Innehållsförteckning för June/July 2020 från Discover Britain

In 1882, Oscar Wilde toured America giving one of three lectures at each stop: The English Renaissance, The Decorative Arts, and The House Beautiful. No transcript of the latter lecture, first given in Chicago on 11 March, exists but, by all accounts, it was the soon-to-be-notorious author’s most effective piece; witty, learned and above all practical. Wilde concerned himself with instructing his American audiences on matters of taste – redbrick tile floors were preferred, furniture should be in the Queen Anne style, ornamentation must be hand carved, and “keynotes of colour” were required if one was to create symphonies in the home. The writer was astutely tapping into a newfound interest in such matters, as the 1880s was perhaps the first decade in which the middle classes were encouraged to…

1. SALTDEAN LIDO (1938) Its curving arms look like they’re ready to embrace the families who come here to paddle and splash in the shallow pools. Set in Saltdean, an East Sussex village just east of Brighton’s giddiness, this lido is one of the south coast’s most unique sights. 2. TINSIDE LIDO (1935) This sprawling pool on the Hoe at Plymouth, Devon, where Francis Drake enjoyed a game of bowls before spotting the Spanish Armada, is dominated by a spouting fountain at its centre, exemplifying the sense of the grandiose. 3. JUBILEE POOL (1938) Britain’s biggest Art Deco seawater lido – designed by the venerable Captain F Latham – has been ravaged by storms and repaired over the years. A recent fundraising campaign saw the addition of a geothermal pool…

FLAGS RAISED FOR VE DAY The 75th anniversary of VE (or “Victory in Europe”) Day was celebrated with a day off work across the United Kingdom as the traditional May Day Bank Holiday was moved to 8 May. It was on this date in 1945 that the Second World War officially ended, as Allied Forces accepted the surrender of Nazi Germany. The Queen addressed the nation, echoing the words of her father King George VI’s victory speech 75 years ago, while the Royal Air Force’s aerobatic team, the Red Arrows, blazed a trail of red, white and blue smoke in the skies over Buckingham Palace. To join the celebrations, Union Jack flag bunting was draped across the historic façade of 10 Downing Street. This largely unassuming Georgian townhouse has been…

The London Underground – or the Tube as it is colloquially known – is a real rabbit warren of history and mystery. The first section of the Metropolitan Line was completed in 1863, making it the world’s oldest subterranean railway. London was not only quick to begin its underground network, it was also quick to change it, too. And it hasn’t stopped changing ever since, as the London Transport Museum (LTM)’s long-running Hidden London exhibition and accompanying book comprehensively contest. So, as they quickly went from being marvels of engineering brilliance to occasional movie sets, why did London end up with such a litter of disused railway stations? Covent Garden seems like the ideal place to unearth the cinematic secrets of the London Underground. It is here that visitors can…

Field and track events, piping and Highland dancing competitions, and daring “heavy events” like the tug-o-war, the hammer throw and tossing the caber, all make up a traditional Highland Games. This is not simply a display of brawn (though the competitive element makes it, in some sense, an eccentric national sports day), but rather a unique combination of all things quintessentially Scottish, which ensures that attending a Highland Games is a must on any summer visitor’s itinerary. Attending a Highland Games is a must on any summer visitor’s Scottish itinerary Ironically, it is believed that the Highland Games originated in Ireland some 4,000 years ago. The concept first crossed the water in the fourth century, via Dalriada, a Gaelic kingdom that once incorporated what is now known as County Antrim,…

Airfield of dreams Maybe a year ago I read an article, I believe in Discover Britain, about a still-functioning airfield used by the RAF somewhere in East Anglia. I believe they fly old aircraft from there. We are planning a trip to that area for next year. I’d appreciate the name and location of that RAF facility. We’ve been subscribers to Discover Britain for years and have made many memories visiting in the UK thanks to your advice. As we age, flying gets harder so the last few round trips have been on the Queen Mary II. We were reserved to come over again this year before the virus hit, so we’re now holding off until next year. As an old marine combat pilot from Vietnam, I’d really like to…

