The Olympics are going to be the biggest event to be held in Britain since the Royal Wedding of last year and promises to be the best Olympics to date.

The starting ceremony is on 27 July 2012 but running in conjunction from 21 June to 9 September is the London 2012 Festival

This festival will be a bedrock of all that you expect from one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world together with initiatives to get poverty off the streets.

BBC Radio 1′s Hackney Weekend 2012 from 23/24 June will have be a free event that will have acts like Leona Lewis, Tinie Tempah, Plan B and Florence and the Machine.Jay-Z plus Flo Rida, David Guetta, Dappy, Jack White, Jessie J, Lana del Rey and Taio Cruz.

There will be free cultural events launched by Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London from a floating opera, The Owl and the Pussycat brought to life on London canals and devised by Terry Jones of Monty Python to the largest outdoor festivals that London have even seen, click here for more information.

Most of the hotels in the London are now fully booked so feel free to book hotels outside of the city with a view to drive into the City using Tailored Tours UK and include any cultural events that may be on at that time. Please study the London Festival 2012 website and London Olympics 2012 website and choose your preferred event and combine that with your visit to the Olympics.

Please see our sightseeing tours of London and click here for more information

OLYMPIC TORCH ROUTE

The Olympic torch route will be go throughout the UK and will be within 10 miles of 90% of the UK population. Have a look at the route and put a date in your diary to make sure you see it at the closest point to your home location. My closest point is about 5 miles away at Waddesdon on Day 52 on Monday 9 July at around 2pm in the afternoon.

