Archive for the ‘About UK’ Category
UK is a Hot Deal as Hotel Prices Fall to Six Year Low
March 9th, 2010 | 
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UK hotel prices, not long ago the highest in Europe, fell by 13% in 2009 – or, after exchange rate calculations, as much as 32% in real terms for US vacationers.
Those were the findings of the annual Hotel Price Index compiled by online hotel booking company Hotels.com. The survey, based on real prices paid by vacationers rather than advertised hotel rates, concluded that UK hotels now rank 13th in the price league of European nations. Vacationers spent £91 per week less for a UK vacation in 2009 (about $142.50 then) than they did in 2008.
The price drop varied widely from city to city in the UK with the biggest drop being recorded in Southampton (30% – cruise vacationers take note) and a rise of 14% in Oxford. The price of rooms in London fell by 7%, but in real terms, US travelers paid, on average, 18% less for a room in the capital.
Countrywide, according to the survey, US vacationers spent 21% less for a hotel room in 2009 compared to 2008. For US tourists, Edinburgh was down by 25% and Birmingham by 29%. The biggest drop was Liverpool, home of the Beatles, where the cost of a room fell a whopping 32% for US visitors.
The signs are good for the UK remaining good value for both US, European and UK vacationers through 2010. So, if you thought visiting the UK was an expensive option, it might just be time to take another look.
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UK is a Hot Deal as Hotel Prices Fall to Six Year Low originally appeared on About.com United Kingdom Travel on Friday, March 5th, 2010 at 11:15:25.
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He’s Got a Ticket to Ryde – Macca To Headline Isle of Wight Fest
It’s just been confirmed that Sir Paul McCartney will close the Isle of Wight Festival (in Newport, Isle of Wight) on Sunday, June 13 this year. Added to a lineup that includes Jay-Z and The Strokes, this could be one of the hottest festival tickets of the summer.
Or as blogger Francis Whittaker put it on Virtual Festivals, “The best selling musician on the planet, the biggest rapper in the world and the most important indie band of the last decade walk into a bar… tonight in Newport it’s open mic night.”
This will be Macca’s first show on the Isle of Wight and he said he was “looking forward to a rollicking night of rock and roll.”
Festival promoter John Giddings said, “Forty years after Jimi Hendrix performed ‘Hey Joe’ at Seaclose Park we’ve finally gotten to ‘Hey Jude’. I can’t wait!”
By the way, if the reference in the headline above passed you by, Ryde is a town and a train station on the Isle of Wight. In the blogsphere, many fans believe that John Lennon first wrote, “She’s got a ticket to Ryde.”
Read more about the Isle of Wight Festival
Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images
He’s Got a Ticket to Ryde – Macca To Headline Isle of Wight Fest originally appeared on About.com United Kingdom Travel on Friday, March 5th, 2010 at 08:12:52.
Isle of Wight Festival Line-up Grows
Isle of Wight Festival headliners are the usual eclectic mix this year. Icons to newcomers, from Jay-Z to Blondie to one of this year’s hottest acts, Daisy Dares You, the line up for the three day, all-ticket music festival, from 11 to 13 June, is growing every day. Rock, pop, blues, synth, dance, hip hop, rap and genres that haven’t even been named yet. And the best news is that official ticket sources still have tickets available in all categories. They won’t last long though.
Find out what’s happening at this year’s Isle of Wight Festival and how to get your tickets.
Photo of Daisy Dares You by Dave Hogan/Getty Images
Isle of Wight Festival Line-up Grows originally appeared on About.com United Kingdom Travel on Monday, March 1st, 2010 at 01:55:53.
UK Cities Gear Up for St. Patrick’s Festivals
Why celebrate being Irish for one day of the year when you can turn it into a week long festival? All over the UK, from about March 12th onward, big Irish festivals and parades will honor St. Patrick with music, Celtic costumes and crafts, Irish food and lots of green beer consumption. London, Manchester and Birmingham turn particularly and spectacularly green.
- Find a St. Patrick’s Day Celebration in the UK
- Put a taste of Ireland on your table for St. Patrick’s Day
Photo by Steve Cole/Getty Images
UK Cities Gear Up for St. Patrick’s Festivals originally appeared on About.com United Kingdom Travel on Friday, February 26th, 2010 at 12:13:13.
Celebrate St. David’s Day in Wales
The National St. David’s Day celebrations in Cardiff, Wales, get bigger and better every year. A whole weekend of festivities – parades, traditional food (try some welsh cakes), church services and lots more – begins this Friday and culminates on Monday with the 7th annual national St. David’s Day Parade. Also on Monday, head for Cardiff Castle early and receive a free daffodil bulb (while stocks last). Of course, this being Wales, there’s all kinds of music as well including some great singing.
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Celebrate St. David’s Day in Wales originally appeared on About.com United Kingdom Travel on Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010 at 10:02:44.
Spread the Word About Your UK Events Here
Does your town, village, club or organization have a special event coming up soon? If it’s open to the public you can publicize it here and tell the world about it.
I try to publish news about as many of the UK’s festivals, markets, concerts, fairs and seasonal sports events as I can But, naturally, I do miss a few. If I’ve overlooked your art show, antique fair, beer festival, food fair, folk music concert, kayak race, heritage parade, fireworks spectacle or whatever, you can still let readers of About.com: United Kingdom Travel find out about it. It’s easy. Here’s how:
- Visit monthly festival and events round up for the month of your event. – You can find it by clicking on the What’s On tab at the top of this page.
- First check through it to find your event.
- If it isn’t there, scroll to the bottom of the page where you’ll find a link to a “Readers’ Diary” of events for that month. Clicking on it will take you to a form where you can upload your own news.
It’s free publicity for your big, annual event – so what are you waiting for. Add an April event right now.
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Spread the Word About Your UK Events Here originally appeared on About.com United Kingdom Travel on Saturday, February 20th, 2010 at 12:28:11.
Plan For Easter Egg Hunting Now
With Pancake Day, aka Shrove Tuesday, behind us, Lent is underway and Easter is just over the horizon. And around the stately homes, gardens and parks of Britain that means easter egg hunts, face painting, quiz trails and lots and lots of chocolate eggs. (Let’s hope that Kraft Foods, the new owners of Cadbury’s keep up the tradition of providing thousands of creme eggs for hunts in parks around the country).
At Leeds Castle – surprisingly in Maidstone, Kent, not Leeds, Yorkshire – they have bonnet making and bunny burrows. Staff at Blenheim will be hiding trails of clues around the Marlborough Maze, the Butterfly house and the Pleasure Gardens.
Find more planned Easter Egg Hunts and Easter Weekend events around Britain
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Plan For Easter Egg Hunting Now originally appeared on About.com United Kingdom Travel on Thursday, February 18th, 2010 at 13:51:02.