Seth Lakeman, Folk Singer “My new album, A Pilgrim’s Tale, is inspired by the Mayflower story” I was born and bred in Dartmoor, Devon. My parents ran a successful folk music night at a 16th-century pub called The Who’d Have Thought It Inn in Milton Combe. It’s still there, now the only B&B in the village. My new album, A Pilgrim’s Tale, is inspired by the Mayflower story. I live seven miles from Plymouth, so I’ve been visiting the area where the boat set off from all my life. That and the stories of Sir Francis Drake and the Golden Hind are a big part of history for us. The tour to promote my album followed in the footsteps of the Pilgrim Fathers. Every gig was a complete privilege, but…

Piccadilly Circus has long been the nexus of London’s entertainment district, drawing in seasoned locals and fascinated tourists like moths to its bright neon flame. While it perhaps lacks the vaulting scale of similar intersections around the world such as Times Square in New York or Tokyo’s Shibuya crossing, Piccadilly Circus has always had history on its side and with that comes a layer of mystery and intrigue that is unsurpassed. While the giant TV screens, late-night shops and bustling restaurants create a glow around the main thoroughfares, it is down the side streets, behind the closed doors and even under pavements where the real stories can be found. Piccadilly Circus was built just over 200 years ago, opening to traffic in 1819 and acting as a rather grand link…

The South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) hugs England’s south coast. It runs east to west from the edge of Brixham (the most southerly of the trio of towns that makes up the so-called English Riviera) to Jennycliff Beach, cut just short of Plymouth by the Sound. As the English Riviera and Cornish west coast swallow the lion’s share of tourists seeking south-coast seaside solace during the summer season, this little cape of South Devon’s stunning sea views is left relatively unadulterated. While here, you can picnic in a quiet cove, stride along a wind-battered peninsula towards the hypnotic, deep blue horizon before exploring a historic harbour town – all in a typical Devonshire’s day’s work. The South Devon AONB has a wider appeal than the Riviera, thanks…

The Mayflower’s iconic journey began almost 400 years ago, after it set sail from the English port of Plymouth on 6 September 1620 in search of the New World (although it was technically 16 September, as England didn’t adopt the Gregorian calendar for another 130 years). That treacherous 66-day transatlantic voyage and the English colony that followed in Plymouth, Massachusetts has become an important landmark in the early history of North America. Yet the events leading up to the launch were hugely significant and involve a number of historic figures and places that are ripe for exploring. The religious roots of the Mayflower can be traced to an area known by some as “Pilgrim Country” which covers the adjoining English counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. It was here where…

Cottages are so quintessentially British that it’s hard to call one to mind without simultaneously thinking about steaming cups of tea, lawn tennis and consolatory conversations about the weather. These small, modest dwellings found in rural settings and boasting pre-modern architecture are the cosy cousins of Britain’s stately homes and palaces. But though they are smaller, they should be regarded as no less significant symbols of the nation’s proud history and heritage. While it is true that “cottages” these days can be rather vast and grand, presenting more like imposing houses, this is a far cry from what the true meaning of a cottage was. Back in the Middle Ages peasant farmers were known as “cotters”, hence “cottage” to denote the small humble spaces in which they lived. That said…

1 Dartmouth Castle Dartmouth Castle has guarded the Dart Estuary and the port town of Dartmouth for 600 years. Originally built to fulfil a far more serious purpose, today, thanks to English Heritage, it offers stunning views of the estuary and the chance to go inside and explore a fascinating complex of defences, first begun in 1388. A century later the imposing and well-preserved gun tower was added to the fortification, making it most likely the very first in Britain purpose-built to mount ‘ship-sinking’ heavy cannon. If your visit coincides with the annual Dartmouth Royal Regatta (27-29 August 2020), you will see Dartmouth at its most vibrant. The event attracts 18,000 visitors each day to enjoy a fun flotilla of pomp, ceremony and boating brilliance. www.english-heritage.org.uk 2 Salcombe It’s hard…