The impossibly unspoiled Cotswolds village of Stanton owes its enduring allure to a Lancastrian mill designer.After amassing his fortune, Sir Philip Sidney Stott moved south at the start of the 20th century and bought up most of Stanton’s properties, then dedicated his time to restoring them.He also provided the village with a reservoir, cricket field…
Northampton may be known as the shoe capital of Britain but you don’t need to be well-heeled to have a good time there.On the edge of town, Billing Aquadrome offers budget-priced family fun in a surprisingly tranquil landscape filled with lakes, rivers and a marina.And my family’s weekend break was certainly one full of contrasts.One…
I’ve always quite liked the idea of a golfing holiday in Spain or Portugal, with the glorious weather and views they offer.Trouble is, I’m pretty rubbish at golf, and I haven’t got that kind of money to ‘‘waste’’ (my wife’s word). In truth, I haven’t got that kind of money full stop.Which is why I…
Shropshire doesn’t readily spring to mind when looking for a family-friendly beach holiday with watersport options.But that perception is changing thanks to Love2Stay, a glamping and touring resort on the edge of the old market town of Shrewsbury. The man-made beach is as golden as any in Cornwall, and is just as good for castle building. It comes with a…
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…
