From Tudors to Television

Morning

Syon House has been in the Duke of Northumberland's family for well over 400 years and it was here that Catherine Howard, Henry VIII's fifth wife spent her last Christmas before her execution in 1542. The neo-classical house is idyllic and a pleasingly large number of its rooms are on show to visitors.

Other highlights include the London Butterfly House, an aviary and the Aquatic Experience. On top of all that, there are the truly lovely gardens, laid out by Capability Brown.

The Great Conservatory provided inspiration for master gardener Joseph Paxton when he designed Crystal Palace. Then it's on to a lovely spot on the Thames for lunch. There are many quaint pubs dotted along the river at Hammersmith, however The Old Ship, situated in the Upper Mall is the most suitable for larger groups.

Afternoon

After lunch, take a backstage tour of the most famous TV studios in the world. The two-hour BBC Television Centre tour allows visitors to see the BBC News studios, get hands-on in the interactive studio and find out all sorts of interesting facts about the BBC from informative and entertaining guides.

As Television Centre is a working building, the tours are planned around whatever is happening on the day, so no two tours are ever the same. You never know, you might catch glam news reader Fiona Bruce rehearsing her lines!

Ellen McNulty is President of www.lynotttours.com