When you're visiting London and if you're strolling down Westminster Bridge Road, watch out for the building you see above. The architecture is pretty lovely of course. But it also has a rather unusual history It's close to Waterloo, The Houses of Parliament, various...
… then here’s a story to tell your companions. Baron’s Court is a tube station in West Kensington, London. The building itself is intriguing. The station opened in 1905 and features a terracotta facade and that lovely Art Nouveau lettering. However,...
If you asked most people to name a Victorian serial killer, I bet that they would think of Jack the Ripper. Well, forget old Jack. He was a very junior player when compared to Amelia Dyer. Her crimes, too many to be counted, were particularly horrible. The story is...
If you’re visiting England, then the chances are good that you’ll include Windsor Castle as one of your must-see places. It’s one of the most popular tourist attractions in England and is an easy drive from Central London. It’s easy to get...
I’ve written about some seriously creepy places over the years but this must be one of the spookiest. Built during the Second World War, and about 9 miles from the nearest land, these anti-aircraft fortifications were interconnected by walkways and probably...
If you’re visiting London and have had your fill of the usual tourist attractions, then head to Kennington Road where you’ll find the site of a gory murder, the childhood home of Charlie Chaplin, a war museum, a one-time residence of Vincent van Gogh and...
Believe it or not, there are actually several good reasons to go to Middlesbrough. You may have the impression, as I did, that this is a pretty ugly old industrial town. Okay, it is. But there are still many things to see and do there. There are a handful of stately...
Clocks – marvellous things. Strangely, clocks and watches are still popular, despite the fact that we have digital readouts on our phones, laptops, car dashboards, cookers, microwaves and so on. True, clocks are more likely to be decor items these days and...
They can be found all over the world now, these floral clocks. Indeed. there was even one at Michael Jackson’s Neverland home. But the tradition began in Edinburgh in Scotland well over a hundred years ago. Over the years I must have walked past dozens, if not...
You can no longer stay there, but if you’re in the Brighton area and a fan of splendid architecture, then a detour to Saltdean is well worth the trip just to see the Ocean. It’s now fully restored and has a fascinating, of oh-too-familiar history. This...
There are two museums in England dedicated to the work of sculptor Barbara Hepworth. This one, the one in St Ives in Cornwall, is where Barbara lived and worked until her death. She and her husband, artist Ben Nicholson, had moved to St Ives at the outbreak of war in...
You know what Londoners are like. If you think that there are buildings in London that have official names such as the Gherkin then you’d be wrong – although just about everyone refers to it as such. There’s also no building that’s officially...
Right until Victorian times, Tintagel in Cornwall was a remote place with few – if any – visitors. The landscape was wild and inhospitable, the shoreline craggy and naturally fortified. In fact, the island – it’s only narrowly separated from...
There’s really no doubt about it – there are two particularly outstanding things that most people enjoy when they are visiting the UK. They are the history of the place – you can’t move without bumping into something or other that’s...
Many people visit London because it’s jam-packed with history. Visitors from newer countries love the fact that there are buildings, streets and stories that existed long before their own country did. But history from way back, although fascinating, is only part...
Traditionally, stereotypically, the English are supposed to drink nothing but tea and Americans never do – they always drink coffee. Like most stereotypes, this is a load of nonsense. The two drinks can vary a lot in both countries though so it’s a good...
If you love to drive then I imagine that photograph made you wonder where that is. And can you drive along that road? And actually, it’s even more exciting than it looks in that photograph – see the video below.So you might be surprised to hear that you...
Name a World War Two aircraft. Go on. I know nothing about planes but I bet that most people will have had the same answer I did – ‘the spitfire’. Many were built at the Castle Bromwich Assembly, a factory that now makes something equally speedy...
A reader suggested that we create a map for fans of JRR Tolkien for when they are visiting England. So here we are. Many of the places where Tolkien lived, worked or stayed have been honoured with a ‘blue plaque’. These are permanent markers attached to...
When you visit Shambles Square in Manchester, especially the Old Wellington Inn and Sinclair’s Oyster Bar, you’ll be wrong if you feel that you’ve gone back in time. You haven’t. Well, you sort of have done. Oh how tricky, let me...
