Britain Update #31

Welcome friends, its time to put the kettle on, settle into a comfortable armchair, and enjoy the best of Britain with Britain Update. But before you do, please take the time to forward this newsletter to someone who loves Britain as much as you do.

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Contents
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1. Great British Web Sites
2. UK Destinations
3. New at Britain Express
4. UK Hotels
5. Travel tips from Britain

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Great British Web Sites
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John Dawson's Lake District Walks at http://ldnet.users.netlink.co.uk/index.html is an excellent, simple to navigate site detailing over 40 walks in the Lake District. Hundreds of photos illustrate the walks, and the accompanying commentary is clear and engaging. There is a walk distance calculator, even a Lake District Screen Saver and a glossary of Lakeland terms (did you know, for example, that a "thwaite" is a piece of land reclaimed from forest or wetlands; from the Old Norse "thveit", a paddock?). The author of the site is a professional guide and it shows. I would have appreciated maps of the area, but that is a minor quibble for an enjoyable site.

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Destinations: Brighton
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In 1750 a physician named Richard Russell published a book extolling the virtues of "oceanic fluid" (seawater to you and me) as a cure for hundreds of common ailments. Russell, a native of Lewes, Sussex, advocated not just bathing in sea water but drinking it as well. Russell's book was a best-seller in his day, and he built himself a house at the small fishing village of Brighthelmstone, near Lewes.

Patients flocked to see Russell and follow his prescriptions, but it was not until 1783 that Brighton, as the town became known, really began to take off. It was in that year that the Prince Regent visited the town. He was so taken with the place that he had a house built, and the royal patronage helped establish Brighton as a popular seaside resort.

"Prinny" wasn't finished with his building at Brighton, though. He had John Nash remodel his mansion into the extravagant Brighton Pavilion, an oriental pleasure palace with domes and turrets sprouting like mushrooms. The interior of the Pavilion is as incredibly opulent as the exterior. Apparently the Prince Regent had a secret passage built beneath the Pavilion to the nearby house of Mrs. Fitzherbert, his secret wife.

High Society flocked to Brighton in the royal wake, and Regency houses give many parts of the town an elegant air. Best of Regency Brighton is in ... wait for it ... Regency Square, where the terraced houses boast bow windowed fronts and canopied iron balconies. Clifton Terrace is another lovely square built in the Regency style, though it actually dates from the 1850s!

Brighton has a history of entertainment Piers as well. The first was Chain Pier, built in 1823, but later destroyed by storm. There are now 2 piers, West Pier (dating from 1866), and Palace Pier (1899). The Palace has gilded domes in imitation of the Brighton Pavilion. Close by is the Aquarium, now over 100 years old.

A few other of Brighton's attractions merit a mention. Dolls in Wonderland has over 300 historic dolls in its collection, dressed in authentic period costumes. The Booth Museum of Natural History is well known for its specialist exhibits of British birds in their natural surroundings.

There are remnants of old Brightelmstone left still - The Lanes follow the twisting course of medieval streets. In true medieval pattern, some of the houses project on the upper floors so that it is possible for people to shake hands across the width of the street. Many of these buildings are now antique shops.

Brighton on the Web:
Alternative Brighton
Brighton Guide
Regency Town House Heritage Centre
Virtual Brighton and Hove - city guide

For hotels in Brighton see
http://www.britainexpress.com/accommodation/hotels.htm

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UK Hotel Reservations
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Britain Express has launched a new service to bring you real-time hotel reservations at over 1300 hotels in Scotland, England, and Wales. These hotels are available at rates up to 70% off, and frequently rooms can be booked even if the hotels are "officially" sold out. Many of the hotels are from trusted names like Marriot, Forte, and Utell, but we also feature independently owned and operated hotels in every corner of the UK.

http://www.britainexpress.com/accommodation/hotels.htm

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New at Britain Express
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In addition to the hotel booking service mentioned above, here's a few highlights of recent additions to Britain Express:
Countryside:
Lyme Regis
The Pendle District

Destination profile:
Ely, Cambrideshire

In our popular History and culture section, some of our new articles include: Gwenllian, last princess of Wales

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UK Travel Tips
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Two of London's newest attractions are the Millennium Dome and the London Eye (aka the Big Wheel). Both attractions are proving extremely popular, but you can avoid the queues by booking in advance.

Both attractions have their own web sites - the Dome at http://www.dome2000.co.uk and the Londoneye at http://www.british-airways.com/londoneye/. You can book online for the Dome, but for the London Eye you'll have to phone the booking line when you know the dates of your visit. The London Eye is at +44 (0)870 500 0600, and the Dome at +44 (0)870 606 2000. They will take your booking and hold the tickets for you on the day you specify. Just make sure you bring your credit card with you on the day to verify your identity.

The Dome also sells tickets through National Lottery retailers in the UK, but if you order a ticket by phone more than a week ahead they will send them to your address in the UK.

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That's all for now. Until next issue, let me remind you that laughter is contagious. Spread some around.

David Ross
Editor
Britain Express
http://www.britainexpress.com
The UK travel and heritage guide
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Contents © 2001 David Ross and Britain Express

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