Friday February 10, 2012
Among Britain's hundreds of castles, the castles of Cornwall have a special magic. Think King Arthur or the tragic love triangle of King Mark, Tristan and Isolde - the history and legends of the ancient Celtic Kingdom of Cornwall are written in stones that you can still visit - in between surfing at world class beaches, riding thrill rides at theme parks and stalking prehistoric tree ferns in subtropical forests. Yes, Cornwall has absolutely mystical castles. but it has a lot more besides.
Find out more about the castles and attractions of magical Cornwall.
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Wednesday February 8, 2012
The St. Ermin's Hotel, near St. James's Park in London, has a marvelous secret history of spies and spycatchers, espionage and betrayal. To mark its recent refurbishment into a 300-room, luxury 4-star hotel in the heart of London, and to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first James Bond film, the hotel is offering families a fun value package to capture the imagination of any young would-be spies.
Throughout 2012, families can take advantage of a two-night "Budding Bonds" package for a total of £550. The VAT inclusive price covers two nights bed and breakfast accommodation for a family of four sharing the same room, and includes a Secret Agent Code Breaker pack and the London Spy Walk Challenge quiz.
Find out what makes this Victorian pile, tucked into a quiet corner of central London, one of Europe's most famous spy hotels.
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Wednesday February 8, 2012
The ballot for one of 5,000 pairs of free tickets to the June 4 Diamond Jubilee Concert is now open. Anyone resident in the UK, The Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, or with a BFPO address, can apply online or by post until 23:59 (11:59 p.m.) GMT, Friday, March 2.
The concert, in celebration of Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee, marking her 60 years on the throne, is part of a four day Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend in June. Lucky ticket holders will first get to enjoy a picnic in the back garden of Buckingham Palace (complete with a souvenir hamper to take away) before taking their seats for a mega concert being staged by the BBC on a stage erected around the Queen Victoria Memorial , pictured here. The concert lineup is still evolving but the organizers promise top performers of music and dance from Britain, Australia, Canada and the USA.
Each ticket holder will be allowed to nominate one named guest. So if you don't live in the UK but have relatives and friends who do, now is the time to remind them to apply for tickets. The winning ticket holders will be notified at the end of March.
Sunday February 5, 2012
The Edinburgh Fringe Festival program isn't out until May but tickets for a handful of shows have already gone on sale. Could it be the festival organizers are worried about competition from the London 2012 Olympics and are making a pitch for our attention early?
I'm all for that. There's a lot more to see and do all over the UK this August besides paying a lot of money to watch anorexic looking men and women run around in circles in their underwear. While London goes Olympics mad, some calmer heads are wondering whether this multi-billion pound event will really be a bonanza or will just keep visitors away. Apparently Beijing tourism fell by more and a million during their Olympics.
But even if you are a big Olympics fan, when you've seen the event you've managed to score tickets for, you could hang around in London, where everything from restaurants to Underground stations will be packed, or you could head north to catch the Edinburgh Fringe, which continues to the end of August. It will be crowded up there too, of course, but the Edinburgh crowds will be partying in the streets instead of sweating in a crowded Tube train.
If you're tempted, visit the Edinburgh Festival website to see what tickets are already on sale or to pre-order your 2012 Official Festival Fringe Program. I guarantee they'll be a lot cheaper than the Olympics.
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photo by www.theedinburghblog.co.uk
