Tour-Smart Limited

A waterside Victorian stone-built cottage in the creek-side village of Port Navas, south west Cornwall for four with private boat/dinghy mooring has been reduced by 20% for autumn half-term week from Saturday, 26 October. Now priced at £417 per week (saving £104 on the full price of £521), smartly refurbished this year Shearwater cottage can be booked through Helpful Holidays on 01647 434063, www.helpfulholidays.com ref S55.


Update September 2013

THE RHYTHMS OF BRAZIL WILL RESOUND THROUGH SNAPE MALTINGS THIS OCTOBER


Snape Maltings Concert Hall with the Henry Moore statue 

A festival celebrating the best of Brazilian culture, featuring key writers, musicians and artists from Brazil and the UK is happening at Aldeburgh Music’s campus in Snape Maltings, on the 4th/5th/6th October 2013. Twinned with the fabulous FLIP Literary Festival in Brazil, the weekend will feature stimulating events where literary heavyweights will read from and discuss their inspirations, commencing with master novelists

Ian McEwan 

and Milton Hatoum along with other big names such as Patricia Melo, Bernado Carvalho,

Ali Smith

and

Will Self

throughout the weekend. As all eyes scrutinize Brazil in the run-up to the controversial 2014 World Cup, interest in Brazilian culture, politics and of course sport, has never been greater and the FlipSide Festival will reflect this.

Musically, the festival will open with a joyous tribute to Vinicius de Moraes and Antonio Carlos Jobim, who together created Bossa Nova. This will be performed by a brilliant line up including José Miguel Wisnick, Paula Morelenbaum and artistic director of the São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra, Arthur Netrovski. Following on from this on Saturday night is a performance from captivating singer/composer Adriana Calcanhotto and an insightful talk on Sunday from David Treece, the author of “Brazilian Jive from Samba to Bossa and Rap”.

An exciting programme for children will include dramatic storytelling along with art and book-making activities, while Urban Ritual, one of the leading capoeira groups in the UK, will be playing games, or rodas, to live music and providing workshops to delight those of all ages. A stunning art installation will feature dramatic sculptures by Ron King of 12 life-size cangaceiros, the legendary Brazilian bandits of the 1920s and 30s and there will also be a special screening of Tropicália, the highly acclaimed and recently released documentary focussing on the eponymous, dynamic and revolutionary artistic movement in 1960s Brazil. And last but not least, caipirinhas, feijoada and Brazilian street food, will refresh the body as well as the mind, and bring a blast of ‘Carnaval’ to the Suffolk coast.

For further information about FlipSide, visit the website: www.flipsidefestival.co.uk 

For more information on the Aldeburgh Festival go to: www.aldeburgh.co.uk

For more information on Snape Maltings go to: www.snapemaltings.co.uk

FlipSide is produced by Full Circle Editions, a publishing house based in East Anglia, with a philosophy rooted in the need for arresting writing and art in beautiful, collectible books. For more information see
www.fullcircle-editions.co.uk

FlipSide is supported by Arts Council England, and partners and sponsors include the British Council, the Biblioteca Naçional, Writers’ Centre Norwich, the British Centre for Literary Translation, Premier Oil, publishers Bonniers and Bloomsbury, Suffolk County Council and the Brazilian Embassy. FlipSide has also had support from key Brazilian public and commercial organisations, as well as public and private bodies in the UK, in order to bring this event to fruition.

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A Gorgeous Christmas Contemporary Craft Fair will be held at Enginuity near Ironbridge, Shropshire, on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 November.

Panel by Newfields Gallery
 

This annual event will provide a wealth of Christmas present ideas and, with a range of new and returning artisans exhibiting this year, there will be items to suit all pockets, from magnificent designer made pieces, to affordable handmade goods and locally produced food.

Building on the Gorge’s rich heritage of creativity the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, in association with the Shropshire Guild of Contemporary Craft, is holding this high quality selling exhibition of locally produced foods and fine designer made craft items to showcase the wealth of creative skills in the region.

purple ring ettore
 

In the festively decorated main hall, designer-makers will exhibit exquisite pieces of fine furniture, ceramics, glassware, textiles, jewellery and metal work while talking to visitors about their craft. All items are handmade by highly skilled and creative local craftsmen, who are masters of their trade.

Among the returning exhibitors is Shropshire based sculptor and ceramicist Caroline Bennett with her unique range of figurative and free-flowing sculptures for the house and garden. Much of her inspiration is drawn from observations of the environment and the gentle shapes and re-occurring patterns that occur in nature.