You might be visiting Hagley Hall in Worcester. It’s an astonishingly magnificent stately home. It’s totally gorgeous, historic, set in wonderful parkland and gives you a very special glimpse into the lives of the aristocracy in the days when luxury was a...
One of the joys of visiting England is finding and experiencing country pubs. The Mug Inn is an excellent example and also very unusual as it’s situated on consecrated ground. It started life in the 15th century as the local church’s ale house. You can see...
I wasn’t really sure that there were any of the old telephone boxes left in England but there are – about 8,000 of them apparently. Why, I’ve no idea. I don’t know about you but I honestly can’t remember the last time I use a public...
That’s how Chillingham Castle describes itself – it claims to be the most haunted castle in Britain. You’d think that most castles worthy of the name would have a good smattering of ghosts and ghouls so that’s quite a claim for Chillingham to...
The location scouts looking for fantastic places to make part of the Harry Potter films probably were delighted to find Leadenhall Market. It was featured quite a few times in the movie series – just take a look at the photographs and the video below and you can...
If it isn’t one of the most visited places in Scotland then it certainly must be a contender for the most romantic. It’s certainly one of the world’s most popular wedding destinations. And it has been since the 1700s so you can forgive the locals if...
We have already noted the bizarre language difference between the UK and the USA when it comes to the simple word ‘biscuit’.But if you are from the USA – or indeed any other non-British country – then it’s a good idea for you to know...
It’s a pretty spooky place. There have been fortifications on this site for hundreds of years. The present fort was in use until 1956 – and is now open to visitors. You can see from the map below that it’s located in the very tip of a spar of land...
It’s likely that every New Year’s Eve you and your friends sing Auld Lang Syne. You might know that it was written by Scottish poet Robert Burns. And as his active years were in the 1700s, that shows just how old the song has been around. And it all...
Anne Lister was born in 1791 in Yorkshire. That’s many years before homosexuality became legal in Britain and at that time, the word ‘lesbian’ didn’t exist but nevertheless, Anne grew up to be a pioneer in the world of being true to her own...
It’s one of those things I’d never really thought about. Of course, we’ve all heard of gunpowder and explosives but it had never occurred to me to wonder where these products actually came from. Where were they made? Visit the Waltham Abbey Royal...
This Modernist building caused quite a stir when it was opened in 1935. It was the first building in the UK to be created using a welded steel frame and its architects were both fleeing from Hitler’s regime. They were German Erich Mendelsohn and Russian Serge...
So, the guests had just left our Airbnb rental and I went in to check the place. I like to do this as soon as the guests have gone for several reasons. One of them, and probably the least sensible, is to check the fridge to see if they’ve left any goodies. And...
All over the world, there are mysterious caves. And many of them are open to visitors these days. They are truly fascinating and have been used for many purposes. Some date back for thousands of years. The Chislehurst caves are also available to visit and have a...
Probably the most well-known method of crossing the River Mersey comes from a 1960s pop song – from the early days of Merseybeat. Continued to fame as a theme sung by football crowds, it is of course Ferry Cross the Mersey. Ferries have been used to cross the...
It may well be that you’ve been to Charing Cross station in London and, like me, not really noticed the lavishly decorated monument that stands right outside. And if you’re English – we tend to be a bit blasé about the history that’s liberally...
Number two Willow Road is the central apartment in a row of three – built in the late thirties and designed by Ernő Goldfinger. Goldfinger was a well-known designer and architect – he was originally from Budapest but made his home in London for many years...
They were a fierce lot, those Scots. And this castle, located right on the Scottish border has seen more than its fair share of what newsreaders today would call ‘skirmishes’. It was built as long ago as 1470 by the Kerr Clan and is said to have been built...
It’s funny but there are tourists who visit London and ask their hotel concierge or the local tourism office about how they can get tickets to tour 10 Downing Street. I really doubt that in their country you’d be able to book tickets to tour the...
Until it was closed in 1853, Cross Bones was an unconsecrated, unofficial graveyard. Many of the corpses that were buried there were those of babies due to the high infant mortality rate in earlier times, or those of women thought to be prostitutes. It was closed...
