Being an island is crucial to our national identity in Britain. The geography of our country has played a huge rule in defining the way we think today. To at least some extent our island status is surely responsible for the fact that most of us fall short of feeling European. We do not have the same mind set as the rest of the continent that we are supposed to be a part of. However, Britain wasn’t always an island. Continue reading
I am feeling extremely offended. Buyagift.co.uk has unveiled Hatebreaks, a list of the worse travel destinations in the world and my former home is featured in the catalogue of shame. I lived in the Toxteth district of Liverpool and am shocked to find that it is apparently one of the worst places on the planet to visit but it really isn’t! Continue reading
When travelling abroad as well as exploring new ground and learning about other cultures I always find it fascinating to hear how other people view Great Britain. It never ceases to amaze me what features of my homeland attract the most interest and what a bizarre vision of life over here some people have. This is particularly true of Americans, many of whom seem to believe that we all live in chocolate box cottages, travel everywhere in red buses and always go to work in bowler hats. Continue reading
I realise that if you are a frequent traveller it is all too easy to underestimate the attractions of your own country and to take many things for granted. Familiarity can certainly breed contempt and so I am always careful to try to appreciate what Britain has to offer and always attempt to experience every destination through the eyes of a visitor who is unfamiliar with our history, architecture and countryside. Despite this there is one supremely famous and revered place that I simply cannot get excited about – Stonehenge. Continue reading
I am a frequent visitor to London and am well used to all of the principle sights but one place that I always seem to find myself is Covent Garden. The site of the old fruit and veg market is now a place of many delights for both tourists and Londoners alike and I for one find it difficult to stay away for too long. Continue reading
I work hard during the week and not being one for lounging about when I do get some free time I am always looking for a great day out. The trouble is, now that I have reached a certain age, I appear to exhausted most of the possibilities in the UK and there are few attractions which have merited a second visit. I have been spoiled by travelling too much and discovering so many special places. So much of what is on offer in the UK just doesn’t seem to cut it anymore. Continue reading
When travelling abroad I have often marvelled at other tourist’s propensity for buying tacky souvenirs of their trips. Plastic Eiffel Towers and Coliseum ashtrays are a bit of a cliché but must retain some level of popularity as the streets are always full of places to buy them. Why anyone would want these things I cannot imagine as they are not indicative of the nations or the beauty of the buildings and serve no useful purpose whatsoever. Sadly things are not much better in England as I discovered this very weekend when I ventured out for the afternoon to a tourist hotspot. Continue reading
Cornwall is one of England’s most beautiful counties and has been a destination of choice for holidaymakers for many years due to its climate and spectacular scenery. Increasingly though it’s not just the holidaymakers and the retired people who are moving to Cornwall in search of a quieter way of life, it’s young professionals and families with children who are realising that the internet and other technologies mean that they can work just as efficiently in Cornwall as anywhere else in the UK. Continue reading
I noted with interest that the One Show on the BBC has been broadcasting from Weston Super Mare this week. I am sure this is an attempt to highlight the benefits of a holiday in the UK but I am not buying it. Of all the places that I regularly consider spending my precious holiday time each year, the UK would be bottom of my list and there are plenty of good reasons why. Continue reading