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Mar 6, 2012 7:28:00 AM | Travel in England

April 12, 2011

My Trip to England March 2011 Part 3 York

Saltaire - A factory village

In 2001 Saltaire was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It was recognised for its international influence on town planning and as one of the earliest, largest and best preserved nineteenth century ‘model villages’ anywhere in the world.

Sir Titus Salt built this amazing model Industrial Village between 1851 & 1876 and it is now a World Heritage Site. The village consisted of Salts Mill, which produced 17 miles of cloth every day, neat stone houses for the workers, alms houses for the poor and needy, a girls' and boys' school and an institute, shops, wash houses, a hospital, churches and a park - but no pub - there was no drunkenness in Saltaire! The Village still stands and most of the buildings have survived even if their function has changed. And now, it's possible to get an alcoholic beverage in Saltaire! The pub is called, appropriately enough - Don’t Tell Titus.

The walks are great fun. You'll become a character of someone who actually lived here. You may even meet other members of your "family" or even find yourself "married off"! Everyone is given a bookmark with a snippet about the character you may be called upon to play. I was Alice Wentworth, an unmarried hatmaker.

Mrs Ellin Dooley - (Maria Glot) was the most colorful guide - dressed as a factory worker’s wife. She painted a vivid picture of what life was like in Saltaire.

Mrs Caroline Hill - (Sally Clegg)

Sally's costumed character, Caroline Hill, lives in the second biggest house in the Village with the lookout tower. She is married to Col. Thomas Hill, who is in charge of security in the village, but she hankers after her former life in India. Sally, who plays Caroline Hill, is a former journalist and an experienced tour guide.

Middlethorpe Hall was built in 1699 for Thomas Barlow, a master culter from Sheffield. It was bought in the 1980s and re-opened as a luxury hotel restaurant and spa in 2008. It is now run by the National Trust and has hosted royals from prince Andrew to Princess Anne. It has period rooms and modern day luxury, too.

The York Marriott is located overlooking the Racecourse, a 20 minute walk from the center of town. It has a lovely pool area and spacious rooms.

York

Cedar Court Grand Hotel & Spa – only a select few luxury hotels in York feature such a host of elegantly appointed rooms, ranging from tastefully-designed luxury classics right through to the Penthouse, which affords breathtaking views of the city walls and York Minster. It houses the best in culinary splendor, friendly and helpful staff, and a quintessentially English standard of exemplary service. It is a 2 minute walk from the Railway Station - having been the headquarters for the railway line. The lobby area and hallways still retain much of the original character of the building.

Catwalk York find the buildings with black cats on the buidling fronts. Some are quite creative, like the Black Swan Pub - an atmospheric English pub.

National Railway Museum-the largest of its kind in the world.

www.nrm.org.uk

Quilt Museum – The Quilt Museum and Gallery is Britain's first museum dedicated to quilt making and textile arts.

The Quilters' Guild was formed in 1979, and at the same time, The Guild began collecting patchwork and quilting, primarily as a teaching and research tool. Today the Guild's collection totals over 700 items.

Items from the 18th century

In addition to the well-known 1718 silk coverlet the collection contains some interesting examples of quilting from the 18th century, including two exquisite caps and a blue silk petticoat. A small white linen cot quilt is probably one of the earliest pieces in the collection. Possibly worked in a professional workshop it contains delightful quilting patterns of mermaids, castles, ships and exotic-looking animals. It may well date from around 1703 as it has key similarities with a linen quilt in the Victoria and Albert Museum which carries this date in the quilting.

Items from the early 19th century

The collection is also noted for its key examples of cotton patchwork made in fabrics from the late 18th to the early 19th century when the English market in hand block printed cottons, plate prints and roller printed fabrics was beginning to flourish. The frame coverlet known as 'Mrs Billings' is one of the finest in the collection. It was probably made around 1810 and has a central section surrounded by borders of different widths and pieced patterns. This arrangement is very typical of British patchwork and is known as a 'frame' layout. The workmanship of this coverlet is outstanding and over a hundred different fabrics have been used in its construction. Another key piece from this date is the 'Mary Prince' top. This pieced top echoes the frame layout in the choice of colours but it is pieced from just one geometric shape, the elongated hexagon. It has been pieced over paper templates using a traditional method sometimes known as 'English paper piecing'.

