The eighth and final Game of Thrones series opens Sunday April 14. We were on a quest to a spooky place, deep in the countryside. Night was closing in. Malign forces were messing with our satnav. Or were we just out of signal? The clammy Northern Ireland mist did not help. Now, what did… Continue reading
Posts by Gareth Huw Davies
How Prague stays fresh and interesting, despite the crowds
Prague is one of Europe’s elite cities, renowned for its picture postcard views, fine old buildings, a magnificent medieval clock, abundant beer and tasty dumplings. This is a list of my favourite things. 1 Grand design Prague is listed as one of Europe’s most beautiful cities by UNESCO, the UN’s cultural agency. Emperor Charles… Continue reading →
National Trust puts a price on bluebells
Ashridge, the National Trust estate on the Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire border, is one of the top places in the UK to see bluebells, according to surveys. In 2016 it decided to charge visitors to see the bluebells at some of the best locations on the 5000 acre estate. Is putting a price on our ‘national… Continue reading →
Tolkien’s forgotten years in Leeds
Tolkien, the feature film, opens in May, 2019. It follows the author of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, two of the greatest fantasy stories in the English language, from his schooldays in Birmingham, through his days as a student at Exeter College, Oxford, to the First World War, when he served as a… Continue reading →
How Tolkien’s Hobbit went there and back again
Updated, Feb 2019. Was the language and invention of The Hobbit inspired by JRR Tolkien’s time at the University of Leeds? ” Bilbo found it… in Gollum’s cave.” Friday, December 12, 2014, marked the end of a very long journey. It was the day the third part of the (some would say cynically elongated… Continue reading →
Take the Conan Doyle tour to find the real Sherlock Holmes
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes was first published in The Strand Magazine in 1891, but the publication of twelve short stories, in 1892, brought the detective and Dr Watson to the masses. In a VisitEngland survey, 43% of respondents said they were interested in visiting locations associated with the writer. And, as VisitEngland points out, it all… Continue reading →