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Update #39 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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******************** "Mermaids!" said Peter..."And there are pirates." "Pirates," cried John, seizing his Sunday hat, "let us go at once." -from Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie The search for Peter Pan's pirates is drawing long lines of London's children to Kensington Gardens where a new playground evokes the memory of two of Kensington's most famous residents-the unlikely pair of Princess Diana and Peter Pan. Opened in July, the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground features a pirate ship, a water play area and teepees, along with conventional swings and slides. Nearby Kensington Palace was Diana's official home and the star-crossed princess often sought anonymous refuge in Kensington Gardens. The Diana Memorial Playground is on the site of an earlier playground donated by Peter Pan author J. M. Barrie. But it's the playground, not the memorial or literary connections, that attracts kids like no other place in Kensington Gardens. The two acre site is dominated by a fully-rigged pirate ship seemingly grounded on a beach. Children can climb a hidden passage between the galleon's three decks and even try to refloat the ship by moving sand out of the ballast. The park's beach cove (watch out for the crocodiles!) is a water play area where kids can search for the imprints of fossils and even a mermaid's tail. When visiting children tire of the pirate ship and cove, they can move on to the treehouse camp and call each other using the park's "tree-phones ." Then it's on to the Native American teepees, or maybe a stop in the Movement and Musical Garden to make music, or at least joyful noise. The Peter Pan theme continues into the park's rest room facilities, located in the "Home Under The Ground." Don't remember your Peter Pan? This was where the Lost Boys lived. Now that the playground has been inaugurated by London's children, the lines should subside somewhat and make the Diana Memorial playground a recommended stop for families visiting the city. Kensington Gardens are essentially a western extension of Hyde Park. Together, they form a massive green expanse stretching from the backyard of Buckingham Palace all the way to Kensington Palace. Other highlights here are the gardens around Kensington Palace, a model boat sailing pond, a seasonal restaurant, areas for kite flying, and a puppet theater. The park land is ringed by Tube (subway) stops-to reach the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground use High Street Kensington station (Circle and District lines) on the south or Queensway station (Central line) on the north. David White is the father of two, a frequent London visitor, and author of LET'S TAKE THE KIDS TO LONDON. For more information on the book, check out his website at http://www.KidsToLondon.com. ******************************
Swansea (the name relates to the Viking invader Swein Forkbeard, who came calling here in the late 10th century), is set in the beautiful Gower Peninsula of South Wales. The Gower Peninsula was named Britain's very first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, in recognition of its fine, sandy beaches and rugged coastline. There are easily accessible footpaths along most of the coast, providing spectacular views. If your tastes are more athletic, Rhossili, on the western edge of the peninsula, is a popular surfing centre. In the Victorian era Swansea was known as "The Brighton of the West". The Victorians flocked to Swansea, and turned the quiet seaside village of Mumbles, on Swansea Bay, into a major resort. A bicycle path runs from Swansea to Mumbles pier, a distance of under 5 miles. Mumbles is (in)famous for its nightlife, but there are more serene attractions; the crumbling ruins of 13th century Oystermouth Castle, for one, and the 56-acre Mumbles Hill Nature Reserve for another. Swansea Castle, in the heart of the city, was built some time prior to 1116 by Henry of Beaumont, first Earl of Warwick. The original motte and bailey castle has long disappeared, to be replaced by the "new castle" which dates to about 1300. The castle was originally intended to be an administrative centre for the marcher lords of Gower, but after Edward I subdued Wales, the site lost its strategic importance, and was later sacked by Owain Glendower. The castle fell into disuse and by the late 18th century was turned into a debtor's prison. In Victorian times various parts of the castle were used as a town hall, poor-house, market house, store cellars, a blacksmith's shop, a Roman Catholic chapel and a dovecote. The Swansea Museum in the Maritime Quarter is the oldest museum in Wales. It tells