SOUTH WEST ENGLAND

Day 1 Saturday 19 May – Land’s End to Plymouth

Day 2 Sunday 20 May – Plymouth to Exeter

Day 3 Monday 21 May – Exeter to Taunton

Day 4 Tuesday 22 May – Taunton to Bristol

Day 5 Wednesday 23 May – Bristol to Cheltenham

Day 6 Thursday 24 May – Gloucester to Worcester

Day 7 Friday 25 May – Worcester to Cardiff

WALES

Day 8 Saturday 26 May – Cardiff to Swansea

Day 9 Sunday 27 May – Swansea to Aberystwyth

Day 10 Monday 28 May – Aberystwyth to Bangor

Day 11 Tuesday 29 May – Beaumaris to Chester

NORTH WEST ENGLAND & ISLE OF MAN

Day 12 Wednesday 30 May – Chester to Stoke-on-Trent

Day 13 Thursday 31 May – Stoke-on-Trent to Bolton

Day 14 Friday 1 June – Bolton to Liverpool

Day 15 Saturday 2 June – Liverpool to Castletown

NORTHERN IRELAND

Day 16 Sunday 3 June – Belfast to Portrush

Day 17 Monday 4 June – River Bann to Londonderry

Day 18 Tuesday 5 June – Londonderry to Newry

Day 19 Wednesday 6 June – Dublin to Belfast

Day 20 Thursday 7 June – Newcastle to Moorfields

SCOTLAND

Day 21 Friday 8 June – Stranraer to Glasgow

Day 22 Saturday 9 June – Glasgow to Inverness

Day 23 Sunday 10 June – Kirkwall to Lerwick

Day 24 Monday 11 June – Stornoway to Aberdeen

Day 25 Tuesday 12 June – Aberdeen to Dundee

Day 26 Wednesday 13 June – St Andrews to Edinburgh

Day 27 Thursday 14 June – Edinburgh to Alnwick

NORTH EAST ENGLAND

Day 28 Friday 15 June – Alnwick to Newcastle upon Tyne

Day 29 Saturday 16 June – Gateshead to Durham

Day 30 Sunday 17 June – Durham to Middlesbrough

Day 31 Monday 18 June – Middlesbrough to Hull

Day 32 Tuesday 19 June – Hull to York

Day 33 Wednesday 20 June – York to Carlisle

NORTH WEST ENGLAND

Day 34 Thursday 21 June – Dumfries to Bowness-on-Windermere

Day 35 Friday 22 June – Kendal to Blackpool

Day 36 Saturday 23 June – Lytham St Anne’s to Manchester

Day 37 Sunday 24 June – Salford to Leeds

YORKSHIRE & LINCOLNSHIRE

Day 38 Monday 25 June – Leeds to Sheffield

Day 39 Tuesday 26 June – Sheffield to Cleethorpes

Day 40 Wednesday 27 June – Grimsby to Lincoln

Day 41 Thursday 28 June – Lincoln to Nottingham

MIDLANDS

Day 42 Friday 29 June – Nottingham to Derby

Day 43 Saturday 30 June – Derby to Birmingham

Day 44 Sunday 1 July – Birmingham to Coventry

Day 45 Monday 2 July – Coventry to Leicester

Day 46 Tuesday 3 July – Leicester to Peterborough

EASTERN ENGLAND

Day 47 Wednesday 4 July – Peterborough to Norwich

Day 48 Thursday 5 July – Norwich to Ipswich

Day 49 Friday 6 July – Ipswich to Chelmsford

Day 50 Saturday 7 July – Chelmsford to Cambridge

Day 51 Sunday 8 July – Cambridge to Luton

SOUTHERN ENGLAND

Day 52 Monday 9 July – Luton to Oxford

Day 53 Tuesday 10 July – Oxford to Reading

Day 54 Wednesday 11 July – Reading to Salisbury

Day 55 Thursday 12 July – Salisbury to Weymouth

Day 56 Friday 13 July – Portland Bill to Bournemouth

Day 57 Saturday 14 July – Bournemouth to Southampton

Day 58 Sunday 15 July – Southampton to Portsmouth

Day 59 Monday 16 July – Portsmouth to Brighton

Day 60 Tuesday 17 July – Brighton to Hastings

Day 61 Wednesday 18 July – Hastings to Dover

Day 62 Thursday 19 July – Deal to Maidstone

Day 63 Friday 20 July – Maidstone to Guildford

LONDON

Day 64 Saturday 21 July – Greenwich to Waltham Forest

Day 65 Sunday 22 July – Redbridge to Bexley

Day 66 Monday 23 July – Lewisham to Wandsworth

Day 67 Tuesday 24 July – Kingston to Ealing

Day 68 Wednesday 25 July – Harrow to Haringey

Day 69 Thursday 26 July – Camden to Westminster – not available

Day 70 Friday 27 July – Hampton Court to Olympic Park – not available

Day 69 Thursday 26 July – Camden to Westminster – not available

Day 70 Friday 27 July – Hampton Court to Olympic Park – not available

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I discovered West Usk Lighthouse about 9 years ago whilst looking for something unusual to stay as a bed and breakfast accommodation. My whole philosophy at Tailored Tours UK is to provide something different and off the beaten track that gives an unique experience that you will not get from anywhere else in the UK.

West Usk lighthouse near Newport in Wales was build in 1821 and run by Frank and Danielle Sheahan for the last 17 years.

It has been in numerous periodicals and national newspapers and voted as one of the most romantic places to stay in the UK. It’s guest rooms cater from the wedding couple with it’s 4 poster bed to a large family in it’s family room. The decor is marine, modern and minimalistic and was on the TV with the Hotel Inspector. One of the other rooms houses a water-bed and has a great view of the sea too.

What makes this venue so unique is the care and attention that Frank and Danielle gives to this lighthouse which is also their family home. The family room has just be completely renovated and the terrace garden redesigned, updated and made to be an ideal place to relax and unwind. The views from this terrace garden are amazing with the estuary in one direction and the greenery of the Welsh countryside in the other direction including the obligatory sheep. The terrace garden also houses the hot tub and I have spent a many a night watching the stars whilst the steam rises from the hot tub as I contemplate the meaning of life.

If you are a Dr Who fan then this is a must place to stay with it’s own Tardis on the terrace garden and an original Darlek on the ground floor from the John Pertwee era. I would like to point out that this is a non functional Tardis and that it is highly unlikely that you would get in any other time zone than the current one but it’s a great photo opportunity instead. Definitely a great venue for a Dr Who enthusiast.

Over the last 9 years, I have seen so many improvement to the lighthouse that if you have been before and not for a long time, why not come again and see and experience the changes. They also have a Mongolian Yurt, Sauna, Flotation tank and provide holistic treatments on request.

See what my clients Mark and Susie Shepherd said about West Usk Lighthouse "We live in Sydney, Australia and were married in England and wanted a four day romantic break before flying abroad for our honeymoon. Russell organised a romantic time at a lighthouse which was exactly what we needed. quirky, confortable, peaceful and tranquil"

I organised a historic tour for some members of the Washington DC Richard III society and we visited Tintern Abbey and Chepstow Castle. Nancy Bauer and her party said “We loved staying at the lighthouse which is near these two historic sights and walking Frank and Danielle’s dog Sparky made it all the more memorable”.

