Beatles Turn 50 and England Rocks!

June 14th, 2012

On Aug. 18, 1962, Ringo Starr made his first appearance as the Beatles official drummer at Hulme Hall in the village of Port Sunlight, Wirral. The four members of the band had a two-hour rehearsal before taking to the stage as the headline act in the local Horticultural Society’s 17th annual dance.

On that night the Fab Four were born … the rest is history.    Today, the Beatles continue to influence many musicians and artists as well as attracting a new generation of fans. In recognition, Liverpool has created an exciting and diverse program of events including performances from the renowned Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, exclusive anniversary concerts at the Cavern Club and a very special “50 Years of The Beatles” Mathew Street Festival.

There’s a fantastic range of Beatles attractions to visit in Liverpool. The award-winning Beatles Story, is a brilliant tour through the lives of The Beatles with fascinating memorabilia with insights from friends and family along the way.

The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour is another must for all music fans. This two-hour live guided coach tour takes you to all the Beatles Liverpool sites including Penny Lane, Strawberry Field as well as their birthplaces and schools.  The Magical Mystery Tour conveniently concludes in the Cavern Club on Mathew Street, which is open seven days a week and still a popular live venue.

Beatles fans must also schedule time to visit Mendips and 20 Forthlin Road, the childhood homes of Lennon and McCartney, now managed by the National Trust.

Take a look at our England Rocks itinerary right here!

 

Multi Generational Family Travel

June 12th, 2012

Customized, multi-generational family tours offer a wonderful experience for small family groups of 10 or more. Since 1985 we have been assisting travel agents in creating tailor made itineraries that bring families closer together.

We make it easy for you to work with family members by helping to create unique itineraries with activities that the whole family will enjoy, whether it’s tracing their family tree in Ireland or taking a cooking class in Spain, we can create opportunities that get all the generations involved and help make new special memories. We can help organize sightseeing tours for all ages – a visit to the movie locations of Harry Potter, a tour through the castles of Germany, or following the path of the recent Royal Jubilee Flotilla in a cruise down’s London’s River Thames.

Our team gives you and your client peace of mind both during the booking process and while traveling.

Titanic Belfast

June 5th, 2012

The world’s largest Titanic-themed attraction has opened its doors to visitors in Belfast, on the 100th anniversary of the doomed ship’s sinking. Titanic Belfast has been built on the old shipyard where the liner was built.

The name Titanic is recognised the world over. Undoubtedly the Hollywood film has done much to promote the Titanic brand worldwide, but it is the enduring story of a fated ship which renews itself to generations so long after it sank. Amazing when you consider that she was only on the world stage for two weeks!

The story of the Titanic’s sinking, in which more than 1,500 people died, is told throughout nine galleries at the six storey centre. The design of the building is based on the bow of the Titanic and has been built right beside the slipway where the liner was floated in 1911.

A visit to the centre can be easily accommodated into a day trip from Dublin or as part of a more extensive agenda through the six provinces of Northern Ireland.

Wellington Arch Re-Opens

May 31st, 2012

Wellington Arch on Hyde Park Corner re-opened earlier this month as London’s latest exhibition space. The Quadriga Gallery now hosts a fast-changing series of exhibitions that will explore the history and heritage of England, from the story of Stonehenge to the influence of Egyptian culture and design on the architecture of England.

Visitors step out onto the balconies on top of the Arch and enjoy glorious views of the capital, including the Royal Parks and the Houses of Parliament and watch the Household Cavalry as it passes to and from the changing of the Guard at Horse Guards Parade.  It’s a wonderful addition to any group itinerary.

New at Kew

May 29th, 2012

The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew have always been a must see for both casual gardeners as well as serious horticulturalists.  You can now add a culinary twist to your visit.

After a year of conservation work, Historic Royal Palaces have just re-opened Kew Palace’s royal kitchens. Visiting groups can now see what life was like for a chef in Georgian times. Cooking demonstrations can be arranged. Visitors also see the scullery, bake-house, larders, stores and living quarters for the clerk of the kitchen.  Perhaps consider combining with the magnificent annual Chelsea Flower Show scheduled for late May 2013.  But now is the time to be contacting us to block hotel space which is always at a premium.

