It’s big, it’s blue and it’s been threatening to knock the blocks off holidaymakers for nearly 100 years.The iconic Roller Coaster at Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach has a ‘headchopper’ drop where the train dives under the supporting beams of the wooden structure.For all the world it seems like you’re going to lose your head, and even on…
‘‘In order to explain Abba Voyage, you have to go and see it,’’ said Benny Anderson at the futuristic show’s premiere. Three years on, and already watched by over three million people, I finally got to see the show in which computerised avatars of the legendary Seventies band ‘perform’ hits such as SOS, Chiquitita and Knowing…
WHERE AND WHY: The Belfry will forever be known as the venue where in 1985 British golfers (as part of the new Team Europe) wrestled back the Ryder Cup from the United States after 26 years.On the same course four years later Europe retained the cup by tying with the States. The Belfry also staged the competition twice more,…
Your guide to a fun-filled, action-packed, family-friendly weekend in Leicester… Having a blastThe first stop on our weekend in Leicester was not difficult to find.At 42 metres high, the semi-transparent Rocket Tower at the National Space Centre resembles a giant chrysalis and is the city’s most iconic landmark. It is home to two rockets: Blue Streak, which formed…
The architect John Madin is well known in Birmingham for helping to shape the city in the 1960s and ’70s. He was responsible for the Birmingham Post & Mail tower, the BBC Pebble Mill studios and, most famously, the Central Library. The library, an icon of the brutalist style, gained notoriety when it was cruelly…
My guilty pleasure is watching TV’s The Hotel Inspector, Alex Polizzi, tear into the failing hoteliers who have reached out to her for help.Often, it is clear these ignoramuses are wholly unsuited to the hospitality or catering trades and launch their business simply because they can’t stand not being the boss. So how refreshing it was…
The world has been fascinated by the mummies of Ancient Egypt ever since European archaeologists started digging them up in the 19th century. Hollywood turned them into nightmarish figures, but an extraordinary exhibition at Manchester Museum is revealing the very human side of those ‘bandaged zombies’. Golden Mummies of Egypt presents hundreds of glittering objects…
Wandering through Stanbrook Abbey Hotel’s fragrant lavender garden our eyes were drawn to a wall of memorial plaques.Upon reading them, we discovered we were in the final resting place of 141 Benedictine nuns who once called this peaceful part of Worcestershire home.Time-wise, the dearly departed ranged from ‘‘Monica Mordle, died 6 December 1878, aged 66’’ to ‘‘Margaret Mary…
I found myself following in the slipstream of socialite Paris Hilton when staying overnight at Silverstone, the home of motor racing. During this summer’s British Grand Prix, the famous ‘It Girl’ performed a dj set at the Hilton Garden Inn’s rooftop bar, then posed for photos on the balcony of one of its track-facing rooms.Three weeks later, my…
As a child of the ‘70s, Saturday mornings were all about one thing… Tiswas.The anarchic TV show, fronted by Chris Tarrant and Sally James, along with Lenny Henry and Spit the Dog, was essential viewing for any kid with ambitions to act cool back at school on Monday.Multi-Coloured Swap Shop with Noel Edmunds? That was…
BREXIT and the pandemic did not make life easy for any of Britain’s hotels.Brockencote Hall was no exception, but it has now capitalised on an unexpected opportunity that the double whammy threw up.The Worcestershire hotel, renowned for its grand rooms and fine dining, found itself switching from a largely European workforce to a British oneAnd…
In room 108 of the Relais Henley is the royal coat of arms of King Charles I, who stayed there in 1632.The room next door, 109, was frequented by John Churchill, First Duke of Marlborough, the great general whose victories included Blenheim in 1704.And room 107, on the other side of 108, is where my wife…
If Mick Jagger or Keith Richards ever fancy a Cotswold escape they should look no further than this charming cottage.That’s because it is within walking distance of the Rollright Stones, some old ‘rockers’ that are even more ancient than members of the band of the similar name!Called Cotswold Cottage, for want of a better name, the…
The splashes, screams and laughter fell silent as a Dakota bomber with D-Day stripes swooped over the outdoor pool.Later, the low rumble of our hot tub’s jets quickly grew louder and louder until we realised the thunderous noise was actually being created by a Typhoon fighter taking to the skies.Both planes had taken off from…
Planning a family break in London can be a logistical nightmare – but I think I’ve cracked it.To save precious time, my wife and I needed a location with easy access to the sights, and to save our sanity we needed a self catering apartment with a separate bedroom for the kids.Step forward Fraser Suites…
Holidaying Hack 