Jetsettersblog

The National Brewery Centre

(www.nationalbrewerycentre.co.uk ), an interactive museum and visitor center showcasing the history of England’s brewing heritage, opened Sept. 21 in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, in central England. The museum presents hundreds of exhibits and rare artifacts, plus a variety of multi-media presentations, brewing demonstrations and sample beers.

To celebrate the opening, VisitEngland, the official tourism body for England, is honoring the tradition of the English Pub by promoting some of the most noteworthy pubs, including ones that are known to be haunted, the smallest and oldest pub, as well as Michelin-star properties where the food is as much an attraction as the ale. Further information on great English pubs can be found at www.innengland.com

“The new National Brewery Centre has been created to appeal equally to both ale aficionados and families seeking a fun day out, comprising an impressive collection of steam trains and other modes of transport which have played an important part of the evolution of the brewing industry, as well as the family-friendly Brewery Tap Bar and Restaurant, serving a wonderful gastro-pub style menu,” said James Berresford, CEO of VisitEngland. “We are delighted to welcome England’s latest visitor attraction and encourage travelers to not only visit the National Brewery Centre, but to also take advantage of the spectacular pubs which are peppered throughout the country.”

One of England’s most remote pubs is the Pandora Inn near Truro, Cornwall. Although reachable by car, many visitors arrive by boat, either their own, or by taking the Aquacab water-taxi from nearby Falmouth, which offers a particularly picturesque journey to the pretty riverside pub.

With parts of the inn dating back to the 13th century, the historic building has retained many of its original features including its flagstone floors, low-beamed ceilings and thatched roof.

An attractive setting to sit outside on a warm summer’s day, the Pandora is just as inviting in the winter, featuring roaring log fires and fine quality food which is served all day, along with an extensive wine list and traditional real ales from St Austell Brewery.

Located in South East England, The Mermaid Inn in Rye, Sussex, is one of the country’s oldest inns. With Norman cellars dating from 1156, the Mermaid, rebuilt in 1420, offers tradition and charm. For many years the Mermaid has been frequented by celebrities including Charlie Chaplin, Pierce Brosnan, Andy Garcia and Johnny Depp, along with Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother and Prince Edward. Additionally, painters from around the world have spent hours trying to capturing the character of the inn, which offers a wide range of accommodation including rooms with four-poster beds and fascinating secret passages. The lounge bar boasts one of the largest open log fires in England.

The Nutshell in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, in the east of England, holds the title of smallest pub in Britain in the Guinness Book of Records. The quaint and cozy 17th century pub, comprising a bar that measures just 15 feet by seven feet, has been serving customers since it first started serving beer in 1867. The Nutshell is now a major tourist attraction for local and international visitors, who visit as much for the interesting historical items, photos and memorabilia on display, as they do for some of the regions finest ales.

Claiming to be England’s oldest inn, Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem in Nottingham is also quite possibly one of the country’s most unique pubs, carved into rock and connected with the labyrinth of sandstone caves at the foot of Nottingham Castle.

Several of the rambling rooms are burrowed into the sandstone rock below the castle, yet the Trip to Jerusalem is fully operational, serving a seasonal menu along with fine real ale and on occasion plays host to beer festivals and special events complimented with a range of guest ales from microbreweries throughout Britain.

According to legend, Robin Hood is said to have shared his adventures at the pub over a pint of beer.

Next to the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon, The Dirty Duck is world famous in theater circles.

A 15th century building full of history, the traditional pub features a separate restaurant, offering food from an extensive menu or specials to be eaten anywhere in the pub. Well-known for its lively atmosphere, as well as its food and beverage offerings, there are often famous faces and “after show” parties held for celebrities. A member of the Kennel Club of Great Britain, The Dirty Duck also welcomes dogs into its long bar.

The Star at Harome is a Michelin-Star restaurant and pub in North Yorkshire. Offering locally sourced food, relaxed yet efficient service, a place to stay and a place to shop, The Star Inn offer a home-like experience in one of England’s most beautiful rural settings.

Despite being recognized by Michelin, The Star Inn retains all its village friendliness, along with its ancient timbers steeped in 600 years of hospitality.