the tale of the city, its natural history and archaeology. The nearby Maritime & Industrial Museum is an extremely popular family attraction featuring historic boats and ships, a working 19th century woollen mill, and vintage and antique motor vehicles of every description. You can also learn about the world's first passenger railway, which made the run from Swansea to Oystermouth in 1807. Swansea is linked inextricably with poet Dylan Thomas, and there are several trails through and around the city linking sites associated with Thomas. The Clyme Gardens is famous for its spring display of rhododendrons and azaleas, but if you prefer more unusual plants you won't want to miss the pyramid-shaped Plantasia, which houses over 1000 varities of rare and unusual plants in a tropical environment. Web Resources ******************************
Burns Country bills itself as the Official Robert Burns website, and it is hard to imagine a more thorough site on Scotland's national poet. Well, ok, there is one fairly strange omission from the site; try as I might, I could find no biography of Robbie Burns, but aside from that, this is a terrifically interesting and entertaining site. You can read every poem Burns wrote, learn how to create an authentic Burns Supper, even check the Burns family tree to see if you are related to the man himself. There are an extensive collection of Burns memorabilia for sale, and visitor information for Burns sites in Scotland. ****************************** The Cateran Trail is a new 60 mile circular walk in Perthshire (60 miles north of Edinburgh). From the 13th through the 17th centuries it was used by warring clans and marauding bandits to pillage and terrorize farmers in the glens below. The trail is divided into five sections, making use of existing paths, minor roads and recognized walks. Refreshment and accommodations stops are available every 12.13 miles. There is a central accommodation booking service to secure rooms along the route and luggage transportation. Tel. 01250 872195 (Cateran Trail Company) Mount Stuart (on western Scotland's Isle of Bute) is one of Britain's finest Victorian Gothic houses. The sumptuous family bedroom has been restored to its original glory. The room's most beautiful feature, friezes celebrating the life of Scotland's 11th century Queen Margaret, have been restored and returned to the room. The house is the ancestral home of the Stuarts of Bute and heraldic shields carved into the bedroom ceiling symbolize family marriages going back to a grandson of Robert the Bruce. *************************************
PART 1 So you're going over to London - and taking your kids? Some might tell you to think twice about that. Why not go over by yourselves, they might ask? You do know that the British think more of their dogs than they do of children, don't you? Fear not. I spent several months in London with three children, ages 7, 9 and 15 and there was never a dull moment. Granted, some neighbours might frown upon your kids chalking up the sidewalk in front of the house for a game of hopscotch, and you might get a few Londoners to glance askew at your family if you get too noisy riding on the "tube," but your kids will love London! Now, if you have small children, you know that it's fairly easy to entertain them no matter where they are. You'll want to bring along a perhaps a backpack for small fry, rather than strollers. We found that things on wheels like strollers were cumbersome. They took up too much room on the London buses (which the conductor wasn't shy to tell us about). And when we tried to wheel our way through the throngs as they swept toward an underground train in station, we learned to travel light and to walk with a quick step. And don't be afraid of getting lost or of walking on London streets. You will rarely, if ever, feel unsafe. Let's say you're visiting London for five days with your children who are somewhat beyond the "rugrat" age range. You want to enjoy your visit yourself, but you also want your kids to have fun. I don't know about you, but some of us (myself included), can only deal with "museums" for just so long. In fact, I've come to cringe even at hearing the word, "museum." I think I learned that from my kids. So the first thing you could do, because some of the - ahem - museums in London are terrific and your kids will love them - is to perhaps change the names a bit. Let's see - OK, for example - instead of telling the kids that you're thinking of visiting the Victoria and Albert Museum - to which news they will groan and twist their bodies in agony - why not say you're thinking that today would be a good day to stop by the Victoria and Albert Pantechnicon? Before they figure out that a Pantechnicon has nothing to do with Star Wars, you'll be inside. But perhaps you've