It’s something that was glossed over for many years. We know all about it now though, the fact that millions of animals served Britain and its Allies during the wars of the last century. It’s said that eight million horses died in the First World War...
Hartlepool in the north east of England is rarely on anyone’s list of places they absolutely must visit. Which is a shame because it’s only a few miles from one of the most wonderful areas on the planet (the North Yorkshire Moors, says this Yorkshire girl)...
At first glance, Bletchley Park looks simply to be a rather ornate English country house. It’s only about 50 miles from London – to the north – and was built in the late nineteenth century. It has elaborate features, as you can see in the photographs...
It’s only about a hundred miles away from the fabulous city of Glasgow but yet the Isle of Jura is almost like going back in time. It’s the sort of place that you have to plan to visit – spontaneity isn’t recommended here due to the remoteness...
Many people travel to visit Ascott House and Gardens, a fabulous country estate in Buckinghamshire. And if it’s on your itinerary, make sure to allow time for a detour to Bridego Bridge. Yes, an ordinary country railway bridge in ordinary English countryside. It...
Numbers? What am I talking about? Five is five whether you’re speaking proper English or speaking American.. but of course, that would be just too easy, wouldn’t it? Yes, the numbers are the same – basically – but it’s how we use them...
This is a genuine secret garden that was lost – well, unknown – for many years. It had been creatyed in Victorian times but had fallen into disrepair and become overgrown. But in the 1990s a door was found into the walled garden that was buried in the...
Stay in a property that neighbours one of the homes often inhabited by Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall. Freely wander through the grounds and you might see the royal couple walking their dogs. Stay in a room that has been carefully decorated with pieces...
In December 2017, Prince Harry and American actor Meghan Markle announced their engagement. The scene for the to-be-historic photographs and interview was Frogmore House, a Grade 1 listed building in the possession of royalty for hundreds of years. Travel specialists...
Millions of passengers travel through St Pancras Station in London every year. With trains going to Europe (Paris, Amsterdam, Rotterdam… via the Channel Tunnel), connections going to various parts of the UK – with all that train activity going on people...
Seaside piers, bathing huts, bandstands, floral clocks in parks … they all sum up English days gone by to me. I’m thinking Edwardian or possibly before. Or even later – the years between the world wars.When England was booming on the world’s...
The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior is to be found in Westminster Abbey, London. Many countries have similar memorials – which honour the dead of the First and/or Second World War but this is the first of its type being installed in the abbey in 1920. Most people...
Chetham’s is the oldest operating public library in the English-speaking world. It was founded in 1653. If you think that was a long, long time ago then I have to also tell you that the building (the gorgeous building) dates from 1421. It originally housed...
Leeds is a splendid city. There are many things to see and to do within the city itself and going a little further afield to the outskirts takes the traveller to even more fabulous places. But today, we’re staying in the city centre itself. We start by shopping...
If I told you that the connection between a Swedish water tower and a café in Canvey Island, Essex, UK, was the Sydney Opera House then you’d probably think that I’d lost it at last. Fair enough. But read on. Canvey Island in Essex is not really the sort...
See the photograph above? Now that is one gorgeous place to swim, dine or enjoy a luxurious spa day. But here’s what Kings Meadow Pool, now known as the Thames Lido. But in 2009, here’s what the place looked like. And seeing what the place looks like now...
Heir B & B is what the press are calling it. Snigger. But no, Prince Charles isn’t actually about to place Buckingham Palace on Airbnb – but he is creating ten new guest accommodations at the Castle of Mey in the wilds of Scotland. The prince’s...
The Gateshead Millenium Bridge is an amazing sight when stationary but once it moves – to allow river traffic to pass under it – it’s quite astonishing. You can see how it does so in the time-lapse video below. In many places in the world moving...
Did you know that the Glasgow Underground system is the third oldest metro in the world? It opened in 1896. The oldest, of course, is also in the British Isles, the London tube which is a great granddaddy in comparison, having opened in 1863. By the 1970s though, the...
Swimming is one of the most popular forms of exercise and these days, more and more people are enjoying the benefits of swimming outdoors. In England. Yes, although many people in other countries seem to think that Egland is always cold and always raining (it...