Scarf by Sue Christian
 

A new exhibitor for 2013 is Stevie Walker who lives and works in the picturesque village of Cardington in the heart of the Shropshire hills countryside. These fantastic surroundings inspire her range of textile panels, pictures, jewellery and accessories, which are made using a variety of both traditional and contemporary textile techniques including hand and machine embroidery, weaving, dying, felting and printing. 

During the day visitors can watch demonstrations by Sara Piper Heap, who makes contemporary jewellery, Sue Christian, designer and maker of fine hand-woven wraps, and Nicola Haigh, who creates silk batik scarves, fascinators, brooches and quilts.

The exhibition will also feature local food and drink producers selling tempting goodies including cakes, chutneys, meats and sweet treats.

Exhibitors will include the producers of Mahorall Farm Cider, which is made on a small farm situated in the beautiful rolling hills of South Shropshire. The King-Turner family have been making cider on the farm for nearly 40 years using 100% fresh apple juice and wild natural yeast to achieve a wonderful taste. A perfect accompaniment to the cider would be a delicious Coopers Gourmet Sausage Roll. Bigger and tastier than their mass produced namesakes, these sausage rolls are made in Shrewsbury with the best possible ingredients, all with a local provenance.

Everybody attending Gorgeous will also be able to explore Enginuity free of charge. Here, with the help of giant interactives, they can pull a locomotive, generate electricity from water, challenge the robotic arm and have a go at making their own Christmas decorations.

Entrance to Gorgeous is £2.50 per person, under 5s free, which includes admission into Enginuity. Museum Annual Passport Ticket holders have free admission. Gorgeous will be open from 10am-5pm on Saturday, 16 November and Sunday, 17 November. For details Tel: 01952 433424 or visit www.ironbridge.org.uk.

Pre-register for Excursions™ 2014 and receive fast track entry at the show. There's so much more to discover at this year's show - don't miss out.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary at Alexandra Palace, Excursions™ 2014 will be bigger and better than ever before with a move into the Great Hall allowing more UK and international exhibitors plus an exciting array of new offers and benefits for visitors.

Joey, the amazing life-sized puppet star of the acclaimed National Theatre production War Horse, will be officially opening the dynamic exhibition.

For the first time, Visit England is going into partnership with the one day group travel show, which will be held on Saturday, 25th January 2014. This affiliation underlines the national tourist board’s aim to have a greater presence in the all-important group travel market.

Visitors will be able to combine their visit to Excursions™ with a great weekend away by taking advantage of Superbreak’s exclusive show offer, which gives visitors 10% off their London theatre and accommodation packages, or book a place on one of Excursions™ new familiarisation weekends in Oxfordshire and Surrey. Group organisers invited to the show by their coach operators, will now be treated to an improved VIP welcome on arrival at Alexandra Palace and a Longleat Resort afternoon tea experience before their return journey.

A coach group from the 2012 exhibition 
 

The already successful programme of free coach transfer services for visitors is being extended to over 50 pick-up points across the South East and East Anglia as well as to the north and west of London; the service calling at six central London main line railway stations has also been re-instated.

More exciting announcements will be released in the lead up to the exhibition including details of the new ‘Give IT a try’ lounge, where group organisers can discover what’s on offer to assist them online.

Excursions™ is organised by Tourism South East and Group Travel Organiser magazine, and works in partnership with Visit England and London and Partners.

To register, visitors can click on the Tour-smart link above and go directly to the correct page or you can register online at www.excursions.org.uk or call 023 8062 5516 to request a registration form. Everyone who pre-registers and comes along on the day can take advantage of fantastic show only offers. Organisations interested in exhibiting at Excursions™ 2014 can find out more about the show and view a video of the 2013 show online.

Follow Excursions™ on Twitter @Excursionsshow; visit our Facebook page at ‘Excursions: Group Travel Trade Exhibition’ and join our Linked In group ‘Excursions2014’

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A Group Travel Advisors Familiarisation Tour
organised by Visit Essex
Thursday 3rd October 2013

A familiarisation tour of Essex organised by Visit Essex and aimed at Group Travel Organisers, will take place on Thursday 3rd October departing from Braintree Freeport Shopping Outlet.

Spains Hall

Organisers will be able to see first-hand Spains Hall – a 15th Century Mansion now open for group tours, Audley End House, probably Essex’s most prestige visitor attraction managed by English Heritage, Marks Hall Gardens and Aboretum and Hedingham Castle, plus enjoy lunch at the Radisson Blu Hotel at Stansted Airport. Freeport will also be open for late night shopping in the evening, so GTO’s will also get to have a shopping experience too before they make their way home.