Built to serve herring fishermen in the area, The Olde Ship at Seahouses on the Northumbria coast in the northeast of England features a nautical theme and boasts a rich collection of antique maritime artifacts.

An ideal place to stay before or after booking a trip from the harbor to the Farne Islands, home to plentiful birdlife, The Olde Ship is a fully residential property.

A highlight in the winter, the main saloon bar, has tremendous character and is lit by stained glass windows and the welcoming glow of an open fire.

Perfect for al fresco drinking and dining during the warmer months, overlooking the harbor is a newly developed beer garden with unrivalled views of the surrounding boats and the Farne Islands.

The Philharmonic pub in Liverpool is a dazzling Art Nouveau pub where the men’s lavatory is so magnificent that women are invited in to view its ornate, marble urinals and toilets, as part of a guided tour.

The architectural gem, opened in 1898, was designed by Walter Thomas and stands opposite the Philharmonic Hall. Known by locals as “The Phil,” the Grade I listed building features an imposing exterior and highly decorative interior.

The Philharmonic has dark wood-paneled walls, musical scenes depicted in copper and Art Deco lights that shine onto the mosaic covered floor and bar.

The central, horseshoe-shaped bar is awash with intricate stained glass and is notable for its glass grapes and golden eagle watching over drinkers. The least elaborate bar at the front of the pub has a TV and glazed lamps in the windows resembling the Statue of Liberty’s torch.

Believed by many to be haunted, the Grenadier in London’s Mayfair is an atmospheric old pub filled with character and military history. On one of the walls of the tiny pub, which has long enjoyed a reputation as one of the most haunted pubs in London, yellowed newspapers tell of the pubs haunted history, and a small crucifix hangs on a wall of the cellar to ward off harmful spirits. Unassumingly situated in a tucked away mews, the Grenadier has a decidedly country village air about it and despite its haunted reputation, it is one of London’s most enchanting pubs. For more information about visiting England, see England.com”>www.VisitEngland.com.

Palm Springs Modernism Week Announces 2011 Schedule
Published on: September 24, 2010
The Sixth Annual Palm Springs Modernism Week — a celebration of all things modern, defined by a cultural movement between 1940 and 1970 that redefined forms of art, architecture, and design — has announced its 2011 schedule. The event, which takes place Feb. 17 to 27, 2011, in various venues throughout the city, will include the Modernism Show, films, architecture tours, parties, art exhibitions, music and food. Many events will be available free to the public.

More than 50 events are scheduled for the 2011 Modernism Week. Among the new events for 2011 are a kick-off celebration in downtown Palm Springs on Feb. 17; the West Coast premiere exhibition of vintage Braniff Airlines uniforms by fashion designers Pucci and Halston; a design lecture series featuring Karim Rashid, Mayer Rus and other nationally acclaimed designers and tastemakers; an interior design tour of several area homes; and two days of lectures and panel discussions on Modernism Preservation in Chicago, Miami, Australia and Cuba by noted speakers.

Modernism Week also will bring back previously held events, including a celebrity home tour; a day-long Palm Springs Art Museum architecture symposium focusing on modernist architect Donald Wexler; the Architecture & Design Film Series; double-decker bus tours of mid-century architecture; a presentation by Charles Phoenix, master of nostalgic “histotainment”; and the Vintage Airstream Travel Trailer exhibit.

For more information, visit www.modernismweek.com

CIE Tours International introduced a new Beatles-themed tour of Liverpool on its Olde England & Heritage Tour, an eight-day/six-night vacation that showcases the charms of England and Scotland, priced from $1,368 land only or from $1,988 with airfare from New York.

Departures will run weekly on Saturdays from April 16 through Oct. 15, 2011.

CIE Tours is also introducing a Book Early and Save up to 10 percent policy for the land portion of this tour when paid in full by Oct. 31. Travelers who book 12 months or more before departure date will save 10 percent; 10 to 11 months, 7 percent; and eight to nine months, 5 percent.

The itinerary starts in Edinburgh, goes to Stirling, Gretna Green, the Lake District National Park, York and the Yorkshire Dales, Bowness, Whitby, Haworth and Liverpool, ending in Manchester.

