York Early Music Festival
HRH Queen Elizabeth I is visiting York on Monday 4 July. Join us at 9am on Monday 4 July at the National Centre for Early Music, St Margaret’s Church, Walmgate, York YO1 9TL for an interview in full 16th century costume – and perhaps a little music!

York City of Festivals
The historic city of York has proclaimed itself City of Festivals, and with a lineup of celebrations that will appeal to a wide variety of interests throughout the year, it is hard to go wrong! A new website has been launched to promote festivals in York.

Coast & Castles Cycle Route
The 200 mile Coast & Castles Cycle Route links the Forth and Tyne estuaries, taking in some of Britain's best built and natural heritage. Cycle this hiostoric route with the aid of the new Coast & Castles Cycle Route map, published by Sustrans, the UK's leading sustainable transport charity.

Great River Journeys on the Thames
The beauty of the upper reaches of the River Thames is often overlooked in favour of the busier central London stretches but a new company is offering visitors a chance to explore this hidden treasure. Great River Journeys is based in Wallingford in Oxfordshire – 50 miles west of London – and its modern boats explore the river from the historic university city of Oxford to King Henry VIII’s Hampton Court Palace and further towards London.

Hampton Court Maze
The famous hedge maze at Hampton Court Palace on the outskirts of London has reopened – with built-in sound effects. Now the pleasures of ‘getting lost’ are aural as well as visual, as 1000 sounds spring to life from hidden loudspeakers, triggered by the footfall of visitors.

Tintinhull House Holiday Cottage Opens
An elegant National Trust holiday cottage is opening early this month at one of the most beautiful but undiscovered gardens in the Trust's care, Tintinhull House near Yeovil in Somerset.

Britrail England Pass
A new version of a ‘go-anywhere’ rail ticket is now available world-wide for the first time. The BritRail England Pass – for visitors to Britain who are not going to Wales, Scotland or Ireland but want to make use of the extensive rail system in England – offers a good-value way of getting around.

Cruise Britain in a Lighthouse Ship
A new cruise offers visitors an unusual holiday opportunity: to join a working ship on a tour of duty around Britain’s coasts. Trinity House – the lighthouse authority for England, Wales and the Channel Islands - has luxury seven-day voyages (April to October) on its flagship THV Patricia.

St Peters Hall Brewery Tour
Few micro-breweries can boast a moated medieval manor house as their headquarters, but St. Peter’s is no ordinary brewery. Its home is the isolated St. Peter’s Hall near Bungay in Suffolk, whose Great Hall with its huge fireplace and carved oak seating, also serves as a restaurant.

London Museum Trails
Visitors to London are being offered new ways to explore London’s museums and galleries. The largest concentration of museums and galleries in the UK is highlighted in a new map leaflet ‘Museum Mile – A new slice of London’.

Lizard Lightouse Open to Public Tours
An 18th century lighthouse on the most southerly point of mainland Britain has opened for public tours (from May) as part of the national SeaBritain 2005 celebrations. Lizard Lighthouse in Cornwall has a light visible for 26 nautical miles: a precious aid for vessels crossing the Atlantic at night or during poor weather.

History on your Handlebars Cycle Tours of Historic England
A new cycle touring company takes cyclists to three World Heritage Sites – each within a half-day ride of a medieval village. History on Your Handlebars supply bikes and carefully researched itineraries which can include the prehistoric sites of Stonehenge and Avebury and the spa city of Bath.

Edinburgh Pass Offers Free Entry to City Attractions
Visitors to Edinburgh can enjoy free entry to 27 of the city’s attractions with a new travel pass. The Edinburgh Pass is available for one, two or three days and highlights include quick entry to Edinburgh Zoo, the Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre and Dynamic Earth as well as special exhibitions at the National Gallery of Scotland and the National Museums of Scotland.

Website to help Disabled Tourists in UK
A new website offers a unique resource for disabled tourists travelling throughout the UK. Yourlevelbest.com lists over 4,000 pubs, restaurants and snackbars across the UK, with descriptions of the level of disabled access provided.