I wrote recently about a trip to the rather excellent Dinosaur Zoo in Birmingham. Whilst we were there, we went to visit a couple of other interesting places in the city. Before the show, we had a quick trip to the city’s museum – a great place for afternoon tea – and afterwards, as we…
It seems an almost universal truth that children are fascinated by dinosaurs, and my son Xander certainly adheres to that, so when I heard that Dinosaur Zoo was in the UK, I decided that a trip to see it was in order. For those not familiar with Dinosaur Zoo, it’s an Australian show that tours…
Fans of motorised transport, be it racing cars or otherwise, are spoiled for choice in the UK with the sheer volume of circuits and exhibitions dedicated to their hobby, including plenty of hidden gems that are less well known. Coventry Transport Museum is one of those, with a huge number of vehicles on display in…
I was in Northern Ireland recently visiting friends & family, and I took a trip to Gleno Waterfall. The National Trust property is one that I visit relatively regularly when I’m in the area, not just because it is a rather pretty view, but also because it is very near where I grew up, and…
I wrote recently about Carrickfergus Castle, and how easy it was to find in the centre of the town. Nearby and a short stroll along the Marine Highway, the road that runs along beside the sea, is Marine Gardens, home to the Carrickfergus Cenotaph. Whilst the cenotaph has been easy to spot for quite some…
My recent trip to Northern Ireland, like many of mine, included a trip to Carrickfergus, where any visitors cannot fail to notice Carrickfergus Castle sitting by the sea, dominating the town as it has done since its build in 1177. The castle was built by John de Courcy in 1177, who used it as his…
I was in Northern Ireland recently and took a trip to North Down, and after a pleasant lunch in the lovely seaside town of Bangor and a stroll along the marina, headed to nearby Newtownards. Anyone in the area will see one particular landmark rising up over the very scenic views; that of Scrabo Tower.…
Growing up in Northern Ireland in the 1980s, local sports stars on the world stage were relatively limited in number, but among the small band that there were, there were three who were among the greatest in their sports not just among their contemporaries, but in the recent history of the sport. They were football’s…
Today sees the end of the 2015 Heather Scarecrow Festival, so I went along yesterday to look at this year’s collection of displays. For those not familiar with the event, the villagers of Heather in North West Leicestershire fill their gardens with homemade scarecrows, whilst visitors can go on a hunt for them around the…
Last weekend saw the Return of the Garrison event at the National Space Centre in Leicester, where the UK Garrison are on show for visitors to see and meet. The UK Garrison are a group of volunteers who appear as characters from the Star Wars films, in fantastically movie accurate costumes. I had asked my…
I’m a regular at my local village festival, and after writing about the 2013 and 2014 events, I went along last Saturday to the Heart of the Forest Festival 2015 to see what was going on. The festival takes place in the Leicestershire village of Measham in the middle of the National Forest, hence the…
Given that many cities and towns in the UK were once fortified through the addition of city or town walls, it may be a little surprising to hear that only one – Londonderry in Northern Ireland – retains all of its walls in tact. However, if you add consideration that these walls would either have…