Subject: BS: 3 days in England From: GUEST,jimmyt Date: 24 Jan 12 - 01:42 PM Hi, Longtime, no post! My son, (39) and I are going to Romania for a holiday in April, and will have a 3 day layover in England. I have been there probably a dozen times but this is his first. I thought about going to Wiltshire and letting him see all the fabulous antiquities, but will consider other itineraries. Anyone have any suggestions? I don't want to go farther than about 3-4 hours drive from Heathrow. I will have a car. He also wants to see some soccer. Doesn't have to be top league. Any help would be appreciated. I haven't been to Kent, so that is an option I might like. thanks jimmyt. (also,anyone who has any info on Transylvania would be welcome) |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: MGM·Lion Date: 24 Jan 12 - 02:00 PM For a first visit to any country, I always think the capital city should be explored first; so why not show your son London? Plenty there to occupy three days. ~Michael~ As to Transylvania, my advice would be to carry plenty of garlic & crucifixes and don't become too familiar with any bats or Counts... |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: gnu Date: 24 Jan 12 - 02:11 PM James! Long time fer sure. Hope all is well with you and yours. Tower of London tour. I've seen most of the You Tube vids and they are great. The Yeomen (particularly the Irish guy) are VERY humourous. Just don't watch the vids before you go. |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: kendall Date: 24 Jan 12 - 02:19 PM I'm not good on distances, but the Tower of London would be on my list. Also, Hampton Court. I could make a long list but you don't have the time. |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: Amos Date: 24 Jan 12 - 02:30 PM Hallo, Jimmy!! Long time!! You might start with a quick survey of the highpoints of London's history, and then choose the locations that you think would be inspiring or informative. A |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: Q (Frank Staplin) Date: 24 Jan 12 - 02:39 PM Tate |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: Manitas_at_home Date: 24 Jan 12 - 02:40 PM Wiltshire would be less than 3 hours from Heathrow so you could see Stonehenge and Avebury. |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: John MacKenzie Date: 24 Jan 12 - 02:42 PM Oxford |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: Arthur_itus Date: 24 Jan 12 - 02:50 PM Like John, I thought Oxford one day (75 minute drive, as long as it isn't rush hour), Windsor another day (40 minutes)and London. Oxford Windsor |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: katlaughing Date: 24 Jan 12 - 02:54 PM Good to see you back here, jimmy! Micca is quite used to squiring round 'catters when in his home city of London. I'm sure he'll have some great ideas. I'd second the Tower, though I haven't been there, I've read a lot about it and would love seeing it. MtheGM beat me to warnings on Transylvania.**bg** I love their trad. fiddle music and dances. Would also love to visit Budapest. Have fun and welcome back! kat |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: GUEST,999 Date: 24 Jan 12 - 02:55 PM "and will have a 3 day layover in England" Better not be telling your missus that, jimmyt. Bruce M |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: GUEST Date: 24 Jan 12 - 03:15 PM (not an anon. guest, jimmyt w/out his cookie:-)
I didn't say a 3 day lay, over in England. God, I too old forthat. It would be a 30 minute lay and 73 1/2 hours of talking! |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: Joe Offer Date: 24 Jan 12 - 03:17 PM If I had only three days, I'd spend it all in London and walk, and walk, and walk. I suppose if it were raining, I'd think otherwise. I ran Micca ragged when I was visiting. He had to stay home and recuperate after the first day we spent together in London. Heck you could spend a whole day just exploring the marvelous railway stations in London, and another day just getting a taste of museums, and another day in Greenwich. I was disappointed that they were charging ten pounds to visit Westminster Abbey, and another ten pounds for St. Paul's. All I wanted was to step in and take a peek. The National Gallery and the British Museum had free admission. -Joe- |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: Arthur_itus Date: 24 Jan 12 - 03:59 PM Tottenham Hotspur 28 Sat April Home Blackburn Barclays Premier League 15:00 Local Derby Chelsea v QPR 28 Sat April 15:00 Home QPR PREM Links Chelsea http://www.chelseafc.com/ Tottenham http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/index.html |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: Jack Campin Date: 24 Jan 12 - 05:28 PM Where are you thinking of going in Romania? I was thinking of going back there this summer. |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: kendall Date: 24 Jan 12 - 08:05 PM Three days in England is like one potato chip. |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: gnu Date: 24 Jan 12 - 09:04 PM Kendall... well said. Oh, to spend weeks, months touring JUST the British Isles... then the conitinent and beyond. It is to dream. I gotta win that lottery soon! |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: ChanteyLass Date: 25 Jan 12 - 12:15 AM Bath. |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: MGM·Lion Date: 25 Jan 12 - 01:01 AM Cambridge |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: Keith A of Hertford Date: 25 Jan 12 - 03:10 AM St.Albans. Medieval Cathedral, Roman town and museum, battles-Romans v Boudica, Lancaster v York twice, ..... |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: MGM·Lion Date: 25 Jan 12 - 04:29 AM Ancient University cities ~~ Oxford can combine with Blenheim Palace. Cambridge with Ely Cathedral & Newmarket Horse-Racing Museum. ~M~ |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: GUEST,Sugarfoot Jack Date: 25 Jan 12 - 04:31 AM Plenty of old things to see, including Stonehenge, Avebury, Silbury and the whole slew of stuff our ancestors busied themselves with on Sailsbury Plain. There's Sailsbury itself which is a lovely cathedral city, as is Winchester, ancient capital of England just down the motorway from the Smoke. Beyond lies Glastonbury (stay at the George and Pilgrims on the High Street and ask for one of the Monk's cells), Bath, Cheddar and some wonderful countryside. You could combine many of the above in one three-day trip. Canterbury is supposed to be excellent, although I've never been it's on my list. Kent is lovely. The south coast is an good choice and if you have three days you could get out to places like Lyme Regis in Dorset, Chesil Beach and other towns along the Dorset and Hampshire Coast. Heading north there's Cambridge (never been) and the wilds of East Anglia. As for football, you'll get a game anywhere but a Premier League match is always worth seeing, however don't discount the Championship matches- check on the BBC sports site for extensive coverage. An alternative is to head up the motorway to the second city, Birmingham, and go and watch the mighty Aston Villa at Villa park. One hint - get in as many pubs as possible; they're still the mainstay of social life on our islands and you'll get good food, cheap lodgings and (most importantly) good beer and company in many of them. Buy a pub guide and study it when planning your trip; it's still possible to drink in taverns that have existed for many hundreds of years, and some are still quite unchanged and represent the waxing and waning styles of the centuries. |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: John MacKenzie Date: 25 Jan 12 - 04:42 AM The Canal Museum at Stoke Bruerne Nice pub nearby for lunch too. |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: Arthur_itus Date: 25 Jan 12 - 04:56 AM I would have suggested Aston Villa SJ, but thought better of it, with the boring football our current manager seems to like. |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: theleveller Date: 25 Jan 12 - 07:03 AM "The Canal Museum at Stoke Bruerne Nice pub nearby for lunch too." Oh yes - in the past I've enjoyed many a pint of Owd Roger and game of bar skittles in The Boat Inn. It's a pity you won't have time to venture oop north to Yorkshire and Northumberland and see the real England ;). However, if you're in London in early April don't miss David Hockney's exhibition of amazing (and huge) paintings of my native Yorkshire Wolds, on at The Royal Academy until 9th April. A Bigger Picture Oh, and forget about football and go and see a great game of rugby union. |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: GUEST,Patsy Date: 25 Jan 12 - 07:30 AM It might be a little out of your way but Hay-on-Wye is worth taking a look for the novelty of a street that is literally made up of book shops, the outside 'honesty' bookshop is very quirky and unusual. If you were going to stay overnight I would recommend staying at the 'Rest for the Tired' a lovely B&B, rooms decorated entirely with books even the tv stand is literally a pile of books (warning very low beams!). The Landlady is a mine of information and encourages everyone to get to know each other by having breakfast around one large communal table. On the far corner of the high street opposite is a coffee shop with the most amazing lemon meringue pie to die