Best Way to see British Isles for the 1st Time?

[DarrenM]

On 11/21/2019 at 3:11 AM, ldubs said:

 

Thanks for posting.  

 

Are you talking about the national parks, or are there specific towns that would be visit highlights in those areas?   

 

BTW, my last name is a place name in Northumberland. I would like an excuse to go there.   

 

 

More the scenary and the lakes and the walks.

 

But some fabulous little towns and villages with wonderful pubs and restaurants.

 

Ambleside at the north end of lake windermere is my favourite place.

 

Bowness on windermere is busier and more commercial.

 

The village of grassmere near lake grassmere is beautiful.

 

Keswick is a small town on lake derwentwater.

 

Pooley bridge on lake ullswater I'd another beautiful place.

[DarrenM]

Oh and I have dog from a breed called patterdale from a very picturesque part of the lake district. A patterdale terrior from patterdale.

 

[Heidi13]

6 hours ago, DarrenM said:

The east coast mainline train from london kings cross stops at almouth near alnwick and berwick on it's way to Edinburgh.

 

 

Darren - have taken the East Coast from London Kings Cross to Leuchars, either direct or changing at Edinbugh Waverley, but have never stopped at Alnwick. Stopped at Newcastle every trip and Berwick-upon-Tweed many times.

 

However, agree that Alnwick is definitely worth visiting, as we stayed at an exceptional B&B in Boulmer, which was < 10 mls from Alnwick. Spent a full day at the castle & town.

[jocap]

21 hours ago, DarrenM said:

Oh and I have dog from a breed called patterdale from a very picturesque part of the lake district. A patterdale terrior from patterdale.

 

Beautiful. x

Also Lakeland Terriers, and then the most popular around here- Border Collies and Border Terriers, both originating along the Cumbria- Northumberland Border with Scotland

[DarrenM]

Next door neighbour has a border collie. Beautiful dogs. I wouldnt recommend a patterdale unless you enjoy a battle. They are hard work. And a bit mental.

[navybankerteacher]

7 minutes ago, DarrenM said:

Next door neighbour has a border collie. Beautiful dogs. I wouldnt recommend a patterdale unless you enjoy a battle. They are hard work. And a bit mental.

How do they compare with Jack Russels?  they are smart and sociable (with people they like) but are a bit snobbish, stubborn, sort of arrogant and inclined to hold a grudge.

[Bizmark'sMom]

Doesn't the Lake District also have it's own breed of sheep? I remember being told that when I spent a soggy day in Grasmere.

[aungrl]

On 11/13/2019 at 4:35 PM, FlyerTalker said:

Take the trains.  Extensive coverage throughout England, Scotland and Wales.

Totally agree.  One of my first times there, we took the trains extensively from England up through Scotland, back down across to Wales, and back into England.  It was a wonderful way to see the countries.  It takes a little bit of advanced planning, but nothing too difficult, and very much worth it.

[DarrenM]

10 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

How do they compare with Jack Russels?  they are smart and sociable (with people they like) but are a bit snobbish, stubborn, sort of arrogant and inclined to hold a grudge.

Very similar. Love people but very demanding and mine is very aggressive towards other dogs. Well some. He likes a few but I wouldnt trust him off the lead with many. And when he wants something he doesn't let up till he gets it.

 

Never had a dog like him. 

[DarrenM]

And he can open all the doors in the house regardless of which way they open. Impossible to keep him out of rooms. Very clever.

[jocap]

20 hours ago, Bizmark'sMom said:

Doesn't the Lake District also have it's own breed of sheep? I remember being told that when I spent a soggy day in Grasmere.

Yes, Herdwicks. The legend was that they came with the Vikings, and now they've been genetically tested- it's true, they come from the Texel Isles, north Netherlands. They are born black, and slowly their face becomes white, and as they age, their wool lightens to grey.

They are "hefted" sheep- that is, they live freely on the mountains, and return with their young after lambing, to their own place. That is why, if a farm is sold, the sheep must be sold with it.

[geoherb]

I lived in London for seven months and had previously visited it twice before with school groups, once for a month. I had been to many nearby towns and cities: Stratford upon Avon, Coventry, Windsor, Oxford, and Cambridge. While living there, I visited Brighton and Bath. Even so, there's never enough time for London. Samuel Johnson had it right, "When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life."

 

 

[SRF]

11 hours ago, geoherb said:

I lived in London for seven months and had previously visited it twice before with school groups, once for a month. I had been to many nearby towns and cities: Stratford upon Avon, Coventry, Windsor, Oxford, and Cambridge. While living there, I visited Brighton and Bath. Even so, there's never enough time for London. Samuel Johnson had it right, "When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life."

 

Agreed.   

 

I have been to London for at least a week 4 or 5 times.  And overnighted (most of one day, overnight, the out the next afternoon), probably 6 or 8 times.

 

I always find things to do.  Heck, the British Museum could take years alone.

 

And then there is the theater.

 

 

[jocap]

My OH, a Londoner, has shown many people round London, and says that it depends on their interests- he's always taken them to the Tower, but some prefer the "lived in" castle of Windsor; Westminster Abbey, but some prefer Wren's architecture of St Paul's cathedral.