Activities include a cruise aboard an historic steamer on Lake Windemere, a train ride on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, a ghost walking tour of York, sightseeing tours of York and Edinburgh, walking tour of Whitby, a Beatles-themed tour of Liverpool with local guide, and reserved seats for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo (for departures on Aug. 6, 13 and 20).

The price includes superior first-class hotels for six nights; six full breakfasts; four dinners including a Scottish cabaret dinner in Edinburgh and tavern dinner in York; welcome get-together drink; visits and admissions to Stirling Castle, Gretna Green, York Minster, Castle Howard and Bronte Parsonage; transportation via luxury motorcoach with professional tour director; group transfers on arrival/departure; deluxe flight bag, ticket wallet, luggage tags and strap; and all local taxes, service charges.

A longer eight-night tour, priced from $350 extra and ending in London, adds Chester with a walking tour of the medieval walls, and admission to Sulgrave Manor, with two nights in London including a Thames cruise, walking tour, open-top bus sightseeing tour and admission to the Tower of London.

For more information, call 800-CIE-TOUR or visit www.cietours.com

Guoman’s The Cumberland hotel, which was the last known address of Jimi Hendrix, said on Sept. 18, the 40th anniversary of the death of the guitar legend, that it will be marking the occasion with a new Hendrix-inspired suite and mini-photography exhibition. Hendrix was a regular guest at the hotel near Hyde Park, during the 1960s and conducted what was to be his last ever interview, with music journalist and press agent Keith Altham, in one of the hotel’s fifth floor suites just days before his untimely death in 1970.

The suite is designed to inspire its visitors from the instant they enter; to capture the ethos of Hendrix and ultimately be a sanctuary where Hendrix himself would have enjoyed spending time. Conceived by interior designer Mary Gannon and her senior associate Cynthia.

The suite will be marked out with statement lighting, flamboyant colors and psychedelic stylized patterns, authentic fabrics uncovered in vintage fairs and from specialist collectors. The room showcases an original 60s printed panel called “Peacock” by Mariji Isola for Marimekko, along with a wall of framed originals of NME covers from the 1960s featuring the rock legend.

The centerpiece of the room is a flaming three-meter Hendrix mural by renowned graphic designer Andie Airfix, whose previous works include designs for Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin.

Airfix drew his inspiration from Hendrix’s infamous “guitar flambé” show finale. Altham, who has acted as a consultant to The Cumberland during the project said: “I think he would have loved the idea of a special room designed in a style which is harmonized to his music and memory and where others might gain inspiration from his work or simply relax and enjoy the music made by the greatest rock guitarist of all time.”

The Cumberland’s lobby also will play host to a couple of limited edition archival photographs of Jimi Hendrix. Taken in the late 1960s, the documentary style prints by Barrie Wentzell, who photographed much of rock’s royalty, show Hendrix looking relaxed, upbeat and himself. The hotel will also be displaying “Classic Hendrix” containing over 300 images of Hendrix, which is thought to be the most comprehensive visual memoir of Hendrix ever published.

The Cumberland’s “Hendrix” Suite is now available for booking. Guoman Hotels also is supporting the work of The Hendrix Foundation, official not-for-profit organization set up to provide deprived children with access to musical instruments or music lessons, by donating a 10 pound sum from every night’s stay in the Suite for the year.

For more information, visit www.guoman.com

Willtiger Corp. and Azamara Club Cruises announced “Voyages! Titanic 2012,” a cruise aboard Azamara Journey commemorating the maiden trans-Atlantic voyage of the Titanic. Departing April 9, 2012, from Boston on a nine-night roundtrip, the voyage will arrive at the location of the final resting place of Titanic on its 100th anniversary and remain for three days. The 682-guest Azamara Journey will be the only cruise ship to receive live video feeds from a remotely operated underwater vehicle deployed from an expeditionary ship alongside.

Onboard, guests can participate in three memorial services, a wreath-laying ceremony, and presentations by a line-up of maritime and fashion researchers and historians, executives from international Titanic societies, and survivors’ relatives. Dinner menus also will feature dishes from recipes served aboard Titanic.

In addition to three days at the location of Titanic’s wreckage, Azamara Journey also will call at Halifax, Nova Scotia, where excursion options visit the Titanic cemeteries, the Maritime Museum and other memorial sites in the city that played a pivotal role in this historical event.

