East Midlands Food Festival mmmmmmmm

For me there’s nothing better than fresh local produce. Point me in the direction of a Farmers Market and I’m like a child in a sweet shop. The cheeses, chutneys, fresh meats, cakes, pies….the list is endless.

There’s something special for me to know that it’s been produced by a local farmer. That’s why this weekend there’s only one place I’m going to be, the East Midlands Food Festival. Held at Brooksby Hall, Melton Mowbray (pork pie anyone?), this annual event attracts people from all over the region and beyond. Held over 2 days (Saturday 2nd & Sunday 3rd October) it showcases some of the country’s finest produces, many from the East Midlands region. Plus as if the delicious smells and tastes of the local produce wasn’t enough there are live cooking demonstrations and hands on opportunities for adults and children alike.  Heralded by famous chef James Martin as “One of the best food shows in the country” it really is worth a visit.

Now don’t panic if you’re not from this region that’s where we step in. There’s a range of good quality, good value hotels near by. Here’s a couple to choose from, Best Western Leicester North Hotel or Scalford Hall , both within a 20 minute drive to Brooksby Hall and the East Midlands Food Festival.  So, I hope to see you there, you’ll find me hovering around the cheese counter!

When a weekend at the races leaves you wanting more…….this is what York does to a person!

Why would you come to York? Have we all asked ourselves that same question when deciding on where, in our promised land, to visit? Now, York is not only famed for its magnificent racing fixtures and ladies in hats good enough to be a work of art, it is home to some of the most amazing Architectural Heritage money can buy. On arriving at the train station, which is an exemplary example of the aforementioned, you step out into a city of dreams. As the Old City Walls beckon you in, the maze of cobbled streets, shops and local markets brim with heady delights and soon enough, you will be uttering those words, when can we return?  York definitely packs a very hearty punch, whether it is heritage, museums, sightseeing, romance, gastronomy, cutting edge nightlife or relaxation you are looking for, York is the place to visit.

Here’s a few valuable tips: Do visit the fabulous York Minster, stroll around the oldest cobbled lane in York ‘The Shambles’ winner of the prestigious ‘Google Street View Awards 2010’ for ‘Britain’s most picturesque street’. If this wasn’t enough,  take a trip on a York Boat and see the City’s splendour from its rippling river, enjoy the National Railway Museum, hop on and off a sightseeing bus, take in the Yorkshire museum, Clifford’s Tower……the list is endless.

So, where to stay, The 4* Royal York Hotel is located in the heart of this stunning city, surrounded by beautiful gardens and a stone’s throw from the station, this is no doubt a wonderful example of architectural heritage, steeped in history. The Royal York stems back to 1878 when it was finally completed, a year after the station opened.  It has spectacular views of York Minster and elegantly combines the historic and the modern which blend seamlessly to create luxurious surroundings. What better place to Stay and to take advantage of all the City has to offer, why not make a weekend of it from 29-31st October with their ‘Stay 3 Pay 2’ Deal including a £10 food & beverage voucher per person, you can’t say fairer than that. Don’t delay, book today as this offer won’t be around long! Be prepared to be amazed!

‘Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes-Benz’ …..

When Janis Joplin sang this song, I reckon the furthest thing from her mind was …. erm, well who can say (!) but I don’t think for one moment she thought that the Lord would indeed provide a Merc for the head of the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI; that’s 16th to you and I mere mortals!  So having touched down for his inaugural visit to the UK today I was doing some research on how he might be getting around our ‘green and pleasant land’ as described in the poem, turned hymn / anthem ‘Jerusalem’ and came across that his famous Popemobile will indeed be a Mercedez-Benz!

OK, so he’s not really going to be travelling between Edinburgh, Glasgow, London and Birmingham in this vehicle exclusively, but I am sure that many of us recognise this mode of Pope travel as something only he uses.  And I am sure that the fact that this famous German car manufacturer are loving the fact that their countryman will be travelling in one of their vehicles during his visit to the UK – great exposure for them, but of course Mercedes-Benz have been supplying Popemobiles, which allegedly cost £75,000 each, to the previous and current pontiff since the 1980′s.  Each vehicle has a bullet-proof glass box for the Pontiff to wave to the public, a driver and a security guard occupy the front seats of the car, while there is room for two papal aides to sit in the rear, in front of the Pope’s elevated seat.