for. |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: Keith A of Hertford Date: 25 Jan 12 - 08:05 AM If you are near Salisbury as suggested, take a walk up to Old Sarum. |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: ChrisJBrady Date: 25 Jan 12 - 08:05 AM Any visit to Budapest HAS to include a Turkish Bath - try the newly (and expensively restored) 450 year-old Rudas Baths. |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: Jim Dixon Date: 25 Jan 12 - 10:10 AM Things I have especially enjoyed in or near London: The Globe Theater and the adjoining museum The National Portrait Gallery Kew Gardens The British Museum The Victoria & Albert Museum Hampton Court Palace Big disappointments: Stonehenge – it's just a bunch of rocks, and you can't even get very close to them. Sure, the archeology and interpretation of it is fascinating, but you can't see that, can you? I'd much rather read a book about Stonehenge, or see a documentary about it, than visit it. The changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace – way too crowded with tourists to get a good view. It might be better in the off-season. |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: Ebbie Date: 25 Jan 12 - 10:49 AM Welcome back, jimmyt! |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: Leadfingers Date: 25 Jan 12 - 11:36 AM Hi Jimmy ! PM sent |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: Penny S. Date: 25 Jan 12 - 11:56 AM I think the Wessex bunch of monuments would be worth the visit - even with Stonehenge difficult. Avebury would be better, with its associated monuments, the Sanctuary, Avenues and Silbury, to get a sense of the way people used landscape. Kent has the cluster of Knole, Hever Castle and Penshurst for more recent things. Or you could go to Rochester for the Castle, the Cathedral, Roman Wall and all the Dickensian stuff. (Read Edwin Drood first. Or watch the TV.) Also Baggins bookshop, which is a tiny bit like Hay on Wye. Penny |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: gnu Date: 25 Jan 12 - 01:29 PM Jim... Stonehenge... I can see your point. |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: Backwoodsman Date: 25 Jan 12 - 01:45 PM Shame you seem tied by time to the Sarf and Sarf-West - there's a lot of very good stuff north of Milton Keynes. |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: Paul Burke Date: 25 Jan 12 - 02:19 PM April is getting near the end of the football season, there might not be a lot of choice of matches. Anything in the upper two leagues is likely to be either sold out or meaningless, so why not try one of the many lower and minor league clubs? Basingstoke Town in one of the Conference leagues, or the splendidly named Swindon Supermarine in the equally wonderfully named Evo-Stik League.. it won't cost so much to get in either. 3-4 hours from London probably won't get you to Bath except by train - which is affordable if you book well in advance, but you daren't miss it so be well prepared. Roman baths, Georgian city, set in lovely countryside. Silchester- Calleva Atrebatum- is well within striking distance though. And it's just by Reading and Basingstoke. |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: Penny S. Date: 25 Jan 12 - 02:41 PM When in April? On the 8th and 9th you could see the Severn Bore in the morning. Bore times Tide heights in the Bristol Channel are second only to the Bay of Fundy, and the bore is the same sort of height as the one in the Amazon, or the Chinese one - though they are much much wider. Penny |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: gnomad Date: 25 Jan 12 - 02:53 PM 3-4 hours from Heathrow gives you most of the country, assuming you mean by car not on foot, and that you mean to go there and stay, rather than spending your time in transit. 5-6 hours would give you all of England & Wales, and some of Scotland as a bonus (spell-check just stopped me saying Sotland, hmmm). Three nights almost anywhere is likely to be good, if you go there then explore a bit, the inside of a car varies only in temperature and humidity, while what passes the window is available on TV. I can't help with the football thing, at some 50-odd years (some very odd) I've yet to attend a match. Go north or west, for choice, IMO. One day I will have a look at Kent, it sounds nice, but above all don't spend your time travelling. |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: TheSnail Date: 25 Jan 12 - 02:55 PM I know I should plug my adopted home of Sussex but it's an easy, if boring, run down the M25/M3/M27 and on across the New Forest to Dorset and, in particular, the Isle of Purbeck. Beautiful coastline and scenery. Lunch in the Square