A shorter version of this article appeared in the Mail on Sunday, January 8th, 2017. Were we the only tourists on the Algarve who didn’t play golf? It certainly felt like that at Faro airport as we searched for our suitcases on the arrivals hall carousel under a mound of bulky bags of clubs. Many… Continue reading
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Stoke-on-Trent’s tourism evolution
Stoke-on-Trent is buoyed up by the Emma Bridgewater factor, helping its advance as a busy and interesting short break destination. Pottery Until recently Stoke on Trent was associated with one main thing, pottery. And it still an essential visit to pay, to the places where they make the things that underpin our daily lives – teacups and dinner… Continue reading →
Could King’s Cross grand approach be an inspiration for a remade Euston?
This isn’t Euston station. That’s too much of a mess to be worth showing in a photograph. But plans are afoot for big improvements up there, and King’s Cross, just down the road (seen here in early 2017, should be the inspiration. The wonder at King’s Cross is the space. There is no cluttering structure, just a… Continue reading →
After the Beatles, will Elphie be the new sound of Hamburg?
Why the Elbphilharmonie, on the banks of the river Elbe in Hamburg, cost ten times the original figure, and took six years longer to build than the first estimate, is likely to matter less and less after its formal opening on January 11th, 2017. The venue is as imposing and spectacular as most new performance centres seem to… Continue reading →
Costa Rica’s conservation ethos driving it up green tourism league
Costa Rica is emerging as a leading destination for green tourism. The extensive rainforest will play a vital part in counteracting global warming, serving as a vast bio-sink to soak up carbon dioxide. Tourists create CO2 by flying. But they are an important part of the solution. They provide the cash, and the incentive, to… Continue reading →
Hull’s great New Year as UK’s City of Culture 2017
Hull is about to celebrate its biggest New Year ever. At midnight it becomes the UK City of Culture, an accolade it will hold throughout 2017. Its opening event (Jan 1-7), Made in Hull, is a celebration of the city, in pictures on buildings, on a trail where the streets speak and buildings tell stories. Staged across the… Continue reading →