Category Archives: Travel

The highlights of Cirencester

Few places in the UK can match the beauty and the vibe of Cirencester. It is a homely little town that has much to offer the visitor or those that chose to settle here. There is a vibrant trade in houses for sale and its certain that you’ll need someone with some local knowledge like Conveyancing Cirencester based company https://www.montpellier.legal/conveyancing-solicitor/cirencester-conveyancing to get you the property that you want. What are some of the main draws to the place?

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  1. The Parish Church. This classic Gothic church with a tower can be seen for miles around the surrounding area. There was a time when you could go up the tower and get panoramic views. If the builders had gone up just twelve more inches the building would have been classed a cathedral and the town would be a city.
  2. Cirencester Park. This tree lined and fully laden landscape has the poet Alexander Pope to thank for its design. Near its Polo ground you can find Pope’s seat, with some trees removed in the distance so he could get a view of Kemble Churches’ spire.

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  1. Shopping. There are plenty of boutique shops to wander around and a proper market every Monday and Wednesday. Cirencester is blessed with all of the regular mainstream shops but a visit to Scotts on Castle Street, a proper Gentleman’s Outfitters and Roxton Sporting if you fancy looking at country sports outfits.
  2. Pubs. You really are spoilt for choice with Pubs. The two main pubs are the Bear, The Crown and the Black Horse. All of them offer a great choice of beers and ciders plus a good meal.

First Vans in the UK

It’s hard to imagine what life would be like without the fleet of commercial vans on the UK roads. Given the recent situation that we have found ourselves in without the army of delivery drivers for online companies it’s hard to imagine what we would have done being unable to go out shopping. It’s become a regular sight to see a van, usually with a decent set of vehicle chevrons like those from Chapter 8 Chevrons, on its back doors.

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What were the first vans like? It soon became clear that there was a need for them. At the start of the twentieth century when the automobile was beginning to become more widespread, the days of the delivery boy on his bike were numbered. Using a van meant that more customers could be served quicker and to a wider area.

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In Britain the first producer of the commercial van was Star. This was a small producer in the Midlands. After they were taken over by the larger concern, Sunbeam, production began in earnest. They were even able to ship them abroad to Russia to help their War effort in the First World War. They were also converted to Ambulances for the Allied forces on the Western front where they were able to help save many lives.  Along with Morris Motors and Jensen the Midlands and the Black Country became the national centre of Van and commercial vehicle production that was to remain the case for the next 50 years before the British Car manufacturing industry began to contract.

The Best Places to Visit in Ireland

Known as the Emerald Isle, it is no surprise that there are so many great places to visit in Ireland. Known for its amazing natural beauty, stunning beaches and historic architecture, Ireland has much to offer visitors who come here from around the world. If you want to experience the true flavour of Ireland, you have to make your way to its incredible countryside. The charm and mystique of this untouched land of Ireland is something that you can only get by visiting it yourself and exploring what is within this spectacular area.

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You have the option of seeing the fantastic and picturesque Killarney. Located in the south west of Ireland, Killarney offers great shopping and dining, as well as beautiful landscapes that are filled with wildlife. Here, you will get the chance to view the spectacular views of Killarney and Ross Castle, as well as some of the best fishing that Ireland has to offer.

To complete your wonderful visit to Ireland, you should also take a trip to the ruggedly beautiful island of Aran. Known for the stunning landscapes and the engaging local culture, Aran is famed for its woollen sweaters. For souvenir Aran Sweaters, find a stylish Aran Sweater Range at Shamrock Gifts

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You might not think of Ireland as a country for beaches but if you’re keen to try some surfing, you’ll not be disappointed. Being exposed to the powerful North Atlantic provides ample opportunity and some stunning beaches with which to grab a board. All in all, from the north to the south, you will find a number of incredible places to visit in Ireland.

 

Places to Walk in Kent this Autumn

Kent is a great place to visit – it has something for everyone, whether you want to see the abundant historical parts of the county or whether you want a family day out at the beach – you will never be stuck for Things to do in Margate like this https://www.localthingstodo.co.uk/locations/things-to-do-in-margate/ it really has everything. But as the holiday season comes to a close and autumn starts to creep in, the Kent countryside really comes into its own and puts on a spectacular seasonal display of autumn colour.