When I, Russ Hewer, turned 50, I had my birthday party there and the backdrop of the firework display against the estuary and the night sky was the best I have ever seen. You can see see so much near the waters in the night when the sky is so clear.

The lighthouse is now licensed for marriages and the whole lighthouse can be hired for that special occasion. The bar and terrace garden, ceremony, catering and accommodation can all be arranged for you.

Proprietors: Frank and Danielle Sheahan

Address:     The West Usk Lighthouse, St. Brides Wentloog, Newport  Gwent, Wales NP10 8SF

Telephone:  Tel: 01633 810126 Mobile: 07949 842335

Telephone:  Tel: +44 1633 810126 Mobile: +44 7949 842335 from outside of the UK

Website:     www.westusklighthouse.co.uk

West Usk Lighthouse VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

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Have you been fascinated by the number of murders at Midsomer recently? There’s about one a week for the last few weeks but I didn’t understand how popular this television programme is until I first met Carol Bush from Australia who asked me to do a Midsomer tour for her and her friend in July 2008.

When you live on the Buckinghamshire/Oxfordshire border in one of the most idyllic countryside’s in the UK, you take the beauty for granted until you start to tour someone who comes from another country. I have lived in the area for over 20 years and I have my favourite landscapes and landmarks that happens in most cases to have been used as set locations for Midsomer Murders. The closest village to where I live that has been used is Long Crendon with it’s old thatched cottages in the High Street and the church that makes this the quintessentially English village. The villages that I would recommend visiting would be:

• Thame
• Long Crendon
• Quainton and the Railway Museum
• Cuddington
• Chearsley
• Haddenham and the village church/duck pond
• Bledlow Ridge and the Lion on the Green Pub as use extensively in the programme
• Brill and the windmill, see my previous blog http://www.tailoredtoursuk.com/blog/45/selling-by-standing-still/

These villages can all be done in a day with great places to have lunch and dinner. For my best restaurant list of the local area, please download it here:

Tailored Tours UK Restaurant List – Part 2

Tailored Tours UK Restaurant List – Part 2

Midsomer Murders VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

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A few days ago I was about to pickup my client of over 10 years and I remembered her father in law Arthur. It was nearly one year ago today that Arthur had died and I started to remember a complimentary tour that I did for him when he had cancer and early stage Alzheimer’s. Over many airport transfers, we would both talk passionately about my father’s interest in flight and how this had become my interest too. He talked about his experience in the aeronautical industry and how he became a fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society.

It was not until I started the journey to Duxford that I really understood his achievements and and how it all started in the Second World War as a 15 year old boy apprentice manufacturing the tail fins of the Spitfire. He was bombed at the factory by the Germans and had to be transferred to the Medway on the manufacture of the Sunderland sea plane. It was there that he modified the air frame on the underside to give it greater efficiently for take off from the sea.

He then was involved with the modification of the Percival Proctor Trainer based in Luton. Nearly one third of the British planes on displayed, Arthur was involved in some way with the modification or design of them. During the 1050’s in the halcyon days of British aeronautics, he was involved with the design of the tailplane of the one of the “V” bombers’ namely the Victor manufactured at Handley Paige. In my tours, I try to make a connection with all my clients which make my tours a memory for life and not something that you do one day and forget the next. On this occasion, the roles were reversed as he started to talk about the tailplane and how the test pilot was killed when the plane started to vibrate and fly out of control. Health and safety was not as paramount as it is today and high risks were taken to get planes flying from the drawing board. Arthur said that the tailplane vibrated so much that the it came away from the fuselage. It was not until a few weeks later that he solved the problem using high level mathematics in the theory of harmonics. It was then that this conversation became a special experience for me. At the age of 13 in 1972, I was invited to 57 Squadron by my dad for it’s 57th anniversary. 57 squadron was the last variant of the Victor as in flight refuelling. I saw the Victor tankers on the runway and my dad showed my inside one. He was a chiefy (Chief Technician) on ground crew and I marvelled at the technology and beauty of the machine. At the same time, I was individually shown around the only flying RAF Lancaster as part of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. The construction was flimsy, very cramped and cold. You don’t appreciate it until you climb on board and you then understand how brave the aircrew were in wartime. It was at this time that I could connect with Arthur’s experience as a boy apprentice, only 2 years older then me at that time and how being bombed must have been tough. It was as this time in the tour at Duxford that we turned a corner and we both saw the Victor in it full glory with the number 57 on the tailplane. This was the last Victor to fly and landed here at Duxford to become part of the static display. Wow, what a moment to behold.

