Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for england
Tanks A Million
By Linda Tancs
Military tanks were initially deployed during the first world war, developed by the British for use in the trenches at the Battle of Somme. So it should come as no surprise that Britain lays claim to having the best collection of tanks in the world at the Tank Museum in Bovington, Dorset. This weekend you can enjoy one of the best displays of moving armor in the world at the museum’s Tankfest. Among the activities on offer are mock battles, historic and modern armor displays and live demonstrations. Here’s a chance to test your mettle.
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Old Masters in London
By Linda Tancs
Now through 13 June enjoy Old Master paintings, antiques, furniture and jewelry at Olympia International Art and Antiques Fair, London’s oldest and largest summer international fine art and antiques fair. Vetted by a team of 200 experts, the offerings are diverse enough for every level of collector. Olympia Exhibition Hall, the venue, is outside the city’s infamous congestion zone. Pre-book parking or take the tube to Kensington Olympia.
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The author has not received any compensation for writing this content and has no material connection to the brands, topics, products and/or services that are mentioned herein.
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‘Tis The Season
By Linda Tancs
‘Tis the season, and I don’t mean Christmas. As summer rounds the corner, Britain kicks into high gear with a series of glam events characterizing what is known as The Season, starting with the Chelsea Flower Show in London through 29 May. If your plans don’t permit attendance at one of the world’s foremost horticultural shows, don’t worry. It isn’t over until the fat lady sings, as the expression goes. That would be on 29 August, the close of Glyndebourne Festival, an annual opera festival near Lewes, East Sussex. In the meanwhile, you can enjoy the pomp and circumstance at such staples as Royal Ascot, Wimbledon, Henley Royal Regatta and Cowes Week.
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The author has not received any compensation for writing this content and has no material connection to the brands, topics, products and/or services that are mentioned herein.
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The Yacht Industry’s Finest
By Linda Tancs
This Saturday’s 5th Annual World Superyacht Awards at London’s Guildhall demonstrates just how much size really does matter. The gala awards show and dinner showcases the best of the best in superyacht design this year. Fourteen Neptune awards will be issued, including best long distance voyager, best young designer, outstanding contributor to the industry, and yachts of the year in categories such as motor, refitted and sailing. Interested in attending? Alas, priority goes to yachtsmen. The rudderless can always watch the video.
DISCLOSURE OF NO MATERIAL CONNECTION
The author has not received any compensation for writing this content and has no material connection to the brands, topics, products and/or services that are mentioned herein.
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Something Old, Something New
By Linda Tancs
There’s nothing borrowed or blue about St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, but there is something old and new about it. What’s new is the 60-plus million dollar renovation, timed to conclude (in substantial part) with the church’s 300-year anniversary. Today’s cathedral, built over three decades, was completed in 1710. Among the many recent improvements, the diocesan seat has been cleaned, repaired and restored both inside and out, the lighting and sound systems have been upgraded and the Grand Organ has had a facelift. What’s old is the battered slab of stone left untouched at the west entrance, a memorial of sorts to a storied past begun three cathedrals ago in A.D. 604 that has since triumphed over the ravages of fire and war and celebrated weddings, funerals, birthdays, jubilees and a number of other remembrances, both imperial and ordinary.
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The author has not received any compensation for writing this content and has no material connection to the brands, topics, products and/or services that are mentioned herein.
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London’s Biggest Hotel Set to Open
By Linda Tancs
London sports its fair share of iconic hotel properties: Savoy, Dorchester, Brown’s, Connaught, etc. Today greets the soft opening (soft in the sense of limited availability while the finishing touches are completed) of the largest hotel now to grace the City: Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel. At a mere 350 million pounds, the finished product offers 1021 rooms within walking distance of Waterloo and Westminster stations. Of course, the best digs will feature striking views of Parliament and the Thames. The springtime gala opening will show off a luxe spa, pool and fitness center. Start saving your quid.
DISCLOSURE OF NO MATERIAL CONNECTION
The author has not received any compensation for writing this content and has no material connection to the brands, topics, products and/or services that are mentioned herein.
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A Wild Wedding
By Linda Tancs
Weddings can be a strange affair. You’ve heard of underwater weddings, sky diving weddings, Halloween-inspired weddings, and so on. Well, in a primate rescue center in Dorset, England, you can now have a wedding amongst the largest group of chimps outside of Africa. In June, Monkey World in Dorset, a 65-acre refuge, acquired a wedding license. At least one couple has married on the grounds since then, serenaded by the cacophony of some of the most abused and neglected monkeys in the world. Sort of gives animal magnetism a whole new meaning.
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Living Art in London
By Linda Tancs
Forget your measly 15 minutes of fame. Lucky UK citizens get an hour’s worth in London as part of the One & Other living exhibition on the empty stone plinth at Trafalgar Square. The art project allows applicants from every part of the UK one hour atop the plinth, day and night, to exhibit themselves in any manner they wish. Needless to say, the results have been very colorful. Over 32,000 have applied for 2400 places. Some of the winners, chosen at random, include a town crier, an Elvis impersonator and a woman dressed as a pigeon.
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Family Fun in the UK
By Linda Tancs
It may seem a bit strange to think of family fun and youth-appropriate events amongst hop farms and oast houses. Yet that’s exactly what you get at The Hop Farm, just 45 minutes from London. Located near Paddock Wood, Tonbridge, this tourist attraction offers an oast-themed amusement park complete with a carousel, magic show, animal farm, wax museum, and outdoor play area. Don’t miss the new and upcoming Halloween 3D goblin festival and Santa’s Magical Kingdom. True to its hops heritage, the park even offers a hop history museum and a festival in September to celebrate the custom of hop picking. So hop to it!
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Tree Tops
By Linda Tancs
Dunster is a tiny medieval village situated in England’s Exmoor National Park. What it lacks in size it makes up for in notoriety as the site of England’s tallest tree. Near Dunster Castle a Douglas fir measuring almost 200 feet stands sentinel on the Crown Estate. For comparative purposes, consider that the venerable California Redwood grows to at least 300 feet. Perhaps there’s something in the water around Somerset. The castle grounds also sport the oldest lemon tree.
If you enjoyed this post, please share it on sites such as StumbleUpon, vote for it, or bookmark it. Thanks for your support! Travelrific® was featured as Blog of the Day on NJ.com!
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