Aquamarine waters, bone-white sands, bleached driftwood… the stuff of holiday brochures and Instagram posts, and designed to lure us to foreign and exotic idylls. But, hang on; why go abroad? Look closer to home. Britain’s coastline may not offer the bath-warm temperatures and languid palm trees of, say, the Caribbean, but it has some startling...
Category: Travel
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Once utterly miserable, Margate is now a magnet for Hollywood actors
But cheap package holidays abroad and a lack of investment at home kickstarted the town’s demise. Great storms damaged the lido, jetty and bathing pavilions, hotels were sold off and shops boarded up. I grew up in the area in the 1980s and 1990s and Margate – particularly its old town – was utterly miserable....
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The 10 best holidays in Norfolk for 2024
One of the fleet used for the WWII Dunkirk evacuations in May 1940, her restoration included a new curved mahogany canopy and mast. Be sure to spot Ernest Tom Neathercoat, a lifeboat which served Wells between 1965 and 1990. How to do it: Curlew Coastal Charters (07512 086794; curlewcoastalcharters.co.uk) offers trips ranging from £10 per...
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Cranborne Chase, the A-list alternative to the Cotswolds
A couple of miles south of the village is Old Wardour Castle, an atmospheric ruin that appeared in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, starring Kevin Costner. Not far from that is pint-sized Swallowcliff, home to the Royal Oak pub, owned since 2020 by TV presenter James May. There are celebrity residents too...
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How a Welsh pub was rebuilt brick by brick and taken back to 1915
Five more buildings remade brick by brick St Fagans is a treasure trove of old buildings, remade. In its new home The Vulcan sits beside a row of shops and a working men’s club, both of which appeared in 2007 in an episode of Doctor Who set in the 1910s, thanks to their period accuracy....
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I visited ‘the UK’s worst seaside town’ – it’s like the British Library of bad tattoos
All summer we will be taking the pulse of our most famous traditional seaside towns, examining the efforts being made to regenerate them, and opining on whether they are still worth visiting. This week, Ed Grenby explores Skegness. I have narrowly avoided winning a plastic lizard. Which is good because I think I might have...
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The twee Cotswolds town that became a super-rich playground
The service in the rest of the hotel isn’t quite as dedicated as the Grain Store, with staff overstretched in the restaurant, which is riotously popular with locals who come to devour oysters with champagne. Food is traditional with a trendy take and dependably delicious. I very much enjoyed my cheese souffle with truffle, and...
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Sea Rider Competition for Early Career Researchers
British High Commission to Canada invites applicants to join the crew of an ice capable ship on a 3–4-day voyage through the Gulf of St. Lawrence, travelling between Québec City, Québec and St. John’s, Newfoundland. Participants will experience life on-board a ship that routinely hosts scientists. They will also have a chance to meet some...
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The Norfolk nature reserve known for its pristine sands – and surprising birdlife
Even so, the unseasonal conditions make one particularly heavy-set, long-necked bird seem all the more exotic. Standing nearly a metre tall on sturdy black legs, its plumage is pure white except for a dusting of saffron on its chest. Its dark bill flattens out into a bronze-tipped spatula that the bird is dipping into the...
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Scotland’s 10 greatest islands
Arran sports two distilleries (a brace of breweries too), plus a great butcher, baker, ice-cream maker, and even a chocolatier. It’s the only island with all of Scotland’s wildlife Big Five (red deer, seals, otters, red squirrels and golden eagles). You can cycle round it in a day. Where to stay The Auchrannie is the...
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May rail strikes: How is the latest train drivers’ walk-out affecting passengers?
Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email National rail strikes by train drivers have entered a third summer with a series of “rolling” walk-outs, one region at a time, during May. Members of the Aslef union are halting thousands of trains on 7,...
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Tourism Australia announces appointment of Regional General Manager United Kingdom – Travel Weekly
Tourism Australia has announced the appointment of Andrew Boxall to the role of Regional General Manager United Kingdom and Northern Europe. With more than 25 years of tourism industry experience, Andrew has worked internationally across the Middle East, India, Europe and the UK. More recently he was Flight Centre Travel Group’s executive general manager for...