Westminster Abbey or as it is really know the Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster is London’s most important churches. With a history dating back to 616 the abbey was built during the 1500’s with construction commissioned by Henry III in 1245. The church has become an important coronation and burial site for many English monarchs over the years. The abbey is today recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is still used as one of London’s most important churches. The beautiful gothic western towers as seen on our photograph were built between 1722 and 1745 and were constructed out of Portland stone which is the same limestone used on Buckingham Palace and St Paul’s Cathedral it is mined from the Isle of Portland in Dorset. Inside the Abbey is some of England’s most beautiful treasures, artworks, sculptures and magnificent tile work and stained glass windows make this abbey astonishing. Over a million people visit the Abbey each year and thousands come each day to worship, details on guided tours and opening times can be found on the official website.
What could be a more romantic way to spend Valentines Day, with your partner and a llama, well if you are near Guilford in England which is about 40 minutes from the centre of London, you can have just this. The day starts with a romantic llama trek, thought he scenic hills of Surry which are looking quiet lovely although bloody cold. The trek lasts about 2 1/2 hours before ending up at a Percy’s Arms Pub at St. Martha’s Hill for a three course carvery and a glass of champagne, the dinner is for you and your partner, the llama has to stay out side. You can spend the afternoon knocking back a few pints of lager before heading home with your loved one or the llama.
The Barras or Barrowland Markets at the east end of Scotland’s Glasgow is a famous institution and has a tradition dating back nearly 90 years. Opening on the weekends the market has a huge collection of second hand goods and is notorious for counterfeit computer games, DVD’s CD’s and smuggled tobacco. It is not known how long the market will be able to survive, many believe it needs to be cleaned up and the regular police raids don’t seem to deter the traders doing things they shouldn’t. The market is also home to the nearby Barrowland Ballroom building which is a major concert venue hosting some of the world’s biggest names. The area has some of Glasgow’s best working man’s pubs including Baird’s Bar and other Celtic orientated venues.
While we enjoyed the video above of this group of people setting up their dinner party in a London Tube Train, it’s probably not recommended and perhaps frowned upon by the transit police. If you have ever been on London’s subway you will remember how cramped these trains are compared to other trains around the world. Many of London’s subways were built in the late 1800s and looking back it would have been better if they were built a wee bit bigger, the trains are shaped to maximize the little space they do have and are well known for being overcrowded and uncomfortable. Read the rest of this entry »
The Serpentine Lake, Marble Arch and Speaker’s Corner are all popular places in London and they are all part of London’s premier Royal Park Hyde Park. The park is home to many of the City’s celebrations and hosts many major events and concerts including the last years huge Live 8 concert. The parkland was originally owned by the Monks of Westminster Abbey but was acquired by Henry VIII in 1536 as a hunting ground. The park covers 350 acres and has over 4,000 trees a lake and lush meadow and is also home to the Princess Diana Memorial. There’s plenty of places for walks and picnics. For a something a bit special Winter Wonderland comes to Hyde Park from December 1st. to the 6th of January- with a huge ice rink, Christmas Market and ice rides, cafe’s bars and lots of entertainment.
Well here’s a trip with a difference, imagine jumping in a black London taxi and touring the famous political icons of Belfast. This entertaining and informative tour takes in all the sites, the murals, the Falls and Shankill Roads and peac walls which have been so much a part of the political struggle over the last few decades in Northern Ireland. Tours vary a bit too depending on the point of view of the driver you get, so you never quiet know what you are in for. And if the tour wasn’t one of the best days you have in Belfast it only gets better at the end when you are treated to a tasty bowl of Irish stew and a pint of world famous Guinness. Each tour takes about an hour and a half but you can usually do a deal with the driver and cater it to your tastes for a few extra pounds.
When you think of Scotland you think of lovely rolling hills, bagpipes, tartan and a bit of haggis well there’s so much more, have you ever thought of extreme adventure. Biking, hiking, skiing and wind surfing well take a look at our You Tube of the week and you will see there is some great fun to be had. Read the rest of this entry »
On the banks of the River Thames The Tower of London is one of London’s most popular tourist attractions. The history of the tower dates back to 1078 and has had dozens of rebuilds and extensions and just as many uses. For most of it’s life it has been a fortress but has also been a prison and home of torture and execution. The fortress has also been an armory, a mint, somewhere to house public records, even an observatory and a zoo. Today it is the home of the Crown Jewels which have been kept in the tower since they were stolen from Westminster Abbey in 1303. The burly Beefeaters guard the tower along with ravens which have been kept at the tower for over 100 years. Legend says that if the ravens ever leave the tower the British Monarchy will fall- Good Old Lizzie better hope they don’t find a better place to live.
The Eurostar is the famous train that takes passengers from Waterloo Station in London to Paris’ Gare du Nord as well as to Brussels South. Travel time between London and Paris has been around 2 hours 35 mins in the past but recently by using a new high speed track in the UK a new record has been broken at 2 hours and 3 min. Previously once the train hit the UK the trains had to slow down to use the British rail network along side other trains. Now the new high speed track brings the trains to a new terminal at St Pancras at the same speed as the French side, proving the British can be as good as the French! If you need to get from London to Paris go the train instead of the plane, its the quickest way to get from the centre of one city to the centre of another. Read the rest of this entry »
You can dream up just about anything and Harrods Department Store in Knightsbridge London will be able to source it, gift wrap it and even deliver it. The store is one of the worlds finest selling an amazing range of products. To shop in their store it is nothing short of an event they have seven floors and 300 departments packed with some of the finest products you could wish to buy. The food hall in the basement is extraordinary (and in many cases just like its prices) this beautifully tiled hall sells food from the four corners of the earth the range is incredible. Visitors beware there are doormen on every door ensuring no undesirables or badly dressed people enter, no backpacks, no torn jeans and no revealing skimpy costumes are just a few of the items forbidden. As tomorrow marks the 10th anniversary of the tragic death of Diana Princess of Wales and Dodi Al Fayed (the son of Harrod’s owner) we must mention the moving shrine at the emporium dedicated to the both of them – this beautiful tribute is well worth a visit.