It will be an early start at 9.00am, returning at 5.00pm approx. GTOs will be able to leave their cars in the car park at Freeport all day, and there is also a train station at Freeport with connections from Witham, on the Greater Anglia line from London and Norwich.

Group Travel Manager Carol Jolly said “We have done many tours over the years, and they are valuable both to the GTOs and the tourism businesses in Essex, giving GTOs a taster of what’s on offer, and enticing them to return at a later date with their Club or Group”.

The tour is open to all bona fide group organisers, plus coach and tour operators. For bookings and further information contact Carol Jolly at Visit Essex. Email: [email protected] or call 07584 480072


Update August 2013

It is supported by Telford & Wrekin Council and will be taking place this year on Saturday, 21st September. The festival runs from 12noon until 5pm with heritage talks and walks, a fantastic high quality craft and food market, live street entertainment and family activities.

With the world famous Iron Bridge forming the backdrop, the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Festival will be a great celebration of the area’s designation as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986.

Local residents and visitors will be able to enjoy a large street market running parallel with the river along the Wharfage and offering a range of top quality locally produced foods, gifts and merchandise. Local charities and community groups will be running stands with raffles and fun challenges, all helping to raise vital funds and showcasing their good work. In the Market Square there will be demonstrations and displays celebrating the remarkable heritage of the Gorge and street entertainment will keep the crowds amused throughout the day.

Younger visitors can take part in free, hands-on art activities in the Merrythought Village, where they can also enjoy a donkey ride for a small fee.

Throughout the day visitors can discover more about the history of the Gorge as there will be a variety of free walks and talks, which detail different aspects of the area’s rich industrial past and follow a specially designed trail around the town.

Visitors to the event will also be able to explore the many riverside shops, pubs, cafés, antique shops, craft centres, restaurants and museums.

Festival goers should use the fast, free and frequent Ironbridge Park and Ride Service that operates from the top of Jiggers Bank (Sat Nav TF4 3QE) into the heart of the event. Station Road car park in Ironbridge will be available for accessible parking only and all other car parks will be for special permit holders.

Traci Dix-Williams, Event Manager commented: “The Festival is always a wonderful celebration of the Gorge’s special status as a World Heritage Site, alongside the Pyramids and Great Wall of China. Residents and visitors will be able to enjoy a great community celebration of the remarkable heritage of the Gorge.”

For information about the event call 01952 433424 or visit www.visitironbridge.co.uk/worldheritage or email [email protected]

Catch the last of summer this September when the children are back at school, and treat your loved one to a ‘coast is clear’ short break on the beautiful Suffolk Heritage Coast at Aldeburgh.

The stylish, four-star Brudenell Hotel is offering a luxurious midweek stay, Sunday – Thursday, between 1st and 30th September from just £85 B&B per person per night including a delicious afternoon cream tea on arrival, based on two sharing an inland-facing Aldeburgh room; upgrade and include dinner in the AA two rosette Seaview restaurant from just £99pp.

The stylish, 44 bedroom hotel is in a wonderful seafront setting, just a step away from Aldeburgh’s shingle beach. Its tranquil situation, coastal themed decor and fresh, locally sourced food, optimises the perfect seaside break.

To make a reservation call The Brudenell on 01728 452071 quoting the coast is clear breaks; more details can also be found on www.brudenellhotel.co.uk; seaview rooms available for a supplement.

 Sunday Visits to Salisbury Cathedral

Recommended Sunday visiting times: 12 noon - 4pm

It seems to be a busy summer in Salisbury and we hope that all our visitors enjoying the delights on offer.

We’d like to remind group organisers and tour operators that we are delighted to welcome visitors to Salisbury Cathedral and Magna Carta on Sundays and are open for visiting between 12 noon and 4pm. However on Sunday mornings we have two of our biggest services of the week, Mattins and Eucharist, and at this time we are focussed on our main purpose as a living church and place of worship for our congregation. This is why we don’t admit groups to the Cathedral before midday on a Sunday.

We want all our visitors to experience our award winning welcome and the full glory of this amazing building so please do remind your teams not to arrive at the Cathedral before 12 noon on Sundays.

Visiting is very much welcomed during 9am - 5pm Monday - Saturday and 12 noon - 4pm Sunday.