His delight is Kew Gardens, with all the collections of plants from round the world- but that's not for everyone.

And I have spent two days in the National Gallery, and not seen enough...

A trip on a HoHo bus might help people decide to which areas they wish to return.

[ldubs]

On 11/24/2019 at 1:29 AM, DarrenM said:

And he can open all the doors in the house regardless of which way they open. Impossible to keep him out of rooms. Very clever.

 

Wow, dog scientists have been trying to figure out how to use door knobs for years! 😀

[cruisemom42]

22 hours ago, geoherb said:

Even so, there's never enough time for London. Samuel Johnson had it right, "When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life."

 

 

Agree so much, and have also seen a fair amount of the the country.

[Eli_6]

We have driven over quite a bit of England in the summer.  We left London and went to Bosworth, Leicester, Lincoln, King's Lynn, Norfolk, Swanton Morley/Higham, Cambridge, and back to London in 2 nights and 3 days.  Then spent 3 days in London area and went to Windsor, Eltham, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace (don't waste your money), etc.  The more rural areas are really rural and roads not great but the major thorough fares are fine.  You do not want to drive in London though.  It was like 50 euros to park our car overnight at our hotel. We just had it to drive to Windsor. Turned it in after that.  

Edited November 29, 2019 by Eli_6

[geoherb]

Kew Gardens was our major destination this past September. I had been there in 1985 while living there but not on our more recent trips. They had spectacular installations by glass artist Dale Chihuly this year. We also managed to see two shows in two nights. We saw four in five nights last year.

[SRF]

On 11/24/2019 at 4:29 AM, DarrenM said:

And he can open all the doors in the house regardless of which way they open. Impossible to keep him out of rooms. Very clever.

 

I can beat that.

 

It was posted on the Akita list serve by a lady with an Akita and Rottweiler.  She stored the dog treats in a room with the door closed, but they seemed to be going away faster than she was handing them out.  On day, she hears the dogs in the hall, and peaks out.

 

The two dogs stop next to the closed door.  The Akita opens the door, goes in, brings out a treat and puts in from the of the Rottweiler.  Goes in, brings out another treat, sets it down, then CLOSES THE DOOR.  The two dogs pick up their treats, and wander off to eat them. 😄

 

[Bizmark'sMom]

On 11/28/2019 at 2:15 PM, ldubs said:

 

Wow, dog scientists have been trying to figure out how to use door knobs for years! 😀

I have a pit bull mix who can open door knobs with no trouble. I have to child proof the door knobs for the kitchen and the closets. And change the child proofing frequently.  I don't even want to think about how many shoes that dog has destroyed. And she has good taste - my cheap walmart sneakers are safe, she wants the Danskos.

[cruisemom42]

I envy all of your smart dogs. We had one who couldn't figure out how to get into a room through a partially opened door. He'd just sit there, patiently, waiting for someone to come and open it all the way for him. 

 

Sweetest dog in the world though....

 

 

[ldubs]

20 hours ago, Bizmark'sMom said:

I have a pit bull mix who can open door knobs with no trouble. I have to child proof the door knobs for the kitchen and the closets. And change the child proofing frequently.  I don't even want to think about how many shoes that dog has destroyed. And she has good taste - my cheap walmart sneakers are safe, she wants the Danskos.

 

Now that is funny-- sound like Marmaduke!  

[SRF]

46 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

I envy all of your smart dogs. We had one who couldn't figure out how to get into a room through a partially opened door. He'd just sit there, patiently, waiting for someone to come and open it all the way for him. 

 

Sweetest dog in the world though....

 

We had a male Akita.  We fenced a good portion of the back yard and put in a doggie door.

 

The door we installed had a metal frame that was hinged to go out, and attached to that, a clear door that was hinged to come in.   They designed it so that if the hinged side was to the left going out, it was on the left coming in.

 

So installed it, pushed it open, and Rocky went through.  When he tried to come back, he expected the door to be hinged on the RIGHT coming back, like a regular door.  But this was not.  So he was pushing on the wrong side.

 

I went out, and pushed on the correct side.  He looked at it, sat down and continuted to look at it.  Then he pushed on the wrong side, then on the right side.  Looked at it some more.  Again, pushed on each side.   Thought about it, and pretty much shrugged his shoulders, went through and ignored the "strange" door. 😄

 

[SRF]

21 hours ago, Bizmark'sMom said:

I have a pit bull mix who can open door knobs with no trouble. I have to child proof the door knobs for the kitchen and the closets. And change the child proofing frequently.  I don't even want to think about how many shoes that dog has destroyed. And she has good taste - my cheap walmart sneakers are safe, she wants the Danskos.

 

Rocky also opened cabinets.  He would open one up, pull EVERYTHING out of the cabinet.  It seems he just wanted to see what was in there.  He did not destroy anything he took out, he just took it out.

 

When he was a pup, he did chew a lot of our wood furniture.  And like yours, not the cheap flat pack or particle board stuff, the Ethan Allen solid wood.   For the dining room, we did not notice it, as the wood is light oak, so the teeth marks did not show.