I travel a fair bit with work so keep talking about towns and cities that MrsWCA has never been to. After hardly leaving the house this year the wife has expresses a desire for some weekend/short breaks around the UK next year.
I could give her some amazing trips to business parks and souless Travellodges but I suspect she wants more.
Please suggest pleasant towns and cities we could go to for a couple of days.
Durham
Chester
Edinburgh
Manchester
Liverpool
London
Brighton
Cardiff
Carlisle
Leeds
+1 chester
Stratford upon avon
Oxford
Keswick of course!
Dont forget to head to ludlow if you're a foodie.
Cambridge
Canterbury
Windsor
Anywhere but these places and you should be ok 😀
1. Hemel Hempstead
2. Luton
3. Slough
4. Bracknell
5. Birmingham
6. Camberley
7. Coventry
8. Cumbernauld
9. Hatfield
10. Gateshead
Warsash/Hamble le Rice
Salcombe
Brighton/Hove
Arundel
Petworth
Midhurst
Swanage
Burnham on Crouch
Harrogate
Lunnjon
Bath
Durham
Whitby
Ambleside
York
Alnwick
St David's
Conwy
Aberdeen
Ullapool
If you do Manchester, you can Salford in at the same time. The sunset over the precinct is one of the wonders of the world. Its breathtaking in its beauty
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Glasgow (for the museums and banter)
Stirling (for the castle)
Can't help beyond that because I hate cities.
Anywhere but these places and you should be ok
You missed out Peterboghorror...
Kinlochleven
Salen
Morar
Inverie
Plockton
Applecross
Gairloch
Ullapool
Lochinver
Durness
I was with you until you said Burnham on Crouch.
Here's my impromptu and almost random list
Kendal
Harrogate
Barnard Castle
Durham
Falmouth
Hexham
Chester
Hathersage
Cardiff
and Skipton of course.
Doesn't it all depend on what your wife wants from her weekends away? Without knowing that, these are just random lists of towns that people like for unspecified reasons. Theatre? Museums? Pretty architecture? Great seafood? Amazing scenery on the doorstep?
All I can tell you is that Peterborough meets none of these criteria unless you like bleak, soulless, cultural deserts with no hills.
Birmingham. And I'm bring serious. Great food, great shopping, lots of little art galleries, loads of good bars, really it's a brilliant city.
I will now await my flaming.
I'm not at all religious but Ely cathedral is staggering.
Birmingham. And I'm bring serious. Great food, great shopping, lots of little art galleries, loads of good bars, really it's a brilliant city.
"I'm taking you for a romantic weekend in Birmingham" has a certain ring to it. But points lost for not mentioning it had more canals than Venice.
Liverpool.
Manchester.
Leeds,
Cardiff,
Bristol,
Gloucester,
York,
Harogate,
avoid chester as its a dump,old tatty shops some still open,2 shopping centres half the shops boarded up, oh andthe traffic wardens are trained by the sas in stealth parking ticketing.
Salisbury - Stunning cathedral, superb bike shop, great countryside and the Good Beer Guide Country pub of the year just outside in Newton Toney
10. Gateshead
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Yes don't go there it's terrible.
Rothbury
Alnwick
Bath
Newcastle upon Tyne
York
St Ives
Whitby
Center Parcs?
Or go to London and take her up the Oxo Tower.
In no order, apart from the first one.
Harrogate (so as I can have a go in your Merc, obvs)
Manchester
Bath
That London
Liverpool
Paris isn't all that hard/expensive to get to.
Neither is Dublin
Winchester
Holmfirth
Scotland
If you come to Manchester, will Mrs WCA be joining us for another tour of the single malts in the Britons? 😀
Harrogate (so as I can have a go in your Merc, obvs)
Manchester
Bath
That London
Liverpool
Paris isn't all that hard/expensive to get to.
Neither is Dublin
Winchester
Holmfirth
Scotland
In the absence of a 😉 I do need to ask, do you realise that Scotland is not a city?
Depends what you're after: shopping & bars or nice country walks and good pub lunches etc.
Former:
Birmingham (seriously!)
Cambridge
Cardiff
York
Shrewsbury
Latter:
Ironbridge
Keswick
Oundle
Saffron Walden
Shepton Mallet
Cheers,
Jamie
Kinlochleven
Salen
Morar
Inverie
Plockton
Applecross
Gairloch
Ullapool
Lochinver
Durness
Our understanding of what constitutes towns/cities obviously varies 🙂
That said, it's an excellent list (if perhaps a little misleading to those not hailing from Scotland!).
Interestingly, given the others on the list, i'm surprised you've missed of Shieldaig? It has the greatest charm of all for me. (also...kinlochleven...wtf?) 😉
Bradford
Keighley
Burnley
Rochdale
Bury
Castleford
Billingham
Middlesborough
Batley
Dewsbury
The cream of the north
What I can't understand about Peterborough is they've a lovely cathedral right in the city centre and they allowed the all the shite spring up around it 😕All I can tell you is that Peterborough meets none of these criteria unless you like bleak, soulless, cultural deserts with no hills
Cheers,
Jamie
Happy to show you the sights of Cambridge.....