For general enquiries, details of special group packages and bookings, please contact: 
Hannah Paye, Visitors Co-ordinator
Salisbury Cathedral, 33 The Close, Salisbury, SP1 2EJ
Tel: 01722 555120 Fax: 01722 555116 Email: [email protected]

Spend a day foraging the Suffolk Heritage Coast and nearby landscapes led by expert forager Jon Tyler, then take your foodie finds back to the Brudenell Hotel at Aldeburgh where Head Chef, James Barber will combine the delicacies into a tasty, local feast for dinner.

The day starts at 11am with a two-hour forage along the beach at Aldeburgh returning to the Brudenell for lunch; a second afternoon session looks at the wild food that can be foraged in the nearby countryside. The three-course meal will be served around 7pm at a sociable communal table so guests can chat about their foraging experience and share their finds.

Jon, an experienced forager and bush-craft practitioner, will help to search and identify what can be safely eaten. His natural passion for wild food began at an early age munching blackberries and sorrel leaves from the hedge at the bottom of the garden. Now a practitioner of outdoor activities and hedge-craft, he leads an array of wildlife awareness, mushroom identification and wild-food activities across East Anglia.

Taking place on Friday, 20th September, the Seaside Foraging experience is priced from £110 per person including the day out, dinner, overnight stay and full Suffolk breakfast on the Saturday morning, based on two sharing an inland-facing Aldeburgh room. Alternatively, book a place on the foraging day at £45 per person including dinner.

The stylish, 44 bedroom Brudenell Hotel is in a wonderful seafront setting, just a step away from Aldeburgh’s shingle beach. Its tranquil situation, coastal themed decor and fresh, locally sourced food, optimises the perfect seaside break.

To make a reservation call The Brudenell on 01728 452071 quoting Seaside Foraging Dinner; more details can also be found on www.brudenellhotel.co.uk, seaview bedrooms available at a supplement. For more information about Jon Tyler visit www.wildforwoods.co.uk.


Update May 2013

Synopsis:
London, Soho... 1956. Where glamour rubs up against filth, and likes it; where the posh mix with musicians, whores and racketeers; where 'virginity is no city trade', and where a dashingly impecunious bachelor in need of quick cash and a good time has to live on his wits.

Turning con-man to fool his rich uncle, he variously becomes a lord, a high class call girl, and – God forbid – a poor actor. But a beautiful Soho tart is also on the scam: a whore to some, a religious instructor to others, and a debutante in need of an eligible bachelor to yet more...

Sean Foley makes his RSC debut, directing Thomas Middleton's Jacobean 'city comedy': an outrageously wicked, brilliantly plotted farcical satire of lies and lust. His most recent work includes the West End productions of What the Butler Saw, and The Ladykillers.

To book your tickets now please visit

The 15th century Swan at Lavenham, Suffolk has scooped the highly sought after Gold Award in the Large Hotel of the Year category at the prestigious VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2013. Presented at a glittering ceremony on Monday, 20th May at The Point Lancashire, County Cricket Club, Old Trafford, Manchester, the awards celebrate the best of English tourism.

Honoured and delighted with the hotel’s award, General Manager Ingo Wiangke said; “To have reached top place at these highly regarded, national awards is a glowing testament to our team’s hard work, dedication and passion to providing only the very best customer service. Our deepest thanks go to everyone who supported us.” This is the first year that The Swan has entered these important awards.

VisitEngland received over 320 quality applications for the 2013 awards, which were subjected to a rigorous judging procedure reducing them down to a shortlist of five in each category. It was therefore no small achievement for The Swan to take the coveted first place.

The Large Hotel of the Year category is sponsored by NatWest Bank.

Further details about The Swan at Lavenham can be found on www.theswanatlavenham.co.uk or for information about the VisitEngland for Excellence Awards visit www.visitenglandawards.org.
  

* * *

Stay B&B from £115 for two at nearby Titchwell Manor Hotel

The magnificent art collection of Great Britain’s first Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole, sold to Catherine the Great to adorn the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, will be reassembled in its spectacular original setting of Houghton Hall for the first time in over 200 years. The exhibition Houghton Revisited runs from 17th May until 29th September.

The bar at Titchwell Manor Hotel

Nearby Titchwell Manor Hotel is offering special breaks for visitors planning to view this famous art collection priced from £115 B&B per night for two sharing. After visiting Houghton Hall relax back at the hotel with a sundowner on the seaview terrace before dining in the AA three rosette Conservatory restaurant, where you can sample Head Chef, Eric Snaith’s innovative four or eight course Conversation Menu or choose à la carte dishes.

