Category Archives: England

→ Royal traditions make for rich holiday experiences when Aussie travellers are exploring the UK … BEING a royal has abundant perks with the aristocracy living in castles, wearing expensive threads, and donning priceless pieces of jewellery. But there are also many intricacies employed by the British monarchy – some traditions cemented by time andContinue reading “England’s royal quirks …”

A MECCA for arts lovers, music fans, sports enthusiasts, and shopping aficionados, Manchester has almost as much going on as London. Musical Manchester The “Madchester’’ music movement was born during the late 1980s and early ’90s, mixing alternative music with sounds from the electronic dance scene, and grew to launch bands such as The StoneContinue reading “Essential Manchester experiences …”

I SEE why this tranquil corner of England inspired Beatrix Potter to write tales about rabbits and William Wordsworth to pen poems about daffodils. I’ve only been in the Lake District a couple of hours and I’m already sitting on the deck of a vintage steamer as it drifts across Lake Windermere with my notebookContinue reading “Literary landscape …”

ON this day, 100 years ago, the first shots of the Great War had already been fired. German soldiers had crossed the Belgian and French borders to occupy settlements from Brussels to Bapaume, ships and submarines from fleets on both sides of the conflict were sitting on the sea bed, and the first Australians hadContinue reading “Imperial War Museum …”

I HAVE never been a big fan of The Beatles. I know the words to the Fab Four’s biggest hits, learning by osmosis during a childhood when the radio frequently featured tunes by the lads from Liverpool, but that’s about as far as my interest goes. So when I find myself spending a day deepContinue reading “Liverpool beyond the Beatles …”

TRAFFIC in London often grinds to a standstill and, as a result, the English capital isn’t considered the best city to explore on four wheels – until now that is. A couple of years ago three mates, Mini Cooper enthusiasts, established a boutique tour company that takes visitors around London’s busy streets in little carsContinue reading “Motoring around London …”

YOU will need to adhere to a particular dress code if you want to enjoy the best view in Bath. No, you won’t need a jacket and tie or cocktail dress to get into this venue, with the apparel of a more practical style that requires guests to wear a different kind of suit. ToContinue reading “Dipping a toe in a steaming pool …”

ROLLING pastures that look like they are covered by blankets of green velvet, ancient dry-stone walls hiding beneath layers of moss, quaint cottages with clouds of fireplace smoke wafting from terracotta chimney pots, and flocks of black-faced sheep grazing beside babbling brooks. This is the Cotswolds, a place that is just as beautiful as itsContinue reading “It’s all in the name …”

I WENT to church last night. No, it’s not something I would typically do when travelling, and the last time I visited a Catholic church when a priest was all frocked up and ready to work was back in 1985 when I was in grade six and still wearing the maroon and light blue ofContinue reading “Hitting a high note …”

The sun finally came out in Bath, after snow fell for a few minutes this morning…here are some more photos so you can see just beautiful the buildings in the historic Somerset village are. Visit the Bath website

BATH is just as wonderful as I imagined it would be. Seeing the historic settlement always sat very high on my travel to-do list, so it was a big moment when I drove into town two days ago and got my first glimpse of the rows of regal Bath stone buildings that meander over theContinue reading “Bath time …”

TODAY I soaked in water that has been trapped underground for centuries, and in a place where the Romans did exactly the same thing more than 2000 years ago. I’m in Bath, the beautiful settlement two hours west of London, and after doing a tour of the ancient Roman baths I went next door toContinue reading “Taking the water …”

AS the old saying goes, travel expands the mind. But there is no doubt that some trips also expand the waistline, and this is one of them. When a hotel chain or tourist authority is hosting a trip, just as the folks from VisitBritain are looking after this one, most of the meals are takenContinue reading “Food, glorious food …”

SO far this tour of England has been all about the royal family. I have visited Kensington Palace where a long line of princesses lived, seen the royal family’s collection of carriages at The Royal Mews, had a tour of Eton where William and Harry were educated as well as numerous kings both foreign andContinue reading “A royal affair …”

“IT’S The Dorchester, Darling,” the voice behind me announced. For a moment, as I was standing on the front step of my London hotel trying to locate the nearest underground station on my tourist map, I thought I was checked into the same address as Ivana Trump. I casually looked around, pretending to peak atContinue reading “Very fancy address​ …”