Items from the later 19th century and early 20th century

With the availability of cheaper printed cotton fabrics patchwork and quilted bedcovers gained a huge popularity amongst all classes in the 19th century and the collection reflects all aspects of the development of the craft during this period. This includes cotton frame quilts, wholecloth and strippy quilts, strip piecing, block patterns and applique. The fancy work quilts which were made in the second half of the 19th century are well represented with examples of diamond and hexagon patterns using silk and velvets, as well as crazy patchwork items. Wales and the North East of England developed a particularly strong quilting tradition during the 19th century and both geographic regions are well represented in the collection.

Ellen Mc Nulty is President of Lynott Tours

Apr 12, 2011 8:18:00 AM | Travel in England

Royal Wedding Walk in London

On the 16th of November 2010 Prince William and Kate Middleton gave a press conference at Clarence House. After a 9 year on-off relationship the couple announced their engagement to a breathless public. The wedding will be held on the 29th of April 2011 at Westminster Abbey.

Visit the London locations and landmarks that helped define the next Royal golden couple, Prince William and Kate Middleton. Learn about Kate's fascinating life prior to joining 'the firm', and hear firsthand the whole story, from William's cherished mother Diana, to Kate's engagement ring, and all the gossip in between.

Your tour itinerary includes;

The birthplace of Queen Elizabeth II, 17 Bruton Street, Mayfair - Learn about the generations of royals that came before
Garrard’s Jewellers - The Royal Jewellers since 1843
Mahiki – The young Royals’ favourite London nightclub
The offices of Kate’s Father, Richard Middleton – gain an insight into Kate's family background
Jigsaw Clothing Store - Kate has had trouble holding down a job, see where she worked
The Ritz Hotel - Favoured by Royalty, one of London's best hotels, the romantic comedy 'Notting Hill' the only film ever to be allowed to film here
White’s Gentleman’s Club - Find out the Royal connection to one of London’s most famous Gentleman’s Clubs
John Lobb Bootmakers - The Queen, Prince Charles, Princes William and Harry all have their shoes made here, as did Princess Diana
St James’s Palace - The oldest palace in London. The palace complex includes York House, the former home of the Prince of Wales and his sons, the Princes William and Harry.
The Queen’s Chapel - Kate Middleton attended her second Royal wedding here
Clarence House - The official residence of HRH The Prince of Wales and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall
Buckingham Palace - The Royal residence since 1836
Westminster Abbey - Where the wedding will take place, and where Diana's funeral was heldNote: I recently visted England and Kate's hometown.

Lambing season is always rewarding in the British countryside. Nothing is more charming than rolling green hills dotted with mama sheep and their baby lambs - just in time for Easter. We traveling through the countryside on a royal tour, including Kate Middleton’s home village of Bucklebury, in Berkshire. It’s not much more than two pubs, a butcher shop, and a thatched house, but we had lunch n the pub, where they told us the story of the sheep races and duck races in Bucklebury. An annual tradition with a twist this year, the participant animals are named Charles, Camilla, and for other royals. Sounds like fun. A special race day will be held on the day of the royal wedding, April 29, 2011.

Ellen Mc Nulty is President of Lynott Tours

Apr 12, 2011 7:21:00 AM | Travel in England

April 05, 2011

My Trip to England March 2011 Part 2 Bucklebury - Bronte

The Royal Wedding

Ellen Mc Nulty is President of Lynott Tours

Tetbury, known not only as the home of Charles and Camilla, but it is also home to many antique shops and charity shops, too. Highgrove was not yet open for the season, but we visited the shop where they sell organic products from Highgrove farm.

I had not been to the theater in Stratford in at least 25 years, but the newly refurbished theater is magnificent. We had a pre-theatre dinner and walk about the Royal Shakespeare Theatre followed by Romeo and Juliet production, a contemporary twist on a classic, starring a British tv actor as Romeo. After a £112.8 million refurbishment, the 1000-seat auditorium is the largest thrust stage with a tiered auditorium in the world. The theatre opened in November, 2010. The first performances began in February. The Royal Shakespeare Company will be celebrating its 50^th anniversary in 2011.