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If you want to get out and about in Kent and are looking for some stunning walks to take all this in, here are a few of the best places to go to…

Medway Valley – If you are up for a long walk over a weekend, this is perfect! At twenty eight miles long you can enjoy the market towns along the way, as well as the River Medway where you will have the chance to see the wildlife in this area of outstanding natural beauty. There are plenty of lovely places to stop overnight en-route, as well as riverside pubs and cafes in the towns to stop for lunch.

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Dungeness – Known as the only desert in Britain, this spectacular natural landscape is somewhere that you must see. Looking desolate and eerie, it is perfect for a Halloween walk, and includes abandoned boats dotting the landscape like skeletons and the looming form of Dungeness power station dominating the landscape.

Get yourself kitted out for retirement travels

One popular pastime for those people who have recently retired is to travel. This could be travelling across the UK to see all the places that they didn’t have time for in the past or it could be travelling to other countries that would have been unaffordable whilst they were working. In order to ensure that you make the most of retirement travelling there are a number of things that you will want to ensure that you have in place.

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Passport – of course if you only plan to travel within the UK this won’t be a problem, but if you want to go abroad you should make sure that your passport is up to date and that the photograph is still an accurate representation of how you look now.

 

Mobile phone – make sure that you have a decent mobile phone and look up – vodafone store near me- such as https://www.kingcommunications.ie/ and check whether there will be any roaming charges if you use your mobile phone abroad and weather you are on the best package to ensure that you can keep in touch with your loved ones whilst you are away.

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Clothes – depending on where you want to travel to, you might need to think about some holiday clothes. This is particularly true if you are going to visit somewhere that is significantly hotter or colder than it gets here in the UK.

A Visit to the Broadway Tower

Getting out and about during the winter months is a great thing for your health, both physically and mentally. As long as you have sensible footwear and are wrapped up warm – visit shamrockgift for Aran sweaters – you will find plenty of great places to explore.

There are lots of national walking trails in the UK and one of the most popular is the Cotswold Way. It spans an area over 100 miles in length and will take you through many different scenic vistas, and places of historical interest. One of the things along the trail that combines spectacular views, and an abundance of history is the Broadway Tower.

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The tower itself sits on top of a large escarpment and offers views to the surrounding area. It was created for the 6th Earl of Coventry by famous landscape designer Capability Brown and architect James Wyatt.

The tower today is home to exhibitions, and you will be able to see plenty of history withing the tower, especially related to William Morris and the arts and crafts movement. There is also an exhibition within the tower by the Royal Observer Corps, which during the 20th century also used the tower and the surrounding land.

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The Royal Observer Corps have a nuclear bunker in the grounds of the tower which you can take a tour of. This fascinating piece of recent history shows you how close the UK came to nuclear war and what the plans were for if the worst was ever to happen.

 

 

The Leaning Tower of Pisa and it’s balustrades

One of the most incredible structures in the world is that of the leaning Tower of Pisa. It is a huge tourist attraction in Italy that also draws pilgrims to this religious site. It acts as the bell tower or campanile to give it it’s proper name, for the Cathedral at the city of Pisa itself. The Cathedral itself is an impressive structure full of white marble gothic work and formidable balustrades. The coverings and archways on the tower act as kind of Brise Soleil, much like those by Alusystems.

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It is the Tower that is the main draw because it is literally leaning by some four degrees. The reason it leans is due to the foundations of the tower being unstable. However it has never completely fallen. It was soon apparent when it was started in the twelfth century that it was going to start to tilt but the builders carried on regardless. It was finished in the fourteenth century when it was at a full four degree tilt but seemed to be stable. However the visiting tourist and worse conditions meant that by the late twentieth century the lean had increased to over 5 degrees and was evidently worsening. It was corrected and brought back to a healthy four degrees.

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The architect is greatly debated amongst historians just as it is debated whether the lean was intentional! It has been the site of many scientific tests. Galileo dropped two cannonballs from it to show that mass not distance determined whether the balls would land equally. It was almost blown to bits by the US Artillery in the Second World War.

