Seeing as we are being encouraged to holiday in this country at the moment I thought I would start this thread to see if anyone has any favourite places you can recommend to others. I have just got back from Cornwall, stayed in Newquay the first night in the Travellodge overlooking the beach and our room had a full length window overlooking the beach which was amazing but the best bit was that we booked it when the rooms were on offer and it cost us a tenner. Must say Newquay is a bit tired looking and could do with sprucing up a bit but can't fault the beaches and watching the surfers. We then moved on to a mobile home in St Ives which must be one of the most gorgeous places in the UK. Did a bit of travelling around and another favourite place in that area is Port Isaac where Doc Martin is filmed. On the way back did a little detour and stopped in Stow on the Wold. This was my first visit to the Cotswolds and I thought the countryside was very pretty. Stow on the Wold was nice but reminded me of a kind of posh Leyburn and of the two think I prefer Leyburn. OK over to you.
I lived a few months in Truro, one year. Restronguet Point on the Fal is cool (but a bit posh and yachty). When you were in St. Ives, JK, did you go to Zennor (just to the west)?
No Stan don't think I did, is it somewhere I should go? Just a random thought but I saw a sticker in a car window down there which said "'A house is for life not just for August", I guess it is mad for people that were brought up down there not being able to afford a home cos of all the rich buying second homes. PattyNchips that sounds like the kind of weather we always have whenever we get our tent out, at least it is something you have never forgotten. England would be wonderful with a decent summer.
We stayed in a place outside St. Ives just near St. Erth. It were reet nice. After a bitch of a drive there to be greeted with a batch of homemade scones, homemade strawberry jam and clotted cream. Lovely touch. Ate very well at a restaurant actually on Porthmeor Beach right next to the Tate Gallery then later in the week at fish and chip restaurant overlooking the harbour and then some booze in the Sloop Inn. The chippy was EPIC! please log in to view this image Mouse hole was nice, St Michaels mount was cool too. It had swords. And a samurai warrior.
The Sloop! I'd forgotten that pub on the harbour! I remember it being heaving...and eating fish and chips out front. Mousehole is great, as is Helston (try 'Floral Week' - absolutely mad!). JK - Zennor is a little spot on the cliffs, looking out over the Atlantic. Can get pretty wild, but has an ace pub.
Cornwall is one of the most beautiful places in England alongside Yorkshire. Last time I were down there I stayed in a lovely cottage on the west looe river. This pic is taken from the cliff top walk between Polpero and Looe, it was April and nigh on thirty degrees please log in to view this image
In some respects travel narrows the mind, because you're there long enough to see things but not long enough to truly experience them. I feel so privileged to have been born here, where we have areas like Thixendale and Givendale and both banks of the Estuary just a bike ride away.
You're right about Yorkshire, Dutch - one of my favourite spots is Spurn Point. It's so weird a place. On the other point - travelling is both the 'getting there' and the 'being there'. The travelling there is a thing in itself (by car/plane/train/bus/on foot/etc) and can balance the possibly short time spent at the place aimed at. Have you read Basho's "Narrow Road to the Deep North"? Or Robert McFarlane, or Iain Sinclair's "London Orbital"?
I haven't, but after reading your reply, I've (hopefully) found a free kindle download, so I'll give it a read
We have just got back from Newquay, agree with OP on its need for an update. Good deal on the hotel, online offer? Weather was s hite, packs of Brummie stag and hens roaming about in Primark three quarter pants and tight Villa shirts. RE: Flora Day, Helston. Lived in said place for a good few years. Flora Day is the ancient version of the Notting Hill Carnival, no guns though, they even leave their pitchforks at home. Pubs open at seven in the morning and the carnage begins, great tradition. Some great places in England, just recently spent some time rediscovering the east coast of Yorkshire, other than Brid, brilliant!
I hope you checked it out first (the Basho) as it's 'haibun' - like haiku.. But I loved it... http://wikitravel.org/en/Narrow_Road_to_the_Deep_North
Much as I love it round here, I can't really see the appeal of Spurn Point, it's just a load of crumbing concrete bunkers and million of these things.... please log in to view this image
Spurn Point lol, I had to go there on a Geography trip for my coursework, the weather was **** and overall the best thing about visiting the Holderness Coast was the coach trips!
They made us do that when I was at school too, Mappleton ffs. I'd never even heard of the place and never have done since. I only took Geography because there was a Disneyland Paris trip, and I didn't even get a place on it in the end.
Lol, we went to Mappleton and **** like that, looking at cliffs to see the erosion processes, hopefully History is better next year
When my kids were young, we decided one Sunday to go to Spurn Point for a picnic. It didn't go well. Firstly, I'd forgotten how bloody far away it is, it took us nearly an hour and a half to get there. When we did arrive and opened the picnic basket, it was swarming with those spiders within minutes. The kids hated it. We ended up having fish and chips at With instead.