View from the roof of Great St Mary's Church is good:
[url= http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3222/3064229546_36213842b8_z.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/3064229546/ ]View from Great St Mary's Church Roof[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/brf/ ]brf[/url], on Flickr
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Plenty on there 😀
I'd throw in Chepstow and the Wye Valley
Nice map, but not geographically accurate!
Cheers,
Jamie
I'm also going to throw in..
Ironbridge.
Make sure you "enter" it from Bridgnorth and not, NOT, Telford's ghastly M54.. You could go up the A34 hit the outskirts of B'ham head east through Ludlow upto B'north and you'll be pleasently supprised at just how stunning the County of Shropshire is.
Take the Merc, top down, eat well, drink modestly.
Birminghmad has always been good for museums / art and is now actually worth visiting as most of the the other stuff has been de-shitholed.
[i]Nice map, but not geographically accurate![/i]
Not by a long way
Seriously though
Hay on Wye
Cardiff
Tenby
York
Ironbridge
Porthleven
Clovelly
Salisbury
Bath
Dudley.... 😉
Middlesbrough. Put it as No.1 on your list and it'll add an extra shine and sparkle to everywhere else that you visit.
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I do need to ask, do you realise that Scotland is not a city?
oops sorry, more of commune isn't it? Silly me.
Well if it's for weekends away I'm assuming Friday, saturday nights and saturday, sunday daytime. Access by rail/air/motorway important. My suggestions are all a bit obvious really (plus massive northern bias):
London's one but I'm sure that's already been thought of.
York - history, decent shopping, good pubs, good restaurants, access to the moors/Dales.
Newcastle - Spend a day at the coast or at Durham and then a day in town. Quality food and drink available and the theatre or the Sage have great programs.
Manchester - Great city, loads going on, great bars, great food.
Glasgow - Similar to Manchester really, just a really "vibrant" place.
Birmingham - for the reasons outlined by other folk.
Skipton - Spend time in the dales and nip into Leeds on the train for the day if you want to go shopping.
Ripon - Lovely place for a weekend.
Newcastle upon Tyne
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Stirling, for the castle
Edinburg
Bath
Salisbury
Bristol, for the Great Eastern
(you could ride there from Bath, but be sure to get back in daylight)
Was that pic of N'castle taken just before the pubs kicked out, and off?
London
Oxford
Bath
Bristol
Liverpool
Manchester
Sheffield
Durham
Exeter
Portsmouth
a northern town.
Luton
Bracknell
Skelmersdale (A visit to The Concourse is a must)
Runcorn
Telford
Coventry
Warrington
Cumbernauld
Slough
Livingston
Enjoy
Don’t go to Bolton, it is a total dump.
In no particular order:
Aberystwyth - spectacular view of the sea, and lively, wonderful town
Tenby - like a postcard
Cardiff - so much to see and do in so small a city
Bath - Jane Austen fantasy land
Oxford - name says it all
Chester - like being on a movie set
York - a romantic, gothic bustle
Durham - castle and cathedral are spectacular
Newcastle - my favourite city
Edinburgh - everything about this place is great
[b]Alternative list:[/b]
Tintagel - King Arthur & other, more empirical history
Salisbury - [i]that[/i] commercial
Bradford-on-Avon - Saxon church; whole village is gorgeous
Hay-on-Wye - books and a ramble
Hebden Bridge - a congenial former mill town
Haworth - windswept gothic, and very beautiful
Ripon - the cathedral is beautiful, and the town lovely
Barnard Castle - a gem in county Durham
Hexham - you'd be suprised
Alnwick - 'nuff said
Come to think of it, it's very hard to limit the UK to ten cities/towns. 8)
Another vote for Cambridge, but throw in Oxford so that you can compare and contrast. Avoid Newcastle/Gateshead though, there's nothing there but nice little bars and pubs, reasonably friendly people and some decent shopping and sights. No need to go there at all.
Add York to your list though.
There are some pretty good lists there considering I didn't give any criteria. To be honest the criteria are pretty vague - food, history, stuff to look at, stuff to do, interesting things.
If I actually get myself planned enough I will post up where we are planning to go on various weekends and I am sure MrsWCA would be delighted to meet other STWers* as she always enjoys that at the BBB.
**That may not include a whiskey fuelled Binners who tries to ride over policement on the way home (real policemen, not sleeping ones)
Chalke Valley history festival is interesting and different. Could combine with a visit to Salisbury or Shaftesbury.
What about one of the towns on the Jurassic Coast?
I could give her some amazing trips to business parks and souless Travellodges but I suspect she wants more.
Take her to the [url= http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g187067-d1840703-Reviews-The_Restover_Lodge_Hotel_Doncaster-Doncaster_South_Yorkshire_England.html ]Doncaster Restover [/url]- does wonders for restoring your faith in travelodges.