Azamara Journey includes gratuities for housekeeping, dining and bar staff; complimentary bottled water, sodas, specialty coffee and teas; complimentary wine at lunch and dinner; and English butler service for suite guests.

For more information, call 800-294-5269 or visit www.voyages-to-remember.com

onefinestay www.onefinestay.com  is London’s first unhotel. Guests can stay in a high-end Londonhome for a few days while the owner is out of town. onefinestay offers a new category of accommodation that is spacious, characterful and better value than a hotel.

And it offers a unique experience – the opportunity to ‘live like a local’.

So what’ll it be? A luxury apartment in aristocratic Mayfair, a family home in stately Holland Park or a bachelor pad in leafy Primrose Hill? How about a houseboat on the River Thames? Or, perhaps the answer to your prayers is a converted Victorian church in trendy Islington?

The ‘unhotel’ suits everyone – regular business travellers to London, professional couples seeking a better way to experience the city, or families with children.

For two nights to two weeks, it’s a compelling alternative to traditional hotels, and neatly avoids the hassles and compromises of vacation rentals.

Guests enjoy luxury amenities (like White Company toiletries and 5-star bed linen) along with an iPhone they can borrow for free during their stay that plays short videos about the home, its contents and history.

And for everything else, the onefinestay team is on call 24/7, by phone, or in person (by scooter to the door).

Inspired by the boom in home exchanging, the phenomenon of couch surfing, and the growth in boutique hotels, onefinestay is founded by three serial entrepreneurs with property management, logistics, investment and technology experience.

Offering a wide range of projects and travel opportunities, Inspire seeks to create a new concept in ethical and sustainable programmes to volunteer and travel abroad.

Arvind Malhotra, Chief Executive FutureSense explains, “Despite so much talk about career breaks and grown up gap years we still receive feedback that there is no one offering a comprehensive set of volunteering and travel programmes to meet the needs of this expanding market”.

Arvind adds, “We aim to differentiate ourselves through our process of understanding the skills and aspirations of individuals looking to volunteer abroad and matching these to appropriate opportunities overseas.

Inspire programmes will give people the opportunity to use their time abroad doing something meaningful, while exploring fascinating countries and cultures”

Inspire volunteer and travel programmes are available in 9 countries – India, Tanzania, Ecuador, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Gambia, Chile, Romania and South Africa providing opportunities from 2 weeks through to 6 months.

Participants on the Inspire programme can get involved with teaching, childcare, healthcare, livelihood support, women’s empowerment and conservation projects.

Inspire seeks to attract volunteers from a wide range of ages, backgrounds and experiences to join these programmes and will match them to specific projects based upon the amount of time they have available, their backgrounds, skills and experience.

The Inspire programmes leverage the FutureSense group capability and experience with a strong overseas presence.

“We have experienced local managers and coordinators in place along with carefully chosen accommodation options in every destination where we operate. Most importantly participants joining the Inspire programme get the benefit of our local knowledge and contacts, so are never really on their own in an unknown country”

For more information about the Inspire programmes visit www.I-VolunteerAbroad.co.uk  or call 0800 032 3350 to speak to an Inspire advisor.

Inspire programmes start from as little as £495 for two weeks in Romania, providing individuals the opportunity to make a difference to the children who live in care homes.

A number of the projects that Inspire works with are supported by the FutureSense Foundation www.futuresensefoundation.org  a UK registered charity.

This also provides volunteers to fundraise for their programmes and continue to support the work they do on their trip after their return home.

Autumn is a great time to hit the waves and enjoy Europe’s best surf beaches and laid back bohemian lifestyle.

And what better way to chase the sun and search for surf than in a campervan with Wicked Campers? Providing ‘glamping on wheels’, it’s the affordable and comfortable camping option for any savvy surfer or beach babe, plus customers can save £200 when travelling between 1 October 2010 and Easter 2011!

With accommodation and wheels all rolled in to one, a road trip with Wicked Campers provides the freedom to explore the best beaches with ease, comfort and convenience.

No need to pack up a tent – simply hit the road to your next destination! Imagine waking up to a new deserted beach each morning, or watching the sun set over the Atlantic with a glass of wine before snuggling into bed, ready for a new venture.

