Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for england
City of Film
By Linda Tancs
Hollywood, Bollywood, Cannes, Sundance, Venice–and Bradford? It’s time to add a new place name to the list of luminaries in cinema. Bradford, a west Yorkshire city in the U.K., beat out the traditional media moguls for the coveted title, City of Film. The moniker is a new award being bestowed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to a city having historic links and a notable infrastructure related to filmmaking. No doubt Bradford–once a poster child for industrialization–was helped in its bid as the host city of the National Media Museum, one of the most popular museums outside London. Three annual film festivals and a landscape conducive to movie shoots certainly didn’t hurt, either. Bravo!
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Worthy Boss
By Linda Tancs
In case you haven’t heard, Bruce Springsteen (aka The Boss) is headlining the U.K.’s Glastonbury festival on 27 June. Taking place now through the 28th, the event at Worthy Farm in the Vale of Avalon is the largest greenfield music and performing arts festival in the world. As you might imagine, tickets are sold out, but don’t fret. Venture outside London’s Hyde Park on 28 June and you’ll get an earful of The Boss at the Hard Rock Calling summer music extravaganza. There are lots of other acts in the lineup as well but not many tickets. Better act fast!
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Let the Good Cheese Roll
By Linda Tancs
Most of us would likely prefer our double Gloucester on a cheese plate with some table crackers, but on Cooper’s Hill in the Cotswolds they’d rather roll it down a very steep slope. Yes, it’s another centuries-old custom across the pond. Think of it as bowling without the pins, but you don’t lose your grip on the ball! Conditions on the hill are expected to be favorable this year, with the first race starting at noon on 25 May. The cheese wheels weigh between 7 and 8 pounds. Not surprisingly, their escorts have suffered an injury or two on the Alpine-like slope. Spectators, too, should be wary of wayward cheeses. Though only one will get the brass ring (in this case, a lot of cheese), the joy for the rest will surely be the thrill of competition, and maybe the agony of ‘de feet.’
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A Different Kind of River Walk
By Linda Tancs
Morecambe Bay, just south of England’s Lake District National Park, gives new meaning to the phrase “to walk on water.” Every year from May to September, intrepid travelers brave the shifting sands in a six-mile walk from Arnside Promenade to Kents Bank Station–dependent on the tides, of course. If it sounds dangerous, make no mistake–it is. That’s why this centuries-old jaunt is led by an official guide with an ancient moniker, Guide to the Kent Sands. Best to wear your shorty shorts and plimsoles or sandals. Leave the fancy gear at home.
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Live Like a Novelist
By Linda Tancs
Fans of mystery writer Agatha Christie will be pleased to learn that her beloved Devonshire home, Greenway, has been reopened to the public after refurbishments restoring it to its original condition. Deeded to Mrs. Mallowan (her married name) in 1938, she resided there with her husband for over 20 years, transferring the property in 1959 to her daughter. Now owned by the U.K.’s National Trust, a cottage on the grounds can be rented. Timed tickets are available for tours of the main house. Who knows, maybe you’ll find your muse there. As Christie once said, “Everything that has existed, lingers in the Eternity.”
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Earth Day Celebrations
By Linda Tancs
Happy Earth Day. Kermit the Frog says it’s not easy being green. Earth Day advocates surely don’t agree. This year’s events will show you why. Listen in at Travelrific Radio.
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London Airport is a Trendsetter
By Linda Tancs
Pillows, blankets and aisle seats. Ka-ching. Two checked bags. Ka-ching. As deficit-plagued airlines continue to dream up ways to spike revenues comes news out of London that an airport is getting in on the act. The Times of London reported that Luton Airport is assessing a 1 pound fee for airport drop-offs of up to 10 minutes. You can avoid the fee by dropping your baggage-laden beloved at the car park for a free shuttle. Let’s hope the rest of the world’s airports don’t seize onto this.
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Rail Group Investigates Value for Money
By Linda Tancs
Anyone who has traveled by train in Britain (whether short- or long-haul) has experienced those heart-stopping fares. I’ve often wondered why rail travel is so darned expensive–or is it just my imagination, coupled perhaps with a bad exchange rate? Apparently, my thoughts are well justified. The watchdog group Passenger Focus has released a report this month analyzing such variables as local travel, long-distance travel, comparative rates in other countries and value for money perceptions. Among the many findings: Londoners have a low perception of value for money, soft factors such as cleanliness of trains and well-lit stations inform overall perceptions as well as pricing, and continental comparisons illustrate a general comity among frequency of service although journey speed is more highly rated in continental Europe. Generally speaking, Britain fares (no pun intended) better with pricing for advance bookings than with restricted or unrestricted day returns. Want to learn more? You can download the 38-page report.
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Pancake Fests Mark Shrove Tuesday
By Linda Tancs
The day before Ash Wednesday is popularly known as Mardi Gras, French for Fat Tuesday. Shrove Tuesday is a more ancient term, referring to the confession of sins to be shriven, or absolved, from them. In England, Shrove Tuesday is celebrated as Pancake Day–a moniker having its origin in the days when sinfully rich supplies of fat, butter and eggs were used up in preparation for the fast and abstinence of Lent. Over time, this tradition has evolved to the running of pancake races, where women sporting aprons and wielding frying pans make a mad dash for the finish line while flipping those flapjacks in the air. The most popular race takes place in the U.K. in Olney, Buckinghamshire. More than 500 years old, the 400-yard competition takes place at 11:55 a.m. between the market square and the church. Best time? 63 seconds in 1967.
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UK Eyes Travelers
By Linda Tancs
Corresponding to yesterday’s report about the ESTA registration process for travelers to the US, the Sunday Times reported that the UK will keep its own database concerning the travel habits of its citizens. Amidst a host of privacy concerns, the Home Office deems the action necessary in its continuing fight against terrorism, illegal immigration and other crimes. In an unrelated move, the country’s environment czar has proposed limits on Brit travel to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Pity the wanderer among you!
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