A smart retreat for those seeking fine dining in stylish surroundings Titchwell Manor, has stunning views across open marshes to the sea. To reserve a room call 01485 210221, www.titchwellmanor.com; for details about Houghton Revisited visit www.houghtonrevisited.com or telephone 01603 598640; tickets available from Houghton Hall or Norwich Theatre Royal, should be booked in advance and are dated and timed.

Note:
The collection has been kindly loaned by the State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg and other institutions including the National Gallery in Washington DC and the Metropolitan Museum in New York, as well as a number of other important Russian museums.

Under the Greenwood: Picturing British Trees - Past
St Barbe Museum & Art Gallery, Lymington
27th July - 5th October (listings at end)


Edward Burra - 'Blasted Oak'

Under the Greenwood: Picturing British Trees - Past, a new exhibition at St Barbe Museum & Art Gallery, Lymington, examines how well known artists ranging from John Constable and Samuel Palmer to Paul Nash and Graham Sutherland have been inspired by our great trees. Running from Saturday 27th July until Saturday 5th October, it will be followed by a companion exhibition looking at how trees figure in the works of 33 present day artists.

The oak has become a symbol of our national character and individually, or collectively, trees are an integral part of our natural landscape. The first exhibition explores how trees have gradually been domesticated from the forbidding wildwood to the town garden. It studies mythology and religious symbolism, the longevity of trees and the seasonal cycle, and how man has exploited them for timber, food and fuel.

Regarded as a nationally important celebration of the tree, the exhibition will also include works from several other distinguished British artists. Amongst them will be Paul Sandby, John Martin, Heywood Sumner, George Clausen, Charles Ginner, Claire Leighton, John Nash, Robin Tanner and Henry Moore.

The exhibition is being produced in partnership with Southampton City Art Gallery.

Tickets to Under the Greenwood and St Barbe Museum, which is open between 10am and 4pm, Monday to Saturday, cost £4 for adults, £3 for senior citizens and students, £2 for children aged five to 15, and £10 for a family of two adults and up to four children; under fives are admitted free of charge.

For more details visit www.stbarbe-museum.org.uk or telephone 01590 676969.
 

Excursions™ 2014, the UK’s premier one day group travel show taking place on Saturday, 25th January, is celebrating its 10th successful year at Alexandra Palace with an exciting move into the venue’s stunning Great Hall.

Significantly increasing stand space and bringing all the elements of the show into one big hall, the dynamic 2014 show will provide visitors with much more to see, do and discover.

There will be a greater number of exhibitors from across the UK plus an expanding international area where tourism businesses from both European and further flung destinations can showcase their group offer. The hospitality and entertainment areas will also be greatly enlarged and the media centre will be in the main exhibition area.

Alexandra Palace was keen to work with Excursions™ to grow the show. Co-organiser Adrian Gates from Group Travel Organiser magazine said; “This exciting development offers us a great opportunity to expand the overseas element of the show, while allowing existing exhibitors to enhance their presence for 2014 and brand new exhibitors to try the show out.

“We can see huge potential for the bigger hall and will also use it to upgrade the visitor experience with improved facilities”, concluded Adrian.

The larger show will be packed with fresh ideas to inspire new and regular visitors to develop their existing group programmes as well as suggestions for domestic and overseas trips. There will also be new opportunities for visitors to extend their day at Excursions™ into a weekend break, staying overnight and experiencing some of London’s many sights.

Delighted to announce the move Elaine Pearce from Tourism South East said; "After 10 years of considerable success holding Excursions™ at Alexandra Palace, we are confident now is the right time to move forward. We already have a sizeable waiting list of potential exhibitors waiting to hear about our expansion plans and will be announcing more exciting details very soon. We believe Excursions™ 2014 will be our best show ever and look forward to welcoming both visitors and exhibitors to the Great Hall next January. If you haven’t attended Excursions™ before, this is the year to give it a try, there will be even more to discover!”

Excursions™ is organised by Tourism South East and Group Travel Organiser magazine, supported by London & Partners. Around 250 tourism businesses took space in 2013 including attractions, destinations, accommodation providers and tour operators; there was also a marked increase in the number of European exhibitors from France, Germany and Ireland, which are set to grow. Visitor numbers have also been held at around 1,000 for several years.

For further details, visit www.excursions.org.uk or call 023 8062 5472; booking forms and a floor plan will be available shortly with discounts for members of regional tourism organisations.

Follow Excursions™ on Twitter @Excursionsshow
Visit our Facebook page at ‘Excursions: Group Travel Trade Exhibition’
Join our Linked In group ‘Excursions2014’