and Compasses in Worth Matravers and evening meal in the Scott Arms in Kingston with a view of Corfe Castle. On the way, you'll pass through Wareham which still has its Saxon earth bank walls. The Quay Inn isn't bad. I'd better stop. |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: Paul Burke Date: 25 Jan 12 - 03:01 PM "3-4 hours from Heathrow gives you most of the country, ".. unless the 3-4 hours is out and back. |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: gnomad Date: 25 Jan 12 - 03:27 PM Like I said .............. |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: kendall Date: 25 Jan 12 - 03:57 PM I've been from Land's end to John O' Groats, and even to Scapa Flow, and I like the whole area. Stonehenge, Glastonbury, London, Sherwood Forest, Hadrian's Wall, Edinburgh is my favorite city, the Isle of Skye, it's all good to see. |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: GUEST Date: 25 Jan 12 - 06:40 PM I have also been to all of the places you just listed, Kendall. THis will be my 13th trip to the beautiful UK and have been pretty much throughout the country except Yorkshire and Kent. I enjoyed reading the great responses from everyone and in fact, most of the places bear return visits. I am intrigued by the Isle of Purbeck as mentioned by the Snail. I may have to give that a thought. I absolutely love the New Forest. THanks everyone. As to my trip to ROmania, I am concentrating on Maramures, the far north of Transylvania bordering Ukraine. Supposedly the only remaining Peasant economy culture etc. The lifestyle in the remote villages are pretty much self sustaining by barter. If anyone has a chance, google this area and see the mazing wooden churches etc. I will report back after the trip. Thanks again jimmyt |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: Jack Campin Date: 25 Jan 12 - 08:01 PM You might like to look at my travelogue about Romania a few years back: http://www.campin.me.uk/Travel/Romania2008/ I'd like to see Maramüres/Maramaros someday too. |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: GUEST,Chris B (Born Again Scouser) Date: 26 Jan 12 - 08:10 AM Tottenham's a good suggestion for the football, especially if it doesn't have to be top class. |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: GUEST,Chris B (Born Again Scouser) Date: 26 Jan 12 - 08:12 AM Brentford's also good for football. Especially if you don't like crowds. |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: GUEST,Shimrod Date: 26 Jan 12 - 10:47 AM It's a pity that you won't have time to visit the North: the Peak District, the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales are all worth seeing. I don't know if I've misunderstood some of the people writing above but Budapest isn't in Romania - it's the capital of Hungary! My favourite country in Eastern Europe is Bulgaria: the Black Sea coast is very beautiful as are various mountain ranges in the interior (I would especially recommend the Rila and Pirin Mts. in the west of the country). A bit more obscure but just as fascinating is Macedonia (i.e. 'FYROM' - the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia). In the south west of this country are two massive glacial lakes: Ohrid (pronounced 'ok-rid') and Prespa - surrounded as they are by mountains, they are stunning! Both Bulgaria and Macedonia are positively laden (perhaps a bit too laden) with history. "Brentford's also good for football." Having stayed there for a while, my opinion is that it's not much good for anything else! |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: billybob Date: 26 Jan 12 - 11:07 AM Kent is beautiful in April, keep off the motorways and go from Heathrow through the countryside, you could follow the Pilgrims Way all the way to Canterbury. Oh and Leeds Castle near Maidstone, the most beautiful castle in the world! Plus Hever etc as already mentioned and Chartwell the home of Winston Churchill. |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: Penny S. Date: 26 Jan 12 - 02:15 PM I wouldn't recommend the Pilgrims' Way for someone not used to single track roads. Penny |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: jimmyt Date: 26 Jan 12 - 03:12 PM Leeds Casttle sounds good, I have actually been to Hever which was outstanding.that is as far as I have been in Kent though. Pilgrim's way is a go. I have driven hundreds of miles on singletrack roads in the UK in the past so that won't be a problem. ALso, somehow it has been confused,but I am also going to Romania and Budapest. |
Subject: RE: BS: 3 days in England From: gnu Date: 26 Jan 12 - 07:16 PM By all the suggestions, yer not gonna be sleepin fer three days. Have fun! |