In other green thumb news… March may not be the prime time for gardeners to consider visiting England.  But March 15-17th 2013 sees the Royal Horticultural Society Orchid and Botanical Art Show in London.  The exhibit will feature orchids from the world’s finest growers plus some wonderful botanical art.  So how about getting in touch with those garden clubs or members of the local orchid society and suggest a trip?  Orchids, Spring Gardens, London Theatre, shopping , low season pricing… sounds like an enticing combination.

Spain’s Fashion Footprint

May 22nd, 2012

Spain’s fashion industry is both revolutionary and trendsetting.  Suitable for professionals, students or just folks with an interest in fashion and design, an affinity study tour to Spain can be eye opening.  They can visit the homes, studios and museums of Spain’s fashion icons.

Mariano Fortuny 19th century designer of the Grecian style Delphos gown was born in Granada.  Cristobal Balenciaga from the Basque Country was the inspiration behind Coco Chanel, Christian Dior and mentor to Oscar de la Renta, Givenchy and Ungaro.  Paco Rabanne is another Basque native.  A visit to his museum in Bilbao is unforgettable.  Madrid’s Museo Del Traje is one of Europe’s largest and finest museums to fashion and costume.

So contact us for a truly inspiring program featuring the history of the industry in Spain as well as hitting on some of the more modern day icons such as Manolo Blahnik.

Wales – A Hundred Thousand Welcomes

May 15th, 2012

A stunning, diverse and distinctive part of Great Britain. Home to 641 castles, 3 National Parks, 3 Million people, 11 million sheep, 750 miles of coastline, 2 languages and 1 very happy Royal Couple !!

As you are hopefully aware we provide and create itineraries that are unique to you and these itineraries will never be shared with your competitors. To help inspire, we have recently designed tours focusing on Welsh Male Voice Choirs, some of the best steam train journeys in the world, visits to the current home area of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the filming locations of the Dr Who series and key locations associated with the life and times of people like Dylan Thomas, St David and Owen Glendower.

Wales is featured on many of our standard Britain and Ireland tour itineraries- a sample tour can be seen here tour that includes Wales but if you would like more detail on a more specific product then you need to contact us.

BodyGuard On London’s West End

May 10th, 2012

A new stage musical of The Bodyguard based on the Warner Bros. film of the same name with screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan, and featuring Whitney Houston’s greatest hits, opens at the Adelphi Theatre 5 Dec 2012 and already booking through to late April 2013.  Directed by Thea Sharrock, it stars Heather Headley as Rachel Marron and Lloyd Owen as Frank Farmer in the roles made famous on film by the late Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner. The production will feature a multitude of Whitney Houston’s hits including Queen of the Night, So Emotional, One Moment in Time, Saving All My Love, I’m Your Baby Tonight, Run to You, I Have Nothing, How Will I Know, I Wanna Dance With Somebody and I Will Always Love You.

Custom group opportunities abound – try those local high school theatre departments, community theatres or even universities to promote a bespoke theatre program to London, Edinburgh, provincial England or even Italy (no less than 11 Shakespeare plays are either entirely or partially set in Italy).

Check out our sample theatre programs here.

War Horse and Downton Abbey

February 15th, 2012

The stunning play, War Horse, is still on in the West End and is now booking to late 2013,  But for a limited time you can see some of the props from the film and some original related items from World War I at a museum in central London. Just ask us for details, or if you wish to travel further afield, many of the book and film locations in Britain can be visited. On the subject of books and films we receive many requests for groups wishing to view filming locations associated with the PBS Series Downton Abbey.  The main house used in the series is in Berkshire (not that far from the family home area of the Duchess of Cornwall), and visits can be accommodated.

Our sample British TV and movie location tours can be viewed by clicking here.

Scottish Textile Tours

February 8th, 2012

Scotland’s connection to fashion runs deep with its history of yarn spinning and fabric manufacture. From Scottish cashmere, Harris Tweed, Argyles and hand knitting to Fair Isle, Paisley and tartan, Scotland’s textile industry has long produced beautiful, unique and traditional fabrics which continue to wow international visitors.   

Alongside this, the great number of Scottish fashion designers are making a mark on the international scene, drawing attention to Scotland extensive fashion and craft works.

To review our full range of programmes to Scotland and across the British Isles for custom groups, please visit our website at www.selecttravel.com