A postcard from GB
To our dear friends from Perth (and other globetrotters),
Thank you for having us to stay! We had such fun exploring your streets, dipping in your pools, talking to your dogs and sizzling sausages.
Now isn't about time we returned your generosity?
In an effort to persuade you we've put together this little tour of the UK, a dream team itinerary, as a pledge of good hostmanship. We hope it'll wet your appetite.
(If you're here for a while check out the whole list, if you've only got a short stop check out the comments marked with an asterisk*.)
What to do in the UK...
Visit Scotland: In Edinburgh* theres the
Jenners department store,
the Castle (with the
military tattoo),
the Scottish National Galleries of Modern Art to fill your day. Of course you couldn't miss out Linlithgow*- home of your Scottish friends, which has its own beautiful
Palace and Loch (see your first white swans!). If there at the right time don't miss
the marches. Take a long drive and two ferries to isolation on
Iona, theres a monastery surrounded by purple and turquoise sea (you can easily walk round the whole island in a few hours). See your first ever snow and ski on it in the
Cairngorms. Kayak on a loch and spot some highland cows. Make sure you drink IRN BRU, eat
tablet*, haggis, an
Oliphant's pie and at least one insane thing deep-fried in Glasgow. Finish with a cultural turn up for the books in Glasgow's
Gallery of Modern Art.
Have a long weekend drifting around the countryside on a canal boat. And make sure you see at least one dramatic waterfall and one fast flowing river.
Go to
London to see
the Queen (and Corinne!*), go to the
Tower of London to see the crown jewels (you can have a really quick visit for free if you go round
as they lock up), see art in
Trafalgar Square and the
Serpentine gallery or swim in the
Serpentine lake. Top up on art in the
Saatchi Gallery, the
V&A, the
Tate galleries and eat lunch in the
Turbine Hall*. Watch a show in the
West End, Shakespeare at the
Globe and sneak a peek at a celebrity on the red carpet at
Leicester Square. Go to the
Natural History Museum, the
Imperial War Museum and see the
Royal Collection at
Buckingham Palace. Glimpse grandeur in
Westminster Cathedral and
St Paul's, or watch MPs in
The Houses of Parliament. You should probably check out the
Liberty's building to compare it to Perth's imitation, London Court. While you're at Liberties you might as well go in for a spot of shopping, and while you're in the mood
Oxford street* is a must see (
Topshop for Bee and Moo). Get a
Boris bike and crash
London fashion week. But d
on't go in the
Thames.
There are loads of special events to see too, depending on when you're in London, the
Oxford/Cambridge boat race, The BBC
Proms,
Pride Marches,
the State Opening of Parliament,
Chinese New Year or the
Trooping of the Colour to name but a few.... oh yeh, and there's the
Olympics.
In London enjoy the Tube (its fun when you're not in a rush) then take the
Megabus to another city for £1.
Stop a while in Birmingham: Go to the
Bullring markets and a vintage fair at the
Custard Factory. See a show at
the REP or a film at the
Electric Cinema (and text your waiter your order for olives from your sofa seating). Have a curry in the
Balti Triangle* and experience a proper pub lunch. Meet the pre-raephelites in the
BMAG, something more contemporary in the
IKON or something less famous in one of the
Digbeth
galleries. Taste
Cadbury's without the wax at its home in
Bourneville and check out the canals. Meet our friends and picnic in
Sutton Park.
In Wales you could stay in a
bothy to experience the countryside up close and personal. Take a visit a
Welsh revival chapel and some of our favourite beaches around
Abersoch. Eat a
Cadwaladers, do some wake boarding in the cold sea, warm up with a bonfire on the beach. Then see the heights of
Snowdon on your way back to England.
The following deserve at least a mention:
Brighton (ride a carousel at the end of the pier, its a family tradition of ours),
Cornwall (the best clotted cream and amazing art in
St Ives),
the Lake District (has lots of lakes), the
Cotswolds (have pretty cottages with yellow stone walls and thatched roofs),
Bristol (is an environmentally aware city, with a hippy vibe and cool goings on) and
Blackpool (for tacky souvenirs and the blackpool illuminations).
This completes our list of recommendations for a visit to the UK (this list is not conclusive).