enjoyEngland.com

Earning fresh air miles

Two years of commuting by bike to work had raised my confidence in my fitness levels to such an extent that when Michael, my husband suggested a week’s cycling holiday, I thought, “Yes!  Why not?”

A weekend break in Chester

   A friend of mine from Chester recently started talking about her home town during a dinner party recently, and by the end of the discussion I was sold on a visit to her city!

So on the 18th of October, for £14 one-way, £28 return I had a cheap but windowless 2hr40min train ride, first with Virgin from Euston with a change in Crewe to Arriva, which was easy to manage.

A visit to the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms

Last weekend I visited the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms, in central London. Tickets provide you with entrance into both museums which are located together. The entrance fee also includes a free audio guide, making this a great value day out.

A family holiday with two children under two

Last week I took the family on holiday and the main objective was to keep the kids occupied (two kids under two!). We hired a lovely cottage between Swanage and Corfe Castle. Having spent my summer holidays as a kid camping at Corfe Castle this was like taking a trip down memory lane (with out the cow pats!). The weather was excellent considering we on the verge of November. Our first excursion was to Studland

My London Bond Experience

  The last few weeks have seen me experience a slice of Bond’s glamorous and adventurous lifestyle with tickets to the long awaited Quantum of Solace Premiere and a high speed River Boat trip along the Thames.

Magic - the London Eye at night

Last Friday night I took a trip on the London Eye. I have been a few times before, but always during the day time and each time the weather was perfect, allowing you to see for miles and miles (even as far as Alexandra Palace and beyond for those of you from North London). However this was my first evening trip and I was really looking forward to it, seeing one of my favourite parts of London with the river and the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben all lit up.

A different way to enjoy Cumbria

We were invited up to Cumbria for a team away day last week and were looking forward to an easy day out. A few hours later, we were hanging off the edge of a cliff with a sheer drop of several hundred yards below us. We were doing the Via Ferrata, accessible from the slate mine near Honister Pass. The activity is a mix between hiking and climbing - everyone is strapped to a steel rope with a harness and two clips - which is quite consoling when you're looking into the abyss. Definitely a fun and challenging day out, with amazing views over the valleys and lakes over the Northern Lake District. The day can be rounded off with a tour of the slate mine, one of the last working mines in England with a fascinating history.

 

More info on www.honister.com.

 

Enjoy England Explorer: Anke Suessmann

Hitchcock and food

Alfred Hitchcock was both gourmand and glutton. His physical girth reveals the extent that he loved his food. He has been quoted as saying whilst he abstained from eating eggs, he could willingly consume an English breakfast three times a day.

My top ten favourite films shot in England

Over a quarter of us here in England are influenced in our choice of holiday destinations by reading about them in a novel or seeing them as film or TV locations and England is no exception to a worldwide trend.

The global phenomenon of The Da Vinci Code released in 2006 produced a massive hike in visitor numbers both to the places mentioned in the original novel and to the locations used in the movie starring Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou.

Listed below are my top ten favourite movies filmed in England with the locations at which they were filmed – let me know if you agree and if not, I’d love to hear about your favourites.

A cycling tour of London

I recently got back on my bike for the first time in 4 years after being knocked into oncoming traffic by a car door opening. I entrusted my jittery self with Capital Sport – “Gentle cycling tours through Southern England”.