The "Good Days Out" Thread

Ian

Ian

Administrator
Joined
Feb 23, 2002
Messages
19,878
Reaction score
1,509
I had a thought for an interesting thread earlier on today - somewhere where we can recommend places that make for a great place to visit for a day out. There are loads of hidden gems out there, and some great places to go out just aren't known about. We live a little south of Manchester and have been making the most of exploring the area, but it's always good to get recommendations!

If you have somewhere that you think is worth a visit, please add to this list!

My first thought for somewhere to recommend is Beamish - near Durham. It's an open-air museum (huge!) that shows what life was like in the 19th - early 20th century. There's a decent size tram system that takes you to all sorts of attractions, including a mine to explore, a train station with steam trains, school, farm, a village with working shops (dentist, sweet shops, printers, etc...). The people working there generally stay in character and have plenty of interesting things to see and do. It really is excellent!

Here's the website with more details on it: http://www.beamish.org.uk/explore-discover/

It's a little far away from most people, as it's just south of Newcastle - but well worth a visit if you're near by.
 
I would recommend some of the castles in Kent Dover Castle (recently refurbished as it would have been when it was built with the decorated main hall, Walmer Castle the holiday home of the Queen Mother. Also places like historic dockyard in Chatham, the Battle of Britain airfield Bigging Hill where there is a aircraft museum. There are so many interesting places in Kent too many to mention here, all I can say is come to Kent and do not just think of the channel ports.
 
Yes, I would also recommend Beamish for a great day out. :thumb:

Also, I think Whitby, in North Yorkshire, deserves a mention. A coastal town at the mouth of the Esk with nice harbour, good beaches, pubs and restaurants. It is very much connected to Capt. Cook and, of course Dracula, who came ashore in England here. There is now an annual Goth Week which draws in huge crowds of people in fancy dress and face paint.

There is the eleventh century Abbey, in ruins since Henry VIII' day, and the 199 steps leading up to it. St. Mary's Church sits on the clifftop near the Abbey and the graveyard is right on the edge and is being slowly eroded away by the sea below. Occasionally coffins fall down to the beach or into the sea.

It gets lots of visitors in the summer from Leeds and other Yorkshire towns and cities.

:)
 
Hmmm, where to start ...

Beach, a very long one at that, Pier inc a tram, fun fair, swimming baths, pleasure lake inc yachting, several golf courses, good shops and lots of pretty parks inc Botanical Gardens. Loads of old houses to visit.

Flower show, Air Show, British Musical Fireworks Championship.

http://www.visitsouthport.com/whats-on

Liverpool is 12 miles away ... The river Mersey, Liver Buildings, Museums, The Beatles. Grand National is run at nearby Aintree Racecourse.

Blackpool is up the other road.

Mere Sands Wood & Martin Mere Nature reserves.


... the list goes on. :)
 
nivrip said:
Great choice, Urmas. :thumb:

And, even for people with no interest in railways, York is such a wonderful old city. :)
Click to expand...

Agreed! And there is the Jorvik Viking museum too, which is pretty good. I love York, it's a beautiful place. Plus you can't beat a cuppa tea at Betty's :D
 
Eastbourne Airshow, Free to watch and a great way to see planes up close.
The South Downs/New Forest/Exmoor/Quantocks all good for walking and free.
Go to RAF Kenley Airfield to watch all the aircraft arriving/departing at Biggin Hill and it's free.
 
Beamish looks like it could be quite interesting, but a 4:30 hours drive says it can wait!

If I were driving that long it would be in this direction: http://www.zipworld.co.uk/

Spend a night or two in Wales, do the Evo Triangle and the Mach Loop while you're there.

:D


Also, anywhere in Devon/Cornwall is nice, we love it down there. Eden Project was good, busy but good, and St Austell brewery is only 5 mins away and they do the best beer in the world.
 
I have just organised a guided tour of current and former London STD clinics which also takes in some of the more interesting public conveniences in this fair city. I have named this tourist attraction 'The Clap and Karzi extravaganza'.

Lasting two hours each paying customer gets a souvenir of a laminated booklet detailing all prominent clinics within the London post codes and a packet of condoms in the hope that they will be used to prevent a visit to any of these renowned establishments.

Take in awe-inspiring views such as the musical practice room at Greenwich University where students daily practice blowing the Tuba and Oboe completely unaware that just a couple of decades previous the very place where they're seated was home to inspection couches where patients who'd fallen prey to naughty ladies of the night and loose barmaids had their nether regions looked at by white coated doctors wearing face masks and rubber gloves.

These medical outposts should rightly be praised for using enough penicillin annually to keep British Company Burroughs Wellcome constantly solvent.


Yes folks, for that tour that's just a little bit out of the ordinary, sign up to Mr Flops Clap and Karzi tour, just fifteen Guineas for the full shebang, unwaged and concessions receive discounts.

____________________________________________________

or:

British Library, Euston Road, close to Kings Cross railway station: The Alice In Wonderland Exhibition, completely free. Runs til April 17th
 
If you like country walks and you're around North Kent/London borders way, here's one. Get to the Badgers Mount roundabout where the Black Eagle pub is (the pub may have closed, I can't find it listed). The road is named London Road and I think it's the old A21.

Assuming you're heading south towards Polhill/Sevenoaks/Hastings take the left turn at the roundabout down a minor road, proceed about 400 metres and enter the National Trust Car Park. Alternatively take a train to Knockolt railway station and walk there, about a mile.

From there you can walk two or three miles through National Trust land, through woods, up and down a valley and through some more woods, until you emerge in Shoreham Village, which is kinda picturesque and has some pubs where you can munch.

And that's it, really, nice scenery, fresh air and you may just spot some wildlife including rabbits and owls. It's a walk I used to take my three offspring on quite regularly, amongst others.

Incidentally, if you approach Badgers Mount from the London side you'll pass through a small place named Pratts Bottom. Straight up.
 
Sir Flopps how do you know about all these old STD clinics?
Were you a frequent visitor in your younger days?:p
 
Another place that's worth checking out if you're near Manchester is the Manchester Museum. It's a little way out of the town centre, in the middle of the old University:

http://www.museum.manchester.ac.uk/

It's got a good Egyptology section and often has some good exhibits. It's nowhere near as good as the Natural History museum, but interesting nevertheless!

V_R said:
...and the Mach Loop while you're there.
Click to expand...

Funnily enough, we're planning to go there already! Never been before, but it sounds great.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I've got another one for the list - The Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester. It's awesome!

http://msimanchester.org.uk/

It's quite diverse, and it's good for both adults and kids. Best of all it's free :D

We went to the science museum in Birmingham (Thinktank) a few weeks back and were not impressed. It's really geared up for kids, and cost nearly £30 for both of us. The Planetarium was quite good, but fairly small. Not really worth the money IMO.
 
Becky said:
€54 for 200 museums sounds like a pretty good deal to me :thumb:
Click to expand...

It's bloody marvellous. Apart from being... you know, cheap, just the fact that you have the card in your pocket makes all the difference. I live in central Helsinki, and the card means that — if I don't have hours to spend in one day — I can pop in one place for fifteen minutes and come back the next day (should I so fancy). My latest treat was Tove Jansson's frescos.
 
Back
Top