found, as I have, that manipulating others ends up blowing up in your face. My suggestion is that you sit down and talk honestly as a family group about what you'll do during your London visit. If you have something wonderful, or simply fun that each person can look forward to, planned, your family members will be much more willing to partake in activities that aren't exactly to their liking. It's a win-win situation. Everyone wins. Some of the time. Everyone needs to agree to the itinerary and to the notion that no one will grumble about events they don't care too much about. If each day is planned well, you'll have a brilliant time together without anyone feeling overly burdened, bored, or stifled. Mix things up a bit and don't be afraid to go from one end of London to another for two activities. It's easy to get around in London using their superb underground system and the traditional London buses. The ride itself on the bus or tube will be fun and educational, as long as that's the mindset of your group. And Mom and Dad can set the tone to make sure that it is just that. Here's a five-day itinerary that should give you a good taste of London, allowing the adults in your group to feel that they've really visited the city of all cities, and given the children the fun breaks that all of us need, no matter what the age. Preliminaries: Want to start out on a fun note for the kids - and some luxury for yourself? How about booking a room at a hotel with a "resident ghost?" In other words, the place is haunted! Right in London, there are two hotels (five-star, mind you) that qualify as "haunted": The Dorchester Park Lane, London W1A 2HJ. (In the western section of London, on the Picadilly Line, Consistently ranked one of the world's best. This opulent 1931 hotel offers the friendliest, almost "telepathic" levels of service (see? What did I tell you?), an outstanding choice of restaurants and a glorious Spa. Behind the grand Art Deco exterior, bedrooms in a traditional English Country House style provide every comfort and luxury. Superbly located opposite Hyde Park. Price guide: Double/Twins from about $198. Tel: 020 7629 8888 Fax:020 7409 0114 Tel Toll Free in USA: 1 800 727 9820 Grosvenor, Park Lane, London W1A 3AA. The Hotel stands on the original site of Old Grosvenor House which was Richard the Earl of Grosvenor's 18th Century private residence. This place has got to have footsteps echoing in the dead of the night! Similarly priced. From about $168 per night per person, kids up to 16 years of age free.Telephone +44 1 71 499 6363 Of course, for family bedtime reading, you'll want to have some wonderful ghost stories for the children to make it a little more fun and enchanting. Try "The Banshee Train" by Odds Bodkin. A person with a name like that just has to be able write a scary story, no? Then there's the "Christmas Ghost Story" by Nick Demartino. Or, you might choose "The Berenstain Bears in Maniac Mansion" (Berenstain Bears Big Chapter Books) by Stan and Jan Berenstain. One that is being touted as a great story for young adults and all ages, is "For Mike," written by Shelly Sykes. Better yet, make up your own scary stories! Light some candles, or hold a flashlight under your chin for a great spooky effect, put your p.j.'s on and sit around together in your hotel room. Each person takes a turn adding a few lines to the story. Keep a pen and paper handy! These stories are often "classics" that your kids will love. Be sure you write them down so you can remember them later on! Of course, parents must use their own discretion regarding scary stories. Small children could be too frightened by inappropriate things. You don't want nightmares that will keep Mom and Dad up half the night and not able to get around London Town the next day! When you arrive in London, the first thing you might want to do after you go to a money exchange, is buy some London underground postcards for all reading members of your group. These only cost about 20p and can be carried around and referred to easily. If you know what tube stop is near the activity you are heading to, you can quickly figure out your route. It is cheaper than buying a map and will make you look less of a tourist (but rarely less like an American!) NEXT
ISSUE: We regularly beat quotes! 1.888.430.6464 or 315,337,6463 We're LEAN because we offer the lowest fares for flights to London, Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia, plus great cruise specials, London/UK hotel bookings at 10% off and London/UK car rentals! We're MEAN because we regularly beat quotes! Shop around, get a quote for your next trip and let us know what it is. We think we can beat it! ****************************** David
Ross
Contents © 2001 David Ross and Britain Express |
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