Wicked Campers provide their top suggestions for surf destinations in Europe:

France: Home to the origins of surfing in Europe, France boasts consistent swells throughout winter.

The west-facing Atlantic coastline catches swells as they are funneled into the Bay of Biscay.

The reefs and points of Brittany and Limousin conceal many hidden gems whilst the south west coast of France, known as the Basque Coast, renowned for its wealth of surf, runs down to the border with Spain.

World-class surf can be found in Hossegor and Biarritz. Anglet and Guethary are also popular beach surf destinations.

Spain: The best season for surfing in Spain is the winter between September and April.

The top surfing spots are in the north west. Mundaka is believed to be the finest surfing spot in Europe. Andalucía is also big for surfing, with hot spots being Cabo Roche, Conil de la Frontera, El Palmar, Los Canos de Meca and Yerbabuena. Or for surf combined with culture, try San Sebastian.

Prices for seven day’s round-trip hire in a two-seater van starts from only £252 (saving £200). Valid for travel anywhere in Europe from 1 October 2010 until Easter 2011, the price includes pick-up and drop-off from a choice of UK depots, insurance for one driver aged 25 and over, unlimited mileage and 24-hour roadside assistance. One way fees apply if picking up/dropping off at a different depot.

Easy-to-drive, Wicked Campers’ Toyota vans come with automatic transmission, electric windows, a comfortable double bed, table, basic built-in kitchen with sink and essential cooking equipment, camping stools, CD player or iPod/MP3 connection and plenty of storage space.

For more information, visit

www.wickedcampers.co.uk

or call 0808 234 8461.

Life’s a beach

The great British beach hut has been with us since Victorian times – but is it really the best way to enjoy the seaside?

With a corrugated shed on the beach in North Wales setting you back up to £65000 the iconic image of beach hut bliss may have to be washed away.

Instead, save yourself up to £50,000 and treat yourself to well appointed caravan comfortably sleeping up to 8 people. And you’ll still be right by the beach.

When you and the kids are spent from all those Frisbee games you won’t have to pile them into the car all damp and sandy for the drive home. Instead you can stroll back to the caravan, pop the little ones under the shower and rustle up a meal in kitchen kitted out with all the latest mod cons. We’ve long moved on from the days of no plumbing and cups of tea brewed on a camping stove – relegate back to basics back where it belongs!

Owning your own caravan can start from just £13995 in fact you and your other half could have one each and it would still be cheaper than the beach hut!

For the £65000 cost of the iconic tin shed you can expect two or three bedrooms, a fully fitted kitchen with oven, fridge-freezer and other accessories, free standing furniture, ensuite facilities and family shower-room – and it will be ready to move into and enjoy immediately.

Haven Holidays have a range of caravans from around £13000 to more than £90000.

The cost includes the first year site fees and insurance.

Haven Owners enjoy a whole range of other benefits from heated pools, golf courses and fishing to wine tasting days and a Summer Ball.

You can move from the beach in the day to night-time venues with Rory the Tiger to amuse the young ones and stageshows and cabaret to keep the grownups entertained.

Beach huts have grown up a bit!

For more information visit

www.ukholidayhomesales.co.uk

or www.havenholidayhomes.co.uk

Opening in December, Altitude Lodge in Les Gets has been three years in the making. Drawing upon 23 years of ski industry experience,

VIP SKI has designed and built what it believes is the ultimate piste-side retreat, an ultra stylish ski-in ski-out chalet with all the trappings of a luxurious boutique hotel.

Altitude Lodge houses nine bedrooms, including five spacious family rooms, all with flatscreen TVs and BOSE SoundDocks. Every comfort and convenience has been carefully considered to ensure that the needs of all ages are met.

The Lodge’s superb facilities include an outdoor hot tub with mountain views, children’s playroom, sauna and massage suite and a piste-side bar and restaurant. Altitude is located at 1530 metres, on the piste, in the main Les Gets ski area of Les Chavannes beside all the lifts.

Facilities

Altitude Lodge boasts a funky urban interior with lift access to nine stylish bedrooms, including five family rooms, some with balconies or terraces and three with private outdoor hot tubs.

All rooms have flatscreen TVs and BOSE SoundDocks.

For the ultimate privacy the penthouse level offers three bedrooms with a private lounge and small office. Downstairs there is a piste-side bar, sun terrace and restaurant that are open to the public during the day.