As the man in the video says ‘these are proper English chips – none of yer poncey French fries’. The super-stylish frontage – those wonderful tiles and that fabulous font! – could be the work of a modern architect but it is original to...
There are so many fascinating buildings in London, For travellers interested in architecture, London is without doubt a feast. But among the important, historical and ancient, there are buildings and structures that have stories to tell about relatively recent times...
St Fagans National Museum of History in Wales has many outside exhibits that are either original historical buildings or, in the case of the Iron Age roundhouses, replicas of ancient structures. So it might surprise you to know that one of the most fascinating...
The sub-title for this article could be ‘Dine in the Olympic’ – except the word ‘Olympic’ could be crossed out and the word ‘Titanic’ substituted. But I’m getting ahead of myself… I’ll get back to that in a...
Built in 1934, this modernist building housing small but efficient (and wonderfully designed) apartments became popular with its inhabitants – and those inhabitants included artists, designers, writers, architects … and even spies. Today the building is...
Once you’ve visited the obvious tourist traps in London, the chances are that you’ll start to explore the less-familiar aspects of the city. And there are several reasons why you might end up in the Cleveland Street area. For example, Charles Dickens lived...
Yes, I know that I tend to extol the virtues of other tourist places in England in addition to London, but there are some features of the city that are quirky enough to be included on this website. One of them is to be found in the famous Trafalgar Square. It’s...
If the Crown pub in Kingsclere, Hampshire isn’t haunted then there’s something very wrong with the modern ghost. The Crown definitely deserves to be one of the most haunted pubs in England because of a WW2 massacre that took place there and was hushed up...
When you visit the market town of Bedale in North Yorkshire be sure to visit the building in the photograph above. Take a selfie of you and it and ask your friends if they can guess what in earth this tiny house’s original purpose was. It was built in the early...
Back in those days, no-one ever thought that this ordinary suburban semi-detached house on the outskirts of Liverpool would one day become a museum. Some would even call it a shrine. One of the strangest musical phenomena in living memory was that of The Beatles, a...
Well, here we have two very different musicians. One, in recent memory, lived in the twentieth century. The other in the eighteenth. But surprisingly, only a wall separated their living quarters. George Handel lived at 25 Brook Street in Mayfair. Two hundred years...
What you see above is probably the most famous pedestrian crossing in the world. Recorded in 1969, Abbey Road was an album by the Beatles and the cover featured the four band members walking across the road on the crossing. Use the map below to locate the crossing our...
In 1799, English poet William Wordsworth, moved into Dove Cottage – a former inn – near Ambleside in what is now the stunning Lake District National Park. The area is justifiably famous for its hills, mountains, waterfalls and lakes. A couple of years...
What do a twentieth-century showjumping horse and a delicious tropical fruit have in common? This hill in South Wales, Blorenge. I’ll come to that in a minute.Borenge is described sometimes as a mountain, sometimes as a hill. As I like my mountains to be rugged...
If you’re travelling up the Mi motorway from the south of England to Yorkshire or Scotland or all points north then watch out for a sign directing you to Chesterfield. This lovely Derbyshire market town is worth visiting for several reasons but a tourist...
If you speak British English, then you will refer to it as a ‘lift’. If you’re American, or were taught to speak English in the American way, then you’ll call it an ‘elevator’. But despite this difference, I’ll bet that we all...
In 1926, Agatha Christie was already well-known thanks to her novels. But in December that year she suddenly disappeared. Her car was found abandoned and for the next eleven days, a massive police search was undertaken. It was surmised that she had committed suicide...
The British Isles, The United Kingdom, Britain … all give you a clue that when you go there, you have the chance of not only visiting England. You’ll find plenty of articles on this site about places to visit throughout the UK – places that...
St. Peter’s Church has an unusual connection. The clue is in the church’s location. Wikipedia describes Woolton as ‘an affluent suburb of Liverpool’ and this might suggest something to you. Liverpool is well-known for many things, one of which...
I’ve written before about the northern seaside town of Blackpool in the UK and how it’s reinventing itself. And it’s doing a good job of reinventing what is probably its most famous feature, Blackpool Tower. Blackpool never really had much going for...
