstairs Dickens Festival is celebrating its 88th anniversary in 2025. The three-day festival held in June in the coastal Kent town celebrates the work of the greatest Victorian novelist…
The Broadstairs Food Festival is a celebration of local food and drink, with exhibitors chosen from Kent and surrounding counties. It consists of two separate free festivals, one held in…
The Newbury Spring Festival is a mix of classical, jazz, folk and chamber music thrown in for good measure. It will take place from 11 to 25 May 2024. Concerts will be performed at St Nicolas’ Church…
Neil Hennessy-Vass visits the Sainsbury Centre at the UEA in Norwich to view What Is Truth? an exhibition which leaves you asking questions. The first thing that strikes you when…
Mark Bibby Jackson spends a night in The Windmill Clapham Common, via Stay in a Pub. As I was checking into The Windmill in Clapham Common, it occurred to me…
Judith Schrut reviews the National Theatre’s Dear Octopus, Dodie Smith’s acclaimed but rarely performed 1938 play. Does the name Dodie Smith (1896-1990) ring any literary bells for you? If no…
Rutland is a wonderful place to relax, or explore the countryside, as Mark Bibby Jackson discovers on his stay at The Barnsdale Hotel. Rutland is one of the UK’s best…
On a cultural trip to London, Mark Bibby Jackson stays at the nhow London while catching Othello at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse and Entangled Pasts at the Royal Academy. Having…
On a cultural trip to London, Mark Bibby Jackson stays at the nhow London while catching Othello at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse and Entangled Pasts at the Royal Academy. Having…
Mark Bibby Jackson reviews the restaurant at Sloane Place Chelsea investigating both main and Veganuary menus. January is traditionally a time for people to turn over new leaves. Whether it…
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.