Residents also have exclusive use of two private lounges with an open fire and flat screen entertainment.

On the ground floor there is a wet suite with sauna and massage room and access to the outdoor hot tub which enjoys lovely mountain views.

A ski room with boot warmers ensures boots are dry and snug at the start of each day.

Families will be in seventh heaven at Altitude Lodge.

Children can play till their heart’s content with a range of toys in the family room and teenagers can battle on the Wii and PlayStation 3. There is also a board game library, children’s film library and facility for sterilizing baby bottles. All bedrooms feature ample cot space and the family rooms feature a double or twin bed plus additional bunk beds. Children of all ages are accepted all season and enjoy direct access onto the nursery slopes of Chavannes where the ski school meets – Altitude couldn’t be better located for little ones!

Service
Guests at Altitude Lodge will enjoy VIP SKI’s excellent chalet catering on seven days of the week (a hearty breakfast, delicious afternoon tea and three course dinner) and will be given a choice of two dinner options which they can select at breakfast before departing for a day on the slopes. Dinner will be served at a standard time as in a chalet. Welcome Champagne and canapés will be served on the guests’ first evening. Guests will enjoy wake up drinks each morning and a daily newspaper. Ski hosting will also be available.

Location

Altitude Lodge is located at 1530 metres and offers a unique position overlooking the pistes, lifts and nursery slopes of Les Chavannes, 300m vertically above the village of Les Gets. Green, red and blue pistes weave back to the terrace through the woods.
Les Gets has always maintained a certain sleepy caché and exclusivity when compared to Morzine, its better known neighbour.

Certainly the resort centre is a delightful mix of cobbled streets, piste side bars and traffic free retail therapy.

A traditional dairy farming village at heart and a community that dates back to the 12th century, most buildings conform to the “chocolate box” vision of an Alpine ski resort.

Visitors to the resort are predominantly French which lends an authentic family atmosphere, but there are many animated bars hosting live music ideal for a sociable après ski drink or three.

Attractions away from the slopes include an ice rink, a small cinema, an array of interesting food shops and, uniquely for a ski resort, a mechanical music museum.

There is also a weekly market selling everything from alarmingly smelly cheeses to the latest fashion for mountain goat herders.

From Altitude Lodge guests can take the bubble lift down to the resort until late in the day or select from a number of gentle pistes down to the lower nursery slopes.

The lifts outside the door lead you to the challenging Point de Nyon, the untracked Chamoissiere off-piste or the gentle intermediate Les Gets bowl.

Just over the ridge is Morzine from where the variety of the Portes du Soleil is outstanding; the largest linked ski area in the world, a claim made by many certainly, but only here will you find 2 countries, 14 resorts, 209 lifts, 288 marked slopes, and over 650 kilometres of piste!

Mountain restaurants are a real highlight; value-for-money traditional log cabins with open fires, local speciality dishes and ‘vin chaud’ on tap.

Renowned for their uncompromising service and ultra stylish chalets, VIP SKI believe that after 23 years in the business they might have at last conceived and delivered the ultimate skiing venue in Altitude Lodge.

VIP SKI (0844 557 3119; www.vip-chalets.com)  offer 7 nights at Altitude Lodge, Les Gets from £849 per person on a catered accommodation basis including return flights and transfers.

The Barceló Blackpool Imperial Hotel is celebrating Blackpool FC’s first ever Premier League season by giving visiting football teams the star treatment.

Teams staying at the hotel can enjoy a relaxing overnight bed and breakfast stay with a range of extra special touches, from just £139 per person per night.

The package includes; a private dinner and pre-match meal, a private check in and lounge area away from the rest of the guests, single occupancy accommodation with the ability to book out whole floors of the hotel and a dedicated manager to look after the team throughout their stay.

The Blackpool Imperial Hotel is ideally located just over a mile away from Blackpool Football Club and within easy reach of Blackpool North train station.

Boasting 180 modern bedrooms including nine elegant suites and spectacular sea views, the Barceló Blackpool Imperial Hotel is one of the most prestigious hotels in the area.

To book now visit:

www.meetbarcelo.com  

or call Fiona Whitworth on 01253 754602.