His greatest achievement was the Buccaneer made by Hawker Siddeley sometimes called the Flying Brick as the design director and was on the board of the Company. It became British Aircraft Corporation and later British Aerospace.

I will always remember that time turning the corner and seeing the Victor tanker in full display with the numbers 57 on the tailplane and Arthur humbly stated his involvement in the design just beforehand. Arthur, may you RIP and not be forgotten.

I am thinking of organising a tour at the Shuttleworth Collection. Flying in a light aircraft to the airfield, picnic by the plane on the grass verge and watching the display of second world war planes including the Spitfire. Email me for further details

Arthur’s Duxford Tour VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

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One of the great summer events in English culture is the traditional village fete which is normally a fund raising opportunity for the benefit of the local community. I would recommend that you research some local fetes and sample some of the diversity of this most English tradition. What would you do and see in this most English of summer events?

Let me explain? There is an amazing variety in location, landscape and venues that there will be something for everyone. What makes these events special in the summer calendar is its sheer simplicity. These events are normally open to the general public and are a good way to see how the English interact at their best.

I will give you some example of fetes that I have been to and the reasons that make them special?

Nether Winchendon House Fete

Nether Winchendon House is a Medieval and Tudor manor house. 12th century Great Hall. 16th century Dining Room with fine carved oak frieze and oak linenfold panelling

Nether Winchendon is my favourite fete in a House that has been used as a set location for many films including the last Bridget Jones Diary. I love the simplicity of the games at fetes and I list some of my favourite at this fete.

The fete is on Saturday, 11 June 2011

The front garden has some of the following activities:

Wiggle Wire Game

Wet Sponge Throw

Tin Can Target Practise

Shove Half Penny

Coconut Shy

Rat down the drain pipe, see photo album at the bottom

For more information on typical fete activities: http://www.fetefun.co.uk/

Contact Information
Nether Winchendon House, Nether Winchendon, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire HP18 0DY

Borstal Tower Fete

Boarstall Tower was built in 1312 by by John de Haudlo and was granted permission by the King Edward II to fortify his Mansion House in Boarstall a stone wall. There was a drawbridge when is was first built but removed when the tower was upgraded in 1615. During the English Civil War it was used as a base for the Parliamentarians against the Royalist that had their headquarters in Oxford.

This is such a beautiful venue which includes the traditional fete games, homemade cakes and a quirky steam and car rally. You can have a look at the gardens and I have included some more pictures in the picture album below.

Boarstall Fête will be held on Saturday 18th June 2011 at 2.00pm

Bletchington Silver Band
Working traction and stationary steam engines; classic cars and tractors
Bric-a-brac stalls; children’s side shows; street entertainers
Local history display; climb to the Tower roof
Bar; hot food; teas; ice creams; cake stall

The is a great venue and the kids will have a great time to climb the tower

Contact Information
The Tenant, Boarstall Tower, Boarstall, Aylesbury HP18 9UX
Tel: +44 (0) 1844 239 339

Cuddington Fete

I love this fete because it goes back to a theme. Each year there is a different theme which is shown on the village green about 3 weeks before the event. A lot of time and effort is made in the models used to advertised and prop the event.

Have a  look at their gallery of pictures which shows exactly my point.

Just click on the scroll of pictures at the top for the Cuddington Fete Gallery

The fete is on Saturday 9th July 2011

Contact Information

High Street, Cuddington, Aylesbury, Bucks HP18 0AP

My Fete Album

My Fete Album VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Nether Winchendon Fete VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

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I have compiled this restaurant list for venues that befit a future King of England, King William V. The criteria I have used is that the venues must be typically English with accommodation and located in the countryside. They must have a great restaurant and gardens to match.

This will give an insight for any tourist coming to the UK who wants to gain an experience that has been locked in time which was only experienced by the aristocracy and the landed gentry of the past. All of the venues will give you an unique experience which will make your time in the UK fulfilling and bring about an English nostalgia at the same time. I plan one to one tours or a maximum of 6 people so that you can experience the best that England can provide.

