Royal Academy Exhibition: Pre-Raphaelites
From the Holy Grail to the femme fatales, the Pre-Raphaelites caught the Victorian imagination with This exhibition will reveal for the first time the depth and richness of Andrew Lloyd Webber's outstanding collection of Victorian and other Masters, including works by Burne-Jones, Rossetti, Waterhouse, and Canaletto.

Scottish Borders Banquet 2003
Fine Food, warm welcomes and a taste of Borders culture. The Borders Banquet, now in its third year, is a ten-day feast of entertainment, local culture and fine food created using top quality produce from the Scottish Borders countryside. Dates 31 October – 9 November.

Edinburgh Art Exhibition - Broughton House Appeal
An exhibition of the paintings and artefacts of one of Scotland's foremost 19th Century painters has opened in Edinburgh. The Painter and His Passions, a collection from E A Hornel's house in Kirkcudbright, is free and open to the public, until 30th November at Number 28 Charlotte Square.

National Trust Book Fairs
26 National Trust properties are hosting book fairs between 15 October and 30 November. The fairs are an opportunity to coax visitors indoors to browse and buy books and to view the fine libraries and book collections at each property. The proceeds go to directly to the property staging the event.

London Metropolitan Archives
Due to overwhelming demand, the London Metropolitan Archives is offering a second 'Portrait of a City', event on Nov 22. This is a fascinating chance to meet experts in photography and the history of London. London Metropolitan Archives is 'The Memory of London' - the largest local authority archive in the UK. LMA is FREE to visit and use.

UK Christmas Events, Markets and Fairs 2003
Christmas markets, carol concerts, happenings in historic buildings are just a few of the wide range of events in the run-up to Christmas this year. Among the multitude of events across the UK are many at popular tourist attractions, such as the Tower of London, Leeds Castle, and Kew Gardens.

Eskdale Trail Cycle Route
Visitors to the Lake District can now enjoy a nostalgic trip by steam engine on the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway and then pedal back through the beautiful Eskdale Valley. Details of the Eskdale Trail Cycle Route were recently released by the Cumbria Tourist Board.

Stuart art treasures at Windsor Castle
The 400th anniversary of the Union of the Crowns of England and Scotland is marked by an exhibition of treasures from the Stuart dynasty, on view at Windsor Castle until April 25, 2004. The display of drawings, miniatures, books and documents includes Old Master drawings by Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.

Victoria & Albert Museum features Gothic Art
The years between 1400 and the Tudor Age were a glorious period for the arts in England. Gothic, the Victoria & Albert Museum’s major exhibition in autumn 2003, is the first exhibition to explore art and culture in England during this period.

A National Trust Halloween
As the nights draw in and Halloween looms on the horizon, staff and volunteers at the National Trust's 300 historic houses and gardens wonder if their resident ghosts will put in an appearance this year. To tempt them out of hiding, many properties will be holding special Halloween events including lantern walks, costume competitions, ghost stories and bat hunts. Little horrors everywhere should find something to keep them happy.<

Royal Academy Armani Exhibit
The Royal Academy will open its new exhibition space at Burlington Gardens with the exhibition Giorgio Armani: A Retrospective. This major exhibition explores the career of the internationally renowned fashion designer. Featuring over 400 garments, alongside original sketches and video presentations, the exhibition offers a thematic look at Armani and his development over the last three decades.

Discounted Attractions in South Wales
A number of top attractions in South East Wales are offering sizeable discounts to visitors this Autumn. Among them are Llancaiach Fawr Manor, the Nelson Museum in Monmouth, and historic Cyfarthfa Castle.

Win a Luxury Short Break at a 5 Star Country House Hotel
The East of England Tourist Board is sponsoring a free competition offering a luxury short break for two worth over £1000 at historic Hintlesham Hall near Ipswich, Suffolk, one of the most beautiful hotels in the UK.

Jousting at Berkeley Castle
Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire will be the backdrop for the UK¹s most magnificent recreation of mediaeval history over two weekends next summer. "Joust" a unique medieval celebration,will take place on Saturday 24th July and Sunday 25th July and again on Saturday 31st July and Sunday 1st August from 10am to 6pm on all days.

Scotland's Cairngorm National Park
The Cairngorm National Park opened in September, covering 1,466 square miles (3,800 square kilometres) of wild and spectacular Scottish scenery. The UK's largest national park, it stretches from Grantown-on-Spey in the north to Ballater in the south and Dalwhinnie in the west. It includes heather moorland, forests, farmland and mountains - the montane zone of the Cairngorms is Britain's biggest area of arctic mountain landscape.

New Waterways Guide
British Waterways have launched a new online guide to Britain's waterway network. The new website offers an enjoyable mix of information to help visitors plan an enjoyable holiday afloat, including a special Last minute boating holidays feature.

Hereford Cider Festival
Hereford's long history of cider making will be celebrated in a two day festival taking place on 18 and 19 October. With plenty of hands-on opportunities to experience traditional methods of making cider, the festival offers an enjoyable chance for a family outing.

Lord of the Rings Exhibition at the Science Museum
London's Science Museum is hosting a special exhibition based on the Lord of the Rings film trilogy. The family exhibition, which will open before the eagerly awaited final instalment of the film trilogy this Autumn, will allow visitors to explore for themselves the fantastic world created for The Lord of the Rings films.

Lake District Activity Holidays online
The Cumbria Tourist board has relaunched its outdoor activities web site, offering visitors a wealth of information on what to do in the Lake District, from walking, cycling, climbing, water skiing and wind surfing to bird watching, golf, hot air ballooning and fishing.

Viking Fashion in York
Viking Fashion - The Jorvik Viking Centre in York is offering a unique insight into what was 'de rigeur' in the tenth century. Visitors can view Viking clothing, see Viking experts at work weaving traditional textiles, and perhaps try something on!

Lake District Conpetition
The Cumbria Tourist Board is offering the chance to win a luxury two night break for two people (sharing) including five-course dinner, bed and breakfast at the award-winning Brackenrigg Inn, a historic Lakeland coaching inn overlooking Ullswater.