Holiday Thread

[Diane65]

I've actually stayed here a few years ago and it was fine (it was the YHA but it is 2 miles from the town centre) http://www.booking.com/hotel/gb/yha-str ... 6259223eX1 plus my friend always stays at the Premier Inn not sure which one but you just walk over the river. I can find out for you. Just text her and it is The Waterways one so just a 5 minute (or 2 minute in our case) walk over the bridge to the city centre.

The Telegraph normally does the free ArtPass at the end of March so look out for that as you get free entry to all the Shakespeare houses which will save a fortune. I know it says only one per household and you can't apply for a second free pass but use a different address and it works.
I love the Birmingham Art Gallery https://www.google.co.uk/search?es_sm=9 ... 7AabrYDgCw plus this looks good https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j ... 2401,d.ZGU I ran out of time on my trip so never got to watch a jazz concert at the town hall but would be worth a look.

[PeachyLollipop]

Just been catching up Yinster's honeymoon adventures! Wow! What a great time you must have had.

I would love to see the Northern nights, so definitely will be asking you, eumenides for details.

I am in the Lake District at the moment, for a couple of days. Took only 4 hours to drive up from London. We had a lovely late lunch at the Hawkshead Brewery's The Beer Hall. The beer and "beer tapas" is so fresh, tasty and cheap! The sun was shining as well and we just sat in the beer garden and enjoyed it.

Later we went into Kendal for a Thai dinner, which was lovely as well.

Looking forward to Windermere tomorrow.

Is it possible I saw you in Islington last night? It was all very unorganised!

OH and I have been waiting to visiti Lake District for a while, can you recommend any specific areas to visit?

xx

[canadian_turtle]

I've actually stayed here a few years ago and it was fine (it was the YHA but it is 2 miles from the town centre) http://www.booking.com/hotel/gb/yha-str ... 6259223eX1 plus my friend always stays at the Premier Inn not sure which one but you just walk over the river. I can find out for you. Just text her and it is The Waterways one so just a 5 minute (or 2 minute in our case) walk over the bridge to the city centre.

The Telegraph normally does the free ArtPass at the end of March so look out for that as you get free entry to all the Shakespeare houses which will save a fortune. I know it says only one per household and you can't apply for a second free pass but use a different address and it works.
I love the Birmingham Art Gallery https://www.google.co.uk/search?es_sm=9 ... 7AabrYDgCw plus this looks good https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j ... 2401,d.ZGU I ran out of time on my trip so never got to watch a jazz concert at the town hall but would be worth a look.

Thank you SO much for all this info, will look into it from home tonight. The Art Pass one sounds particularly helpful - I didn't know it was an annual offer!

[Diane65]

I've actually stayed here a few years ago and it was fine (it was the YHA but it is 2 miles from the town centre) http://www.booking.com/hotel/gb/yha-str ... 6259223eX1 plus my friend always stays at the Premier Inn not sure which one but you just walk over the river. I can find out for you. Just text her and it is The Waterways one so just a 5 minute (or 2 minute in our case) walk over the bridge to the city centre.

The Telegraph normally does the free ArtPass at the end of March so look out for that as you get free entry to all the Shakespeare houses which will save a fortune. I know it says only one per household and you can't apply for a second free pass but use a different address and it works.
I love the Birmingham Art Gallery https://www.google.co.uk/search?es_sm=9 ... 7AabrYDgCw plus this looks good https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j ... 2401,d.ZGU I ran out of time on my trip so never got to watch a jazz concert at the town hall but would be worth a look.

Thank you SO much for all this info, will look into it from home tonight. The Art Pass one sounds particularly helpful - I didn't know it was an annual offer!

I'm assuming that it is an annual offer as I have had it for the last 3 years

[prettyxcool]

Windermere is so beautiful even in the mist! It finally cleared around lunch time, and the sun came out, so we took the hour and a half cruise round the lake, and I learnt that it is the largest lake in England. The cruise only took in half of it, stopping at two piers which you can disembark and board again. The water was so clear and mesmerising.

After the cruise, we checked in at the Holbeck Country House and Spa, just in time for my spa and massage appointment! After which I enjoyed a lovely cup of mint tea while watching the sunset over the Lake!

Then in no time it was time for the Michelin starred 3 courses dinner, starting off with cocktails and canapes in the Lounge, and ending with petit fours and coffee.

We were given the Lady Lonsdale room which had a fab view over the fells and the Lake.

Next morning, it was too misty to see the sunrise, but we had a lovely Michelin starred full English breakfast. After which, we went for a walk around the grounds, to the gardens and followed the stream some way past the tennis court, but did not go all the way down to the Lake and Marina, as it was a few miles and we ran out of time

What was even better was the overnight stay, dinner, breakfast and spa treatment was all free! Won a draw at a work networking event!

[prettyxcool]

Is it possible I saw you in Islington last night? It was all very unorganised!

OH and I have been waiting to visiti Lake District for a while, can you recommend any specific areas to visit?

xx

Yes, I was there at Vue Islington, sorry to have missed you!