I think a sign of a good town for a short break is if you eye gets drawn to estate agent windows
My list in no particular order.....
Liverpool
Edinburgh
Glasgow
Hastings
Newcastle (and take the metro out to the sea)
Keswick
Hebden Bridge (with a train ride into Manchester)
Bristol
Stromness
St Ives.
Newcastle (and take the metro out to the sea)
If you do this:
a.) take a kite.
b.) dinogolf is essential.
c.) Cullercoats bay is nicer to sit on than Long Sands
Next year, you'll be in Leeds on the 5th July.
Blackpool
Morecambe
Preston
Barrow in Furness
Millom
Ulverston
Workington
Salford
Bolton
Follow 'The Trip' with Steve Coogan & Rob Brydon
Other than that, if I was doing my top 10 would be, in no particular order
Durham
York
Whitby
Keswick
Near Sawrey
Ilkley
Bristol
Beaumaris
Rye
Ludlow
Rhosneigr
Alnwick
Buxton
Ullapool
Berwick
Portree
Machynlleth
Aberdyfi
Plockton
Oxford
dartmouth/ kingswear
bath
harrogate
cardiff
Oxford
Winchester
Bath
Canterbury
Ludlow
Chester
York
Ross-on-Wye
Salisbury
Shaftesbury
@DT - you missed one
Blackpool
Morecambe
Preston
Barrow in Furness
Millom
Ulverston
Workington
Salford
Bolton.....
..... Maryport
Durham
Newcastle upon Tyne
Poole
Woolacombe
St Davids
Brighton
Birmingham
Whitby
Winchester
Bath
Leyland as an optional extra
Oh yeah...and WTF's wrong with Ulverston, cheeky c**t
I'll add another:
Exeter.
Really rather lovely and a good zip down the road for you WCA. Lovely City, bit of a Church there too.. then hop down the coast to Teignmouth with the top down and head into Dartmoor on your way home.
Say Hi to Cara for me, phah.
Edinburgh
Glasgow
Manchester
Bristol
Keswick
Hay-on-Wye
Machynlleth
Hebden Bridge (say hi if you do 🙂 )
Kirkby Lonsdale
Settle
Oh and for those dissing Morecambe: yes the town is depressed but on a nice clear day you'll struggle to find a more beautiful promenade and more dramatic sunsets.
York and go to KraKatoa Restaurant. Sorry shameless plug for my mates place.
Liverpool
London to see how bad life can get.
Salisbury - that commercial
?
Braemar
Ballatar
Dinnet
Aboyne
Kincardine o' Neil
Lumphanen
Torphins
Banchory
Drumoak
Aberdeen
Everywhere else is crap.
For a fairly small place on the grand scheme of things, Durham crops up a lot, can't imagine why....
[url= http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7194/6792691192_2089610f53_z.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimmygrainger/6792691192/ ]002[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/jimmygrainger/ ]jimmyg352[/url], on Flickr
Anyway here's my top 10.
Durham.
York.
Harrogate.
Newcastle.
Edinburgh.
Just do them twice. 😉
Another vote for the Jurassic Coast, I would choose Lyme Regis - you can find fossils a few mins walk from the town, if you get the right time for the tide and good for a wander around.
Hexham I would also second, good for a couple of hours and cup of tea, we went there this year and then visited nearby Vindolanda by Hadrian's wall, amazing to walk down the same streets on the same flagstones as people did 2,000 years ago.
In both cases reasonable weather helps!
If you go to London, IMHO it's well worth doing one of the tourist bus rides.
At least that's my idea of a good time...
No one's mentioned Mansfield yet?
Barnsley has everything you need. Great pubs and restaurants, fantastic people and amazing culture.
Edinburgh
Glasgow
London
Stamford
Bath
Ambleside
Salisbury
Chester
York
St Andrews
Edinburgh
Bath
Ludlow
Pitlochry
Stratford
York
Betws-y-Coed
Dartmouth
Lincoln
Oban
Shrewsbury as its the 'capital' of the largest in land county in England.
Goole
Redcar
Ashington
Chopwell
Ashford Middlesex
Tottenham
Nelson
Oldham
Hattersley
Dagenham
Shropshire is a great place to start........
Shrewsbury - birthplace of darwin
Much Wenlock - birthplace of modern olympic games
Ironbridge - birthplace of industrial revolution
then theres always Ludlow, Church Stretton and surrounding areas with great scenery and pretty good places to ride yer bike.
Some good suggestions here.
I'd go for
Alnwick
Durham
Inverness
Cambridge
Edinburgh
Tenby
York
Belfast ( remember NI is part of UK!)
Brighton
Don't be tight. Take her on a world cruise.
Add some voices to the Northumberland stuff, Alnwick (castle, gardens, beaches nearby - stay on the coast) couple it in with Rothbury/Hexam and Newcastle for a long weekend
Keswick/Cockermouth lakes without the hoards
Shrewsbury nice place
Glasgow
Edinburgh
Liverpool, it really is the best place in the uk.
(You would expect anything else from me though would you...)