Where did the past Kings and Queens of England dined and where will the future King William V dine?

Grim’s Dyke Hotel

Grim’s Dyke by stevecadman, on Flickr

Grim’s Dyke Hotel is a great example of a Victorian architecture built in 1873 and made famous by W.S Gilbert of the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera fame. It is only 30 minutes from the central London and easily accessible to all the major London tourist attractions.

During its time, the house has been used as a hospital, various set locations for films and TV programmes. Grim’s Dyke Hotel has also been awarded for it splendid gardens which are ideal to partake in drinks on the croquets lawn or afternoon tea.

The restaurant has been achieve various awards and is the quickest way to get a countryside feel in the shortest time from central London.

Drivetime: 12 miles and 30 minutes from central London

Grim’s Dyke Hotel, Old Redding, Harrow Weald, Middx, HA3 6SH Sat Nav: HA3 6SE

T: 020 8385 3108 | E: reservations@grimdyke.co.uk

Rhinefield House Hotel

Rhinefield House by Hardo, on Flickr

Rhinefield House is based in the New Forest and was originally built in 1887 located near Lyndhurst. Brockenhurst and is set in one of the most beautiful forest landscapes that England has to offer.

It has a great interior with mixture of the grand and also has a home feel which includes chandeliers, carvings a number of open fires.

You can also take drinks in the garden on a summers day and walk around this pleasant and formal garden with the stone pond as the central feature.

Drivetime: 96 miles and 2hr 14 minutes from central London

Rhinefield House Hotel, Rhinefield Rd, Brockenhurst, Hampshire SO42 7QB

T: 0845 072 7516 | E: rhinefieldhouse@handpicked.co.uk

Devonshire Arms Hotel

Photo of The Devonshire Arms Country House Hotel & Spa is courtesy of TripAdvisor

The Devonshire Arms Country House Hotel & Spa was originally built as a coaching inn and now over the years it has been transformed as one of the best country houses in the UK. Its located on the Duke of Devonshire Estate in the Yorkshire Dales as part of the Bolton Abbey Estate.The Devonshire Arms Country House Hotel and Spa has 40 bedroom which are individually designed and well appointed. The Burlington restaurant comes complete with a Michelin Star with an typically English formality which contrasts with a less formal and relaxed Devonshire Brassiere.

The Devonshire Arms Country House Hotel and Spa is a haven for relaxation with spa facilities as one would expect from a venue of this calibre. The gardens and grounds are typical of the landscape found in the Yorkshire Dales with it’s undulated landscape complete with it’s many shades of green fauna and flora.

Drivetime: 402 miles and 4hr 02 minutes from central London

The Devonshire Arms Country House Hotel & Spa, Bolton Abbey, Skipton
North Yorkshire, BD23 6AJ

T: 01756 718155 | E: res@devonshirehotels.co.uk

Luckham Park Hotel and Spa

This photo of Lucknam Park is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Luckham Park is another gem in the crown of some of the finest English country houses. It is located on the edge of the Cotswolds which is an area of outstanding beauty particularly favoured by the Americans. The park is natural and flowing and is an ideal space to relax and unwind from the city. Luckham Park had a fine restaurant called the Park with has a Michelin star rating and for those that love horses, an equestrian centre. I specialise in tours of the Cotswolds and this would be an ideal base to see this part of England

Drivetime: 105 miles and 2hr 02 minutes from central London

Lucknam Park Hotel and Spa, Colerne, Chippenham, Wiltshire SN14 8AZ
T: 01225 742 777 | E: reservations@lucknampark.co.uk

Ettington Park Hotel

This photo of Ettington Park Hotel is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Ettington Park Hotel is a great country house designed on a Neo- Gothic with 48 bedrooms and is ideal location to see Shakespeare country in Stratford upon Avon. The grounds are magnificent and set in 40 acres of parkland with the River Stour cutting through it.. This hotel is only 20 minutes drive from Stratford upon Avon and yet you would think that you are in the middle of nowhere soaking up the beautiful English countryside.

This hotel befits a future king with its antiques and old interiors and it also has indoor swimming pool, sauna and steam room to make you stay extra relaxing, its one of  my favourites.

