All about London and the UK

Jan32016 by Penny4 Comments

UK Seaside Bucket List – 5 Staycation ideas for 2016

As one year ends, another begins (duh!), and I'm sure I'm not the only one already pondering travel plans for the year ahead. Until I win the lottery, planning is a balancing act between aspirational and practical - so when Travelodge* asked me to share my UK Seaside Bucket List ideas for 2016 I let out a squee and began to plot. I lurrrrrrve to travel overseas, but this island I call home has so much to offer and I just can't help getting all enthusiastic about the UK; I'm all for planning a weekend break or even a little Staycation. In fact my biggest problem is deciding whether to go somewhere new or re-visit somewhere I've been before. I know, right? #firstworldproblems. My top 5 UK Seaside Bucket List picks for 2016 Portmeirion, Wales Many (many, many) years ago when my camera...

Sep42015 by Penny6 Comments

Sealife London Aquarium: An Underwater Adventure

London & the UK

I'm long overdue to write about something in London, so I was quite excited when I got the chance to visit the Sealife London Aquarium a few weeks ago. (more…)

Jun152015 by Penny15 Comments

Tower of London: visiting a prison fortress

London & the UK

The relatively high cost of visiting London's attractions means a day out is the exception rather than the rule for me. That's why I like it when out of town friends visit! Last summer I had a great excuse to play local tourist and enjoy a trip to one of London's most historic sites. The Tower of London You can tell I visited on a UK summer's day because of the grey and overcast sky. Kidding! We do get nice weather sometimes, honest. Sadly that day wasn't one of them. Like many fortresses, the Tower of London started small and has been gradually added to over time. It's foundations began with it's iconic Keep as William the Conqueror in 1066 strengthened his hold on the country after claiming the English Crown. Since then the Tower has witnessed many a gruesome story with...

Jun22015 by Penny16 Comments

London secrets: here are 9 you didn’t know (probably)

London & the UK

London has her secrets. You don't get to trace your roots back to Roman times without having a few interesting stories up your sleeve. Some are lost to time, but fear not, there are still plenty of London secrets left to share - I hardly know where to begin! Not sure of the best way to get around London as efficiently and cheaply as possible? Be sure to also check out my guide to London Transport tickets. London secrets - do you know them all? Cleopatra's Needle The story of Cleopatra's Needle and it's voyage to London is fascinating and tragic in it's own right. Yet that happened before it ever arrived in the city. No, this London secret is on my list because of what's buried beneath it. During the obelisk's erection on the banks of the Thames in 1878, a Time Capsule was pl...

May162015 by Penny17 Comments

A day trip to Whitby in North Yorkshire

London & the UK

The sun is shining, the days are getting longer (and warmer) and my thoughts are starting to drift towards summer days out - past and future - in the UK. Flicking through my photos this week I was reminded of a fantastic day trip to Whitby we took a couple of years back. We were on a lovely long weekend break to York and with beautiful weather blessing our trip, we jumped in the car and headed to the seaside. A Wonderful Day Trip to Whitby Whitby has a lot of things going for it, this huuuuge beach for a start. But there's much more to it than that so I'll let some of my photos do the talking. On West Cliff, overlooking the harbour you'll find this statue of Captain James Cook - the famous British Naval explorer. Not only did James Cook learn seamanship in the area but Whit...

May82015 by Penny6 Comments

Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square and the return of the sheep

London & the UK

Last month we had a very simple 'local tourist' day when we wandered along the river, and you know what? We really enjoyed ourselves, despite the dull weather! Needless to say we had a "We should do this wandering thing more often" moment as a result. May Day is a Holiday in the UK, so we used our extra day off to jump on a bus and have a pub lunch 'in town'. I decided not to take a Shaun in the City map with us and just go with the flow, but I knew there was a Shaun in Trafalgar Square so that's where we aimed for. Directly across the street was his sheepy doppelgänger, Nelson Shaun. The fine weather meant Trafalgar Square was pretty busy, especially in front of The National Gallery where huge packs of people surrounded the street entertainers and 'living statues'. ...