I can’t even begin to describe to you that wonderful moment when I realised that Maggie Smith was going to play Miss Shepherd in Alan Bennett’s Lady in the Van. And a marvellous film it is too. For those who don’t know, it’s the (largely) true...
Paul Theakston was born into the brewing industry and worked at the namesake Theakston’s Brewery in Masham, Yorkshire. That is until business and managerial mayhem made him leave in the 1980s. But – and many a Yorkshireman would say the same – beer...
York is a truly amazing place. It’s packed with history, ancient architecture, museums, parks … there are fabulous places to eat, the local scenery is unbeatable and it’s even a great place to shop. Bizarrely, you can also – free of charge...
England abounds with eccentrics – people and buildings. And the Royal Pavillion at Brighton is so much a part of English culture that it’s only when I take a step back, and see it as a foreigner would, that I realise just how bizarre it is. Let’s...
Baywater is a lovely area of London with elegant terraces featuring delightful architecture. But next time you’re in London, it’s worth visiting Leinster Gardens because two of the houses there are not what they first appear to be. Numbers 23 and 24 are...
I’m from England although I’ve lived in the USA since 1994. And yes, there’s a huge difference between the two cultures and one of the greatest is that of language. British people in the USA – and vice versa – can find themselves...
I was still at school when I found out about the Mouseman. The school, which was quite posh, needed new furniture for the teachers’ use during assembly. I recall that the headmistress was very proud because he had purchased the furniture from the Mouseman....
It’s not only me who finds this building (above, left) perfectly awful. In 2015, the building won the Carbuncle Cup – which is awarded annually to the ugliest building in the UK. And it’s not just ugly, it also has a serious solar glare problem....
If you’re in the UK and travelling on the north-to-south M1 motorway, then it’s worth a small detour to visit the tiny village of Linby. I’m afraid that I don’t know exactly when the village was initially founded but the church dates from the...
An astonishing place, the National Memorial Arboretum in the UK exists especially as the nation’s tribute to the men and women who have been killed, injured or afflicted by war and in the service of their country. It was conceived in 1988 and designed to be a...
How many hotels are there in London? I’m sure that Google would be able to tell me but the information would soon be out of date. There are faceless chain hotels, independent quirky hotels and then … there’s 40 Winks. It defies description –...
I imagine that in years to come, there will be an increase in American visitors to St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle – thanks to the marriage of the UK’s Prince Harry to American actor Meghan Markle. Our two countries have a long history together...
I have just added this place to my bucket list and originally, it was simply because of the name. (Although the fact that it’s in the wonderful county of Yorkshire helps, of course. It’s in a great location – about ten miles away from York itself and...
Now that more and more visitors from other countries are realising that visiting Britain means more than just touring London, many other resorts are enjoying a new heyday. This means that some of the UK’s best – and most quirky – hotels are in the...
At the end of 2017, Airbnb published a list of destinations that were (and had been) trending. I was surprised to see the second on the list was the good old English seaside resort of Bournemouth. I lived near Bournemouth for several years – and worked there...
So, there you are exploring London and it’s time for lunch. (Or breakfast or dinner or a light snack). Of course, there are so many places you can go. But how about something a little different this time? Enjoy coffee in a crypt! In Central London, you’ll...
It bothers me so much that overseas visitors who travel to the UK see London as their main point of interest. There is so much to see and do in England (and Scotland and Wales) and although London certainly does have many attractions, the wise traveller will venture...
If you can imagine Hercule Poirot investigating a mysterious murder in the Art Deco interior of the Burgh Island Hotel, then it’s no surprise. For one of its illustrious guests in days gone by was Poirot’s creator, Agatha Christie, and several of her...
Love locks have a history that goes back to the First World War but the craze really started to take off in or around 2000. What is a love lock? A couple will purchase a padlock – normally of the common or garden variety – they scratch their initials on...
Are you looking for somewhere to stay in the UK? Somewhere that’s incredibly peaceful, tranquil, historic and set in wonderful countryside? And if you’re a reader or book lover then Gladstone’s Library will be right up your street. Yes, it’s a...