On this visit there will be British drivers chosen by local authorities who will drive the popemobiles, powered by green energy.  Interestingly the Popemobile’s registration plates read SCV1, which is the abbreviation for ‘Stato della Citta del Vaticano’, or Vatican City State.

But enough of such factual stuff, we’re here to talk about hotels and as such I am going to tell you about some great hotels to stay in the cities which His Holiness will be visiting over the next few days.  Edinburgh hardly needs to be sold as a destination and the fact Gemma in her article for our sister blog-site Scotland Hotel Experts has done that one for me … see the link, tick!

Glasgow, who’s tourist board motto was often ‘It’s Pure, Dead Brilliant‘ from the common phrase often used in the city where something is seen to be good or great is a vibrant city nowadays with a town centre that has been cleaned up and stylised in the past 20 years. There’s loads of shopping, cafe culture, chic and boutique style hotels and a love of football that often divides the city …. not that I am getting into that in this article though!  One hotel that you might like to stay at on your next visit to Scotland’s Second City would be the Westerwood Hotel, an opulent 4 star hotel and golfing paradise, which you don’t have to participate in of course.  Prices start from £75 for 2 – a heavenly price!

London also needs no selling only to say that if you are travelling for the Pope’s visit and don’t want to walk far or take public transport to catch sight or the Popemobile, then you’re best bet for a place to stay depends on where you want to be as the visit will take in Twickenham, Wimbledon and Westminster and Hyde Park.  See our parent site The London Hotel Experts if you really do want THE expert opinion on where to stay!

The whirlwind trip finishes in the Midlands, just outside Birmingham, which itself has received much coverage on England Hotel Experts too (see link) but the hotels I’d recommend if you’re interested in a stay this weekend are Britannia Hotel Birmingham City Centre, located, as it suggests in the centre, 2 minutes walk from Birmingham New Street railway station and surrounded by shopping, bars and restaurants in the heart of the city.  

The other is the St Johns Hotel, apt I guess for a hotel visit to choose a hotel with such a name, but that isn’t the reason I had considered initially.  It’s only 4 miles from the city centre and yet south of the city and close enough to the arterial network of roads and motorways which supply Birmingham and the West Midlands.  St Johns Hotel is a stylish hotel with a lovely leisure facility, inclusive of pool and a cool bar & restaurant – your sinful indulgence maybe after a weekend following the Pope around?!

Doncaster has an airport don’t you know?

Did you know Doncaster has an airport? On telling the story of my recent honeymoon to friends and family a few of them were surprised to hear that we flew from Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield. Formally an RAF base it reopened as a commercial airport in April 2005. This was our first time flying from here and we’ll certainly be doing it again. My Dad described it as like arriving at Sainsbury’s. The terminal isn’t a great big thing with multiple entrances and lifts and escalators, you can park your car out front and walk in with your luggage and there isn’t a crowd the size of a Take That concert waiting for you in the departure hall.

As we live in Derby and neither one of us relishes getting up at the crack of dawn we decided to book a hotel for the night before. There are a couple at the airport but we decided on Park Inn Doncaster. It’s only 8 miles from the airport and was very reasonably priced. The décor is modern and bright and the bedroom was very spacious with tea & coffee making facilities for that much needed early morning brew before departing for the airport. On arrival we were greeted at the reception desk and informed of the times for dinner and breakfast should we require it. There was a bar area showing highlights of the weekends news  and sporting fixtures and plenty of space should you decide to dine in. We had other ideas and for our first honeymoon treat we drove 2 minutes to a nearby retail park which had various eateries to choose from including KFC, Pizza Hut, McDonald’s and a Beefeater pub.  I opted for a Big Mac

So the moral of this story is, remember to look at the other airports on offer when booking your next holiday. It doesn’t always have to be one of the big ones. Secondly treat yourself to an airport hotel and avoid that 3am wake up call. It means you’ll feel fresh and ready to start your holiday straight away, which is exactly what I did when we got to the hotel by jumping in the pool!