Four poster beds and Victorian baths also features in some of the rooms

Drivetime: 105 miles and 2hr 02 minutes from central London

Ettington Park Hotel, Alderminster, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire CV37 8BU

T: 0845 072 7454 | E: ettingtonpark@handpick.co.uk

Coombe Abbey Hotel, Coventry, Warwickshire

This photo of Coombe Abbey Hotel is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Coombe Abbey Hotel was originally a Cistercian Abbey and was taken over in 1540 by King Henry VIII under the dissolution of the monasteries. A house was added to part of the Abbey in 1581 and this was the start of accommodation for royalty including princess Elizabeth who became Elizabeth I

There is so much history in this hotel and you can feel part of the grandeur that would befit a King of the past and a King of the future. The gardens are very beautiful and can be used as part of my English garden tours.

Please see some of the virtual tours of this outstanding hotel Coombe Abbey Hotel

Drivetime: 98 miles and 2hr 00 minutes from central London

Coombe, Abbey Hotel, Brinklow Road, Binley, Coventry CV3 2AB
T: 024 1645 0450 | E: info@commbeabbey.com

Bibury Court Hotel

This photo of Bibury Court Hotel is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Bibury village is one of the most beautiful villages in the UK with river Colne passing through it and flanked by the undulated landscaped that is so synonymous with the Cotswolds.I love the rustic exterior of this Jacobean mansion in contrast to the open space around it.

I always take my clients to Bibury Court Hotel for cream teas when the sun is shining outside in the garden adjacent to the river. This for me is one of the pinnacles of our English charm, taking afternoon tea with scones and clotted cream and listening to the birds.

I little bit of old England still exist at Bibury Court Hotel and can be savoured for the few who know that it exist.

Try my small English garden tour of Bibury followed by my Milliners walk and a history of tea. Bibury has been described as the most beautiful village in England by William Morris, the car manufacturer and industrialist.

Drivetime: 85 miles and 1hr 51 minutes from central London

Bibury Court Hotel, Bibury, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 5NT
T: 01285 140337 | E: info@biburycourt.com

We have teamed up with the Birmingham mint to provide you with an exclusive offer of souvenir minted coin

Related posts:

1. The Royal Wedding Tour–Part 2
2. The Royal Wedding Tour–Part 1

I had an enquiry from Valeriy Yakunin who is a Russian business owner of a vibration diagnostic company and was here in the UK for a conference and for a number of business meetings.

He wanted me to design a 7 hour tour at short notice taking in some of the major mechanical achievements of British engineering since the start of the industrial revolution at Ironbridge.

With my engineering background, I decided to take him on a tour involving power as the central theme starting with steam, the internal combustion engine, gas turbine and rocket technology, The British has a world renown reputation over the last 200 years to be entrepreneurial, great engineering inventors and a pragmatic mind-set to overcome technical challenges.

We finished off the tour as the pinnacle of Victorian engineering and went to the engine room at Tower Bridge.

I always remember coming here as a schoolboy and wondered at the engineering excellence and the polish finish of the machine, the paintwork and it’s magnitude. I also remember walking across the gangway with the wind blowing at the top of the bridge which connects the two towers to one another.My dad was a chief technician in the RAF and weaned me on all things mechanical including thermodynamics.

Steam VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

My tour starts at the science museum in Exhibition Road, London as we look at some examples of steam:

Stephenson’s Rocket,

James Watt’s engine

Richard Trevithick’s engine

Internal Combustion Engine VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Merlin Engine

Ford Model T

Formula 1

Gas Turbine and Rocket Technology VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Rover Jet1 Gas Turbine Car

Apollo and the Saturn 5 rocket

V2 rocket

We finished off the tour by having tea at Simpsons in the Strand and an evening walk around Chinatown, Piccadilly Circus and Leicester and Trafalgar Square, I love the ambience of Simpsons in the Strand restaurant which was formerly a chess club and is famous for the best roast beef in the country.

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I will pick you up at your London hotel and the day tour starts ay 9.30am at Westminster Abbey, where we shall enter the Abbey and see the area where the procession will start. England has a great choral tradition and the procession will makes it way pass this area of Westminster Abbey for them to take their marriage vows. Imagine the day when they pass this point and the whole Abbey, waiting in anticipation with the chorus singing in full flow. It’s such a special place and my favourite tourist destination in London. William’s brother Henry will give him away and there will be over 1900 guests in attendance. I am sure that he will think of his mother at this time. The bride will break with tradition and start her journey by car to the Abbey from St James Palace and leave the Abbey with Prince William in a carriage to Buckingham Palace. The crowd will swell around the Victoria Monument outside Buckingham Palace waiting for the obligatory kiss which will be broadcast all over the world. We will drive the same route from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace and park up near The Mall which is the last part of the route before the royal couple go through the gates of Buckingham Palace. After parking up nearby, we will walk and wait for the changing of the guard at 11am and then make our way out of London.