The only thing that Nelson could see from his Column

Trafalgar square is one of the most iconic places in London. It was built to celebrate one of the greatest victories of the Nation in a battle that meant that Britainnia finally ruled the waves andsetting up the creation of the British Empire. The architect of this great win was Lord Nelson and a statue to him sits atop a column in the centre of the square. As he looks out at St Martin’s in the Fields, the stone lions and the unfinished plinth there was a time that his view was obscured by a very common bird. This was the pigeon and they certainly made a right mess of his stone appearance.

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Trafalgar Square had so many pigeons it was becoming quite ridiculous. It was certainly a job for a Pest Control Chelmsford based company to come and remove them. If you have a similar problem Find out more about pest control in Chelmsford by clicking the link. The pigeons were everywhere. Not only were they leaving large amounts of guano they were also stealing food. It wasn’t the bird’s fault. They were only responding to the seed being fed to them via the many tourists that bought it from the vendors.

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Slowly word got around amongst the birds (pigeons are very intelligent) that there was a ready source of food available. There were not only seeds there were also human food leftovers like crisps and donuts too. The selling of bird food was banned, anti landing devices installed and even a couple of Harris Hawks added which soon reduced the numbers.

Travelling to the Ukraine – The Perfect Holiday for Explorers and Nature Lovers

The Ukraine is not one of the top choices for Brits holidaying abroad – the country has seen more than its fair share of trouble. The most devastating even was the explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear plant in 1986, which caused huge problems both in the Ukraine which was part of the Soviet Union at the time, and across Europe.

Nowadays, Ukraine is still fighting battles, this time with Russia, with military clashes on the Ukraine and Russia border, this region is certainly not an advisable place for tourists to visit.

Still Cleaning Up: 30 Years After the Chernobyl Disaster - The ...

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However, much of the Ukraine is beautiful, from the stunning city of Kiev to the rural regions of fields, forests and lakes, for stunning scenery the Ukraine has it all. As well as this, the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear plant has actually been the reason for a more tourists visiting the Ukraine in recent years – this, and the popularity of the 2019 tv series, Chernobyl has meant that many people are keen to see for themselves what is left of the reactor, and wander around the haunting town of Pripyat, the town closest to the plant that was evacuated and left in eerie silence 3 days after the explosion.

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Despite some of the trouble in the Ukraine, the majority (even Chernobyl) is perfectly safe to visit and you can purchase travel insurance from any good insurance company such as these insurance brokers Bristol.

Remember you must try the traditional Borscht bread, and of course the chicken Kyiv! All washed down with the Ukrainian drink Horilka!

Walking the Cotswold Way

The Cotswolds, an area of outstanding natural beauty, attracts visitors from all over the country, and even the world come to enjoy the beautiful scenery, explore the pretty local villages such as Bourton on the Water, and Bibury, and enjoy the warm welcome in some of the little country pubs and guesthouses dotted around the region.

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One of the main attraction in this area is to walkers, who come to enjoy the Cotswold Way walking route. With over 100 miles of countryside to explore, it is plenty to keep all walkers happy, whether out for a gentle Sunday stroll or a more vigorous hike across the hills!

With so many pretty places to stay in from rustic farms serving traditional breakfasts, to luxury boutique hotels, walkers will be spoilt for choice – but the thing that you must remember if you are planning on a few days of hiking is the correct footwear – when it comes to hiking socks Ireland can supply you with a fantastic pair from https://basecamp.ie/outdoor-footwear-dublin/hiking-socks.html – you don’t want to bring blisters back home with you as a holiday memory!

There are many routes that you can walk, each taking in a unique part of the surrounding countryside. Some of the most popular routes are

Crickley Hill to Stonehouse

Tormarton to Bath Abbey

Chipping Campden to Broadway

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There are also many circular walks that you can do if you are wanting to return to the point that you started from. It is a good idea to plan your route before you go, as this will enable you to make the most of your walk, and ensure that you include everything that you want to see, such as the Broadway Tower.