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It's About the Cars...The James Bond Cars

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 06:30:07 +0000

James Bond on film celebrates his 50th birthday in 2012. So what's the secret of his longevity. Is it the Bond girls? The fantasy action? The over the top villains? Bond's impossibly suave sex appeal? I'd be willing to bet that most male Bond fans - and quite a few women too - will tell you it's about the cars. Fifty of them, the largest collection of official Bond cars ever assembled for an exhibit, are on display at the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu, Hampshire.

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Moderately Priced Family Rooms Within Earshot of Parliament

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:20:57 +0000

Generously proportioned family hotel rooms in the center of London are not easy to find. So I was happy to see that the newly freshened up St Ermin's Hotel, right across the street from Scotland Yard and, as I previously reported, once a nest of spies, has 18 good sized, two-bath family rooms.

I stopped by for lunch and a look around this week to see how the hotel owners recently spent £30 million to bring the grand old place into the 21st century. For the most part, it shows and the price is definitely right - a double double that sleeps four was available in March for under £200 and a generous-sized family room with two bathrooms and an extra day bed for a third little person was under £250. But I'm afraid I will have to reserve judgement on the restaurant. It's a pleasant, airy space that's popular with people who live and work in the area. But the kitchen seemed to be a bit disorganized on the day of my visit, so it was hard to judge.

By the way, if you hear a bell go off sharply while you're there, don't worry. It's the Division Bell, summoning any MPs who happen to be dining or schmoozing in the hotel back to the Palace of Westminster for a Parliamentary vote.

Have a look at what I saw on my visit.

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©Ferne Arfin

The Romantic Castles of Devon

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 06:14:02 +0000

Devon is one of Britain's most ravishing counties. It has a coastline that is almost heart- breakingly pretty, yet, just a few miles away, the rough and windswept beauty of Dartmoor is another world. And once you've seen the deep, saturated greens of the Devon countryside against the deep, red of its clay rich soil, you'll never forget it. Steven Spielberg was so impressed with Dartmoor that he chose it for much of the filming of War Horse.

So it's no surprise that this county's castles are extremely romantic, ranging from a relatively modern millionaire's fantasy castle to a haunted pile that was abandoned by its owners not once, but twice.

If you're still stuck for sometime romantic to do with your Valentine this month, a tour of Devon's Castles might be just the thing

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Cornwall's Magical Castles

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:30:41 +0000

Among Britain's hundreds of castles, the castles of Cornwall have a special magic. Think King Arthur or the tragic love triangle of King Mark, Tristan and Isolde - the history and legends of the ancient Celtic Kingdom of Cornwall are written in stones that you can still visit - in between surfing at world class beaches, riding thrill rides at theme parks and stalking prehistoric tree ferns in subtropical forests. Yes, Cornwall has absolutely mystical castles. but it has a lot more besides.

Find out more about the castles and attractions of magical Cornwall.

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Celebrate James Bond's 50th Birthday in London's Notorious Spy Hotel

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:22:38 +0000

The St. Ermin's Hotel, near St. James's Park in London, has a marvelous secret history of spies and spycatchers, espionage and betrayal. To mark its recent refurbishment into a 300-room, luxury 4-star hotel in the heart of London, and to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first James Bond film, the hotel is offering families a fun value package to capture the imagination of any young would-be spies.

Throughout 2012, families can take advantage of a two-night "Budding Bonds" package for a total of £550. The VAT inclusive price covers two nights bed and breakfast accommodation for a family of four sharing the same room, and includes a Secret Agent Code Breaker pack and the London Spy Walk Challenge quiz.

Find out what makes this Victorian pile, tucked into a quiet corner of central London, one of Europe's most famous spy hotels.

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Public Ballot Opens for Diamond Jubilee Concert Tickets

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:10:13 +0000

The ballot for one of 5,000 pairs of free tickets to the June 4 Diamond Jubilee Concert is now open. Anyone resident in the UK, The Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, or with a BFPO address, can apply online or by post until 23:59 (11:59 p.m.) GMT, Friday, March 2.

The concert, in celebration of Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee, marking her 60 years on the throne, is part of a four day Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend in June. Lucky ticket holders will first get to enjoy a picnic in the back garden of Buckingham Palace (complete with a souvenir hamper to take away) before taking their seats for a mega concert being staged by the BBC on a stage erected around the Queen Victoria Memorial , pictured here. The concert lineup is still evolving but the organizers promise top performers of music and dance from Britain, Australia, Canada and the USA.

Each ticket holder will be allowed to nominate one named guest. So if you don't live in the UK but have relatives and friends who do, now is the time to remind them to apply for tickets. The winning ticket holders will be notified at the end of March.

Visit the BBC's Diamond Jubilee website to apply for tickets online and for postal application instructions.
Find out what else is planned for the Diamond Jubilee celebration
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photo of the Queen Victoria Memorial by Dominic's pics

Edinburgh Festival Tickets Already On Sale

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 15:45:04 +0000

The Edinburgh Fringe Festival program isn't out until May but tickets for a handful of shows have already gone on sale. Could it be the festival organizers are worried about competition from the London 2012 Olympics and are making a pitch for our attention early?

I'm all for that. There's a lot more to see and do all over the UK this August besides paying a lot of money to watch anorexic looking men and women run around in circles in their underwear. While London goes Olympics mad, some calmer heads are wondering whether this multi-billion pound event will really be a bonanza or will just keep visitors away. Apparently Beijing tourism fell by more and a million during their Olympics.

But even if you are a big Olympics fan, when you've seen the event you've managed to score tickets for, you could hang around in London, where everything from restaurants to Underground stations will be packed, or you could head north to catch the Edinburgh Fringe, which continues to the end of August. It will be crowded up there too, of course, but the Edinburgh crowds will be partying in the streets instead of sweating in a crowded Tube train.

If you're tempted, visit the Edinburgh Festival website to see what tickets are already on sale or to pre-order your 2012 Official Festival Fringe Program. I guarantee they'll be a lot cheaper than the Olympics.

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photo by www.theedinburghblog.co.uk

Best Free British Museums - Glasgow's Collection of Treasure Houses

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 15:06:43 +0000

Glasgow's collection of museums are among the gems of the free museums in the United Kingdom. In my continuing series on the Best Free British Museums, this week I profile Glasgow's wonderful Kelvingrove Museum and Gallery, its ravishing new Riverside Museum - pictured here - and several more of the treasures of Scotland's largest city .

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photo by nuklr.dave

Queen's Diamond Jubilee Plans - What a Party

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 16:29:23 +0000

Gloriana, a hand-built, 88-foot long, gilded wooden rowing boat, with Britain's six-time Olympic Medal winning rower Sir Steve Redgrave among the crew, will lead a 1,000 boat flotilla on the Thames to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee, marking her 60 years on the throne. The Thames River Pageant, seven miles long and taking 90 minutes to float by, is just one of the massive events planned for the big celebration, the first weekend in June. Find out what else is happening from June 2 to 5

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courtesy of Diamond Jubilee Pageant.org.

Crazy UK Sports Counter Olympic Madness

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 09:56:33 +0000

The London 2012 Olympics are a mere six months away and Olympic fever has already reached a fever pitch with something in the news about the big event just about every day. If it's all getting a bit much for you - or if you just want to watch some of the odd sports events you only look at once every four years (Olympic Walking anyone?), there are plenty of eccentric British sporting events coming up in the next few months. Bog Snorkelling, and Pancake Racing to name a few. We like sports where you can have a laugh while you are cheering on your favorite. Have a look at these

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