World Cup Fever

An enthusiastic supporter of the English team.  The world cup kicks off today.

More Partying

London is the place to party especially if you have an excuse to dress up.  St George is a good reason to don a red and white costume and celebrate.  This party started early afternoon yesterday.  Don't expect too much from the city this morning

3-2

The afternoon confidence of the kilts was lost to the final score of England 3 Scotland 2.

Mad Dogs and Englishmen

Hot on the heels of his very successful book "Tired of London Tired of Life" Tom Jones has just released his new book "Mad Dogs and Englishmen", a year of things to do and see in England.  Little teasers of fun and quirky Englishness on every page.  From the eating stinging nettle competition to renting your own castle.  It will have you keen to explore every corner of this unique island.  

Day Trip to Margate

Margate was the favourite seaside resort of Charles Dickens who found the place "delightful and fresh", a place where he enjoyed long walks. So when I was offered a trip there I jumped at the opportunity.

Margate has had a recent revival since the Turner Contemporary Gallery opened in 2011 after 20 years to create. Named after Turner whose early life began in Margate and was drawn back regularly because of his love of the seas, skies, quality of light and later his landlady Mrs Booth.

Artists continue to be inspired by Margate, today's most well known contemporary artist being Tracy Emin.
My trip began with a visit to the gallery to see the current exhibition of works by Turner, Rodin and Emin. It is worth going to Margate just for this show alone.

Gallery visiting makes me very hungry and so a hearty lunch was in order. We went to the Walpole Bay Hotel for a traditional English roast. What a gem this place is. It opened in 1914 as a hotel for society to spend their summer vacation. It remained in the same family until it was taken over by Jane and Peter Bishop in 1995. The original owners had not thrown away a single item in all those years. Jane and Peter quickly saw the value in these items and have turned part of the hotel into a museum.


You could spend hours looking at everything here. I recommend a weekend stay to take it all in.
Another lovely tale began in 2009 when guest Curtis Tappenden presented Jane with a sketch he had drawn on his napkin during dinner. It has now become a tradition with artists from around the world crating art on their napkins. There are currently 121 adorning the walls of the hotel.


After a hearty meal we needed a walk. As luck would have it the Tudor house was preparing to open its doors for the first time since its restoration and we were given a preview. It's the oldest remaining building in central Margate, built around 1525. (Margate was heavily bombed in WWII). It is thought the place was probably owned by a wealthy yeoman farmer.


For something totally different and rather quirky you really must visit the shell grotto. It was discovered quite by accident when in 1835 the current owner was digging a duck pond and broke through the roof. No-one knows its origins, however it is believed to date from the time of the Knights Templar. A winding passage leads to an altar room, the walls and ceiling are all covered in a mosaic of seashells. A space of 190 square metres and at best guess 4.6 million shells.

Take a fast train from St Pancras International station and you will be transported to Margate in just under an hour and half.

A Day Trip to York

Continuing with our wee break from the Olympics to do a bit of local sightseeing, today I'm taking you on a trip out of London. We're going to York. Catch a train from Kings Cross station and within two and a half hours you will be in the ancient and beautiful city of York.

York's history began with the Romans who arrived in 71AD and formed the city of Eboracum. The city was very desirable even back then, as testified by the various invasions over the following centuries. The Anglo-Saxons, the Vikings and the Normans, each of the invaders bringing their own traditions and cultures, making York the unique city it is today.

The city is dominated by the Minster, the largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe. Built between 1291 and 1350 it replaced the original Norman Cathedral that burnt down. The Archbishop of York holds the second highest position in the Church f England (since the time of Henry VIII when C of E was established the order has always been the ruling Monarch, Archbishop of Canterbury, Archbishop of York).


There are simply loads of important people buried here, plus there is a resident ghost, supposedly an organist who fell to his death while cleaning the organ valves.

Eating and shopping are always high on my list wherever I visit. Last year York was voted the 5th best place in Europe for gourmet food and wine - a foodies paradise. As for shopping, these are the kind of stores you get lost in for hours. I loved the street called "the Shambles". Back in medieval times it was a street of butcher shops. The narrowness of the street and the medieval houses that get larger as they get higher (in a bid to avoid 'ground' taxes) meant that these streets were rather shady and thus popular with the butchers. Imagine though all those carcasses hanging in the outdoors. Yes, flies and rats come to mind. Stay with that image. The locals of the time did. Hence why when they saw anything unpleasant they'd say "yuk, its a shambles".

You can always rely on me to find you a gem that is not in the brochure. Eight hundred years ago York elected their first Lord Mayor. So it's party time now to commemorate. One of the celebrations is the festival of the rivers which was to take place in July, however due to the unusually wet weather this festival was postponed. But as we now have a good summer again the festival will now take place on 26 August. I've already given you enough good reasons to go. Now is the perfect time.

If you need any help with your stay in York just go to the national trust Visit England site.

Preparation for the Game

Fans preparing for the match last night between Egypt and England