It was only a short trip, so do not think I have all the knowledge only really there for a couple of days, but I can recommend the places to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and also if you want to stay cheaply the Travelodge on the A6 outside Kendal (10 minutes drive), we got a £25 deal, and the beds are King sized, very, very comfy, and the rooms are large and clean. It was full when we were there. Saying that the Holbeck was packed for a Thursday too! Thought we were going out of season!

[prettyxcool]

Is it possible I saw you in Islington last night? It was all very unorganised!

OH and I have been waiting to visiti Lake District for a while, can you recommend any specific areas to visit?

xx

Yes, I was there at Vue Islington, sorry to have missed you!

It was only a short trip, so do not think I have all the knowledge only really there for a couple of days, but I can recommend the cheap places to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and also if you want to stay cheaply the Travelodge on the A6 outside Kendal (10 minutes drive), we got a £25 deal, and the beds are King sized, very, very comfy, and the rooms are large and clean. It was full when we were there. Saying that the Holbeck was packed for a Thursday too! Thought we were going out of season!

[Diane65]

Is it possible I saw you in Islington last night? It was all very unorganised!

OH and I have been waiting to visiti Lake District for a while, can you recommend any specific areas to visit?

xx

Yes, I was there at Vue Islington, sorry to have missed you!

It was only a short trip, so do not think I have all the knowledge only really there for a couple of days, but I can recommend the cheap places to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and also if you want to stay cheaply the Travelodge on the A6 outside Kendal (10 minutes drive), we got a £25 deal, and the beds are King sized, very, very comfy, and the rooms are large and clean. It was full when we were there. Saying that the Holbeck was packed for a Thursday too! Thought we were going out of season!

Your trip looks wonderful prettyxcool - Those photos make me realise what a beautiful country we live in

[prettyxcool]

Your trip looks wonderful prettyxcool - Those photos make me realise what a beautiful country we live in

We do! And looking forward to Glossop!

Here is the link for budget eats for under a tenner as recommended by the Observer Food Monthly although it is the Guardian website (shouldn't they promote their own newspaper! )

http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2012/ ... estaurants

From the list I went to Baba Ganouche for breakfast - as we were staying near Kendal. Unfortunately the chorizo was off the menu! I had the bacon and egg bap instead, which was huge and very filling! Afterwards, walked up the alleyway to the shopping area, and there is a shop called Body Care (shame they have been making losses for the last 8 years!), but so much better than Savers/Superdrug's in terms of prices and stock. OH had forgotten his shaver, so went in there to find a temporary one.

For lunch we went to Hawkshead Brewery, Staveley (this was the day before), we didn't need lunch after that big breakfast at Baba Ganouche. It is a lovely place to stop for lunch on the way to Windermere.

The Beer Hall of the Hawksheard Brewery serves fantastic fresh and tasty beers, and very cheaply too, and to complement it, Beer Tapas. The food is overseen by the former head chef of the Michelin 3 star restaurant, Le Gavroche, so I was expecting good quality and it did not disappoint. Food came quick and piping hot. We had the BBQ ribs which was sticky and tangy and the meat fell off the bone, delicious, Cumberland sausages, a Yorkshire pud filled with local beef cooked in their prime beer topped with horseradish sauce, really good too, and a bowl of fat chips. Tapas are from £1.50 to £5, meals are from £7 and £12. On sunny days, there is a Beer Garden to enjoy it all.

The kitchen opens at noon, and closes at 3pm during the weekdays though, so we just made it arriving there at 2pm for a late lunch, but during the weekends it is opened until 7pm. The Beer Hall is light and airy with floor to ceiling windows, with two large stainless steel fermenting vessels, at one side of the Hall. They have two beer festivals and we were just two days too early for the Spring Beer Festival, which looks really fun and interesting, with more than 50 beers to taste and live music. The next one is in July. Will definitely go again, if in the area!

Then for dinner, I found this on my phone app, in Kendal again, as we didn't want to go too far from the Travelodge, good job we didn't go far, as on the way back to hotel, the fog was so thick, we could not see past our noses, to find our way back!

Anyway, decided to have Thai, and the Jintana in Kendal, looks good and not too expensive for this area. We had the Pad Thai Noodles with prawns which was very nice, and the Lamb Mussamun curry with rice, which was ok, as it does not compare with the best one which is in my local Taste of Siam in Camden, that just melts in your mouth! We then tried the Saku - A famous Thai dessert made with sago, mixed with fresh fruits and topped with sweet coconut cream, not to be confused with ‘school dinner’ sago!! But I still did not like it! The mains portions were slightly small, so for the price not as good value as in London, but good for Kendal, I suppose. They do have an early evening set menu before 6pm, which could be better value, 3 courses for £14.95.

If I had more time, would try the other places on the Guardian list, which were a bit further away from the area we were visiting.

[ejwrank]

Just to say that the Guardian and the Observer are jointly owned hence they promote each other, pxc.