We had a walking tour of the village - The world of Wuthering Heights is brought to life in the famous village of Haworth, including a visit to Brontë Parsonage Museum which was once home to the literary great the Brontës. The town, too, seems known for its large sized cats, which appear in backyards, streets, and even the Apothecary Shop. The town would be charming, even without the Bronte Association.

The bulk of our time was spent in Yorkshire. We traveled through the bleak landscape of the Moors to Haworth. We enjoyed

lunch at the Weavers, a pub, decorated with old spindles from long ago. The food was just fabulous, including sticky toffee pudding.

Apr 5, 2011 8:12:00 AM | Books, Travel in England

March 22, 2011

The Doctor Who Experience - Unique Experience -London

The Doctor Who Experience - Unique Experience And Awe-Inspiring Exhibition
Opening at Olympia Town in February 2011, the Doctor Who Experience is the ultimate Doctor Who adventure. Part immersive experience, part interactive exhibition, providing fun for all the family. You will be invited to step through a crack in time to become the Doctor's companion on a journey through time and space. The challenge will be to reunite the Doctor with the TARDIS whilst encountering some of the best-loved and scariest monsters from the hit international television series. For more info visit www.doctorwhoexperience.com

Ellen McNulty is President of

You may choose from the best Irish & British B&B's, hotels, guesthouses, inns in Ireland, unusual manors and even the most elegant Irish castles to form your perfect vacation! We have 3 star relaxed castles to 5 star elegant ones.

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Mar 22, 2011 6:13:00 AM | Travel in England

November 02, 2010

Victorian Boat Lift in Staffordshire

Anderton Historic Boat Lift is a unique example of Victorian ingenuity - a working structure transporting narrow boats between the Trent & Mersey Canal and the River Weaver over 50 feet below.

Anderton Boat Lift stands at the Northern end of an industrial supply chain that moved finished goods and raw material between the heartlands of Staffordshire and Warwickshire and the mighty ports on the River Mersey. Visitors can journey back in time through the heart of this iron giant on the trip boat Edwin Clark, named after the engineer whose vision created it.

Anderton Boat Lift provides visitors with a unique insight into another era that formed the hub in an engineering vision linking the waterways of the North and Midlands as the motorway network of their day.

Ellen McNulty is President of

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Nov 2, 2010 8:01:00 AM | Travel in England

July 27, 2010

The World Hen Racing Championships, Peak District

The World Hen Racing Championships, Peak District

August 2010

The World Hen Racing Championships have brought an entire new meaning to the term

"Chicken Run" – not to mention some egg-stra egg-citement to the Peak District. Visitors to

the Barley Mow pub in the village of Bonsall each August are able to catch sight of chickens

racing along a 30-foot track, under strict world championship regulations.

www.barleymowbonsall.co.uk/default.aspx?tabid=259

Ellen McNulty is President of

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http://www.coventgardenlondonuk.com/

Jul 27, 2010 7:54:00 AM | Travel in England

June 15, 2010

Covent Garden – 180th Anniversary

This year Covent Garden marks a momentous milestone by celebrating the 180th Anniversary of the Market Building. Celebratory activity includes the return of the Real Food Market to a new weekly Saturday slot, bespoke street performance with a special performance on Piazza by Royal Opera House, a weekend of celebration (June 18-20) and there will also be large scale celebratory installations on the Piazza

Ellen McNulty is President of

Other websites: Cruise Tour Planners

Jun 15, 2010 6:27:00 AM | Travel in England

June 01, 2010

Shakespeare’s Globe Exhibition and Theatre Tours

Shakespeare’s Globe Exhibition and Theatre Tours
Audiences can enhance their experience of watching Shakespeare’s Globe’s 2010 theatre season this summer by visiting Shakespeare’s Globe Exhibition and Theatre Tour. Groups who have a valid ticket for a 2010 theatre production, will receive £2 off entry to the exhibition between 23 April – 03 October. For more info click here

Ellen McNulty is President of

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