We shall go to Bucklebury in Buckinghamshire to see the village that Kate spent her childhood. The daughter of an air hostess and airline pilot, Kate grew up here. We shall visit the local Church St Marys the Virgin, onto her family home Oak Acre, and then a short stop at Bucklebury tea room for afternoon tea and a light lunch. I will give you a short talk on what makes a good cup of tea and how afternoon tea has changed over the centuries to become a tradition that is very British. We shall then have a short visit to the local Pub called Blades Bone where Kate and William have drunk and see

how the local pub was the centre of life in the village. I will give you a short talk about how life has changed for pubs in the UK over the last thirty years from my own experience.

We will go outside St Andrews School, Buckhold where Kate when to school from 11 years of age and then have make our way back toward London.

My tours are all very personal and I have no more than six people on tour with me. Many are one to one. We shall stop en route to London at Great Fosters near Egham and have dinner there. Great Fosters was a hunting lodge build and used in the past by King Henry VIII. We will walk around the beautiful grounds and have ample time to freshen up there. We can change into something a little more formal for dinner and end which a spectacular dinner to remember.

The tour can end here at Great Fosters or I can take you back to your hotel in London.

For the latest BBC news and reports on the Royal Wedding

If you are planning to come to London on the 29 April 2011 to see the Royal Wedding for yourself then click here for details on the Royal Wedding Route

Please subscribe to my FREE EBook on all things that related to the Royal Family on my homepage. You can use this as a reference book to plan your own tour.

The EBook gives you information on:

1. The history of follies
2. Royal gardens of the UK?
3. Cooking for the royal court through the centuries?
4. The UK best traditional restaurants fit for a queen or king?
5. Fashion – What will Kate Middleton be wearing on her special day?
6. British choral tradition and the royal court?
7. Who will attend the ceremony? the celebrities and the commoners?
8. The nest royal palaces, castles and houses?
9. The Henley Royal Regatta
10. The Royal Cowes Week
11. Royal Ascot
12. Government Information on Planning your Royal Wedding Day
13. BBC News coverage on the Royal Wedding

Book now and reserve your place NOW

We have teamed up with the Birmingham mint to provide you with an exclusive offer of souvenir minted coin

Related posts:

1. The Royal Wedding Tour–Part 1

The forthcoming Royal Wedding is the event of the year when Kate Middleton married her Prince on 29 April 2011. There has never been a more important moment in the history of the English monarchy since the last great royal wedding of 1981 when Lady Diana Spencer married Prince Charles.

If you exclude Edward and Wallace Simpson who abdicated his throne as King Edward VIII, and married Wallace Simpson then this forthcoming wedding is very much a fairy princess one. Kate Middleton is a commoner who marries her charming Prince.

If you begin to look back in history you will see that Kate is not the first commoner to marry an English Prince for love. George III brother, Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland married the commoner Anne Horton in 1771. George III was so incensed at the time that he set up The Royal Marriage Act of 1772 to ensure that any subsequent royal wedding was kept within the aristocracy.

From that time, the king or queen has the power to stop any royal marriage but now only under the advice of the Prime Minster. Kate will become Queen Catherine as a consort and will not have the same powers of the throne when Prince William become King William V

Since the death of Princess Diana, the Monarchy has changed and become more accessible to the populous. I have designed this tour to give you a reflection on the two different lifestyles that have come together.

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I first went to Burgh Island about 25 years ago when I used to live in Devon and instantly fell in love with it and the art deco interior. I use to travel around the south Devon coastline scuba diving when I first stumbled upon the beautiful beach and causeway leading to the Island.

I was fascinated by with the history and the place which became a retreat for the glam set of the 1930’s including Noel Coward, Agatha Christie, Winston Churchill, Amy Johnston, Edward and Wallace Simpson and many more

Let me show you some of the pictures I have taken over the last 25 years so you get a flavour of this wonderful place.

Burgh Island VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

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