Got a nasty surprise from Qatar Airways on my last long-haul trip home from Rome.Arrived at the check-in counter at 2pm for our 4.40pm flight to be told we had missed our flight earlier that day. The one that left at 8.20am.I couldn't understand it. I am obsessive about travel itineraries ... Continue Reading
Blog
New RAF Museum Opens in London
For aircraft buffs like me a visit to the new RAF Museum in North London is a must-do next time I'm in that great city.The best insight into the new display comes from 13-year-old Robert, whose dad writes the Family Travel Times Blog.Here's his summary of their visit:"There are three ... Continue Reading
10 Outstanding Stately Homes of England
Visiting the stately homes of England is an absolute must on any UK road trip. One thing is for sure: You are spoiled for choice when considering the Stately Homes of England. There are hundreds open for public viewing at one time or another. Because "hundreds" is not on your range of options. ... Continue Reading
Stay in one of Oxford University’s Colleges
Here's BnB accommodation with a difference - stay in one of the University Colleges at Oxford.During the university vacations when students clear their rooms, you can book into one of these historic facilities.But don't think they're just grotty student squats. The rooms are cleared and ... Continue Reading
London Hotels Don’t Have To Cost An Arm And Leg
You don't have to have the income of an Arab sheik to stay at a good London hotel.Of course, it does depend a bit on your definition of "good". For me - because for me it's just a place to grab some sleep - all I want is have a clean room with a comfy bed and a hot shower. I don't need room ... Continue Reading
Sorry Britain – there’s no such thing as spaghetti bolognese
Sorry Britain - there's no such thing as spaghetti bolognese . . . not in Italy, as I discovered on a recent visit to Bologna.It is, like chicken tikka masala, entirely an English invention and, according to any Italian cook, not a good one.Nonetheless it is a compulsory item on the menu in ... Continue Reading
Strawberry Field To Be Opened To The Public
Liverpool's Strawberry Field is to be opened to the public.Made famous by the John Lennon song "Strawberry Fields Forever", the real Strawberry Field was, in fact, a Salvation Army children's home near where he lived with his Aunt Mimi.It was an important part of Lennon's early life. Each ... Continue Reading
For Centuries, People Took Chunks of Stonehenge Home as Souvenirs
Today we take it for granted that Stonehenge is a precious historic monument that must be protected at all costs, but in fact, for centuries visitors would chip pieces off as souvenirs.In a blog post on Atlas Obscura, Jocelyn Sears says that such behaviour was not only common but ... Continue Reading
Downton Abbey Film confirmed
It's official . . . shooting is to start soon on a Downton Abbey film featuring the original cast.The tv series followed the lives and fortunes of a the English aristocratic Crawley family.It is set at Highclere Castle, one of the attractions on the Great British Road Trips touring routes ... Continue Reading
Tolkien Exhibition Opens At Oxford University
Oxford University’s Bodleian Library recently launched a once-in-a-lifetime exhibition dedicated to J.R.R. Tolkien and his connection to Oxford. Many authors have strong connections to Oxford: Lewis Carroll who wrote Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, C.S. Lewis who wrote The Chronicles of Narnia ... Continue Reading