City Breaks

Hear about the great Tudor feasts held at Hampton Court Palace, plus tales of Henry VIII, his various wives, his courtiers and his great friend - and rival - Thomas Wolsey.  There are also stories from later eras at the palace, when William and Mary and the feuding Georgian monarchs lived there, plus ideas on what to look out for if you go to visit. Useful links https://www.hrp.org.uk/hampton-cour...

A review of moments of history which have taken place on the River Thames - think Henry VIII and his river pageants or the cranes dipping their heads for Winston Churchill's funeral - plus ideas for places to visit today if you want to enjoy, or learn more about, the great river which has been the lifeblood of the city of London for two millennia.   Useful links https://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/en_...

A tour of the five Royal Parks in central London, each with its own history and particular atmosphere.  Hear where Charles II got into trouble for picking flowers for one of his mistresses, why the name of London Zoo's Winnie the Bear lives on nearly a hundred years after her death and which British Prime Minister was once robbed in Green Park.  Find out too where you can hire a pedalo, visit an I...

Greenwich is real day out territory from central London, except that one day won't be enough for all there is to see!  Hear about lots of Tudor exploits in the one-time Greenwich Palace, find out what makes the Queen's House such an architectural gem, and enjoy tales with a maritime flavour from the Cutty Sark, the National Maritime Museum and the Royal Observatory.     Useful links https://www.rm...

Lots of city break inspiration this month, as we feature three more guest websites and bring you ideas from four continents.  Everything from an old City Breaks favourite, to a pink city on the Indian subcontinent and some of Canada's lesser known capitals.  Whether you've been, are going, or just like to find out more, we hope you'll like what you hear! Useful links  our website: https://www.city...

A two-stop tour of north London.  Firstly, pretty Hampstead, where Virginia Woolf thought 'it is always spring': lanes and cottages, cafes, antique shops and museums, including the house where John Keats spent his last 2 years in England.  And not forgetting its spy connections. Then off to nearby Highgate Cemetery in search of gothic vibes and some famous tombs.   https://burghhouse.museumssites....

A tour of East London, in search of the Old East End and the area's Jewish and multi-ethnic roots.  A little history, ideas for places to visit and some literary inspiration to inform your tour.  Before leaving, we pop over to the docks and the London Docklands Museum.     https://www.raggedschoolmuseum.org.uk https://sandysrowsynagogue.org https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london-docklands...

Bloomsbury, London's literary and academic heartland, full of pretty garden squares and the place to find some of the country's top museums, bookshops and libraries.  We wander through, pointing out some historical and literary connections and enjoying the very essence of Englishness on offer in this quietly elegant area of the capital.   https://www.britishmuseum.org https://www.bl.uk  (British L...

We dissect three more great travel blogs and bring you a taster of each, picking out inspiration a-plenty for future city breaks and indeed lots of ideas for other types of travel. There are some city break classics - Milan, Singapore, Malaga - and some more niche ideas: London for the adventurous, 'boozy tastings' from across the world and a visit to a Maid  Cafe in Tokyo.         Useful links  o...

London certainly pops up frequently in the novels of England's best-known 19th century author, Charles Dickens, and traces of him can be found all over London.  This episode investigates the links and takes in visits to two London museums which are closely connected to him: the Dickens Museum and the Foundling Museum https://dickensmuseum.com https://foundlingmuseum.org.uk https://www.london-walki...

Our two greatest authors, Chaucer and Shakespeare, both lived and worked in London for most of their lives.  Hear about them and their work, discover the London they knew and find out where to 'see' them in the city today. https://www.shakespearesglobe.com https://www.westminster-abbey.org https://www.visitlondon.com City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had t...

Surely no two people left a greater mark on 'their' corner of London, than Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.  Hear their story and discover the places most connected with them: Kensington Palace, the Royal Albert Hall and a trio of world-class museums, namely the V and A, The Science Museum and the Natural History Museum.    https://www.hrp.org.uk/kensington-palace https://www.vam.ac.uk https://ww...

Lots more city break inspiration this month and what a range we have on offer: everything from Glasgow to Tirana, from an old favourite - Seville - to a far less familiar gem, namely Pecs in southern Hungary, and not forgetting a tour of Japanese cities too. Surely there is something for everyone here. Useful links   our website: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk to find us on twitter: @citybrea...

In this episode it's all about London as a centre of entertainment.  We're going along the Strand, round Covent Garden, popping into the Royal Opera House and the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, and then on down to Piccadilly and London's theatreland.  Enjoy! https://www.thesavoylondon.com https://www.simpsonsinthestrand.co.uk https://solt.co.uk (Society of London Theatre) https://lwtheatres.co.uk/thea...

A visit to Fleet Street, a focal point for writers, publishers and journalists since the Middle Ages.  Hear some of their stories, find out which of their favourite watering holes still exist today and discover two places of interest which you can still visit: the home where Dr Johnson wrote his famous dictionary and St Bride's Church, known as the spiritual home of the media.   http://www.drjohns...

A wander round the Inns of Court, that most peaceful haven just off some of London's busiest streets.  Explore the courtyards and gardens, learn about the ancient buildings where lawyers have been working for centuries and hear how trainee barristers let off steam in medieval times.  Find out too what the young Charles Dickens thought about life as a solicitor's clerk here.   https://www.walks.com...

What visit to London could miss out Buckingham Palace?  Hear a little history, some trivia and some tales from the balcony. Then find out what to look out for on a visit, before popping next door (twice) to the Royal Mews to meet the horses and to the Queen's Gallery to hear about some of the royal treasures which won't fit into any of the palaces. https://www.rct.uk/visit/the-state-rooms-buckingh...

We're crossing continents this month.  Three continents in fact, as we are bringing you city break inspiration from three more great travel websites and sharing a clutch of ideas from the US and Australia, as well as a selection from France, Germany and the Czech Republic.  Do join us! Useful links   our website: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk to find us on twitter: @citybreakscast to e-mail...

This episode takes you on a stroll through the very heart of London from Parliament Square along Whitehall to Trafalgar Square.  We pause at the Cabinet War Rooms, the underground maze from which Churchill directed operations in World War 2, then make three further visits: to the Banqueting House, scene of the only beheading of an English king, the National Gallery and the Portrait Gallery.  https...

The building might be a stunning Victorian gothic pile, but the history of the Houses of Parliament goes much, much further back than that.  Hear some of the highlights, together with snippets from the speeches which made the greatest impact, and find out too what to look out for on a visit.  We'll be popping next door to Westminster Hall too, the scene of some of the country's most momentous occa...

A Christmas day coronation-and-riot in 1066, the weddings of Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Victoria's coronation and Golden Jubilee, Westminster Abbey has seen them all.  Hear the story of its beginning, and tales from across the centuries of just some of the most talked-about events which took place there.  Find out too what you should look out for on a visit. https://www.westminster-a...

Inspiration for city breaks from three more travel websites.  We take in Winnipeg in Canada in the company of two of its travel-orientated residents, tour Moscow with a Russian travel-writer and follow an American blogger to explore the far end of the alphabet in the shape of York and Zagreb.   Useful links   our website: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk to find us on twitter: @citybreakscast t...

This episode will give you the background information you need to enjoy your visit to the Tower of London to the full.  Find out the main facts such as why William the Conqueror built it in the first place and who was imprisoned, tortured and beheaded within its walls.  Get the quirky details too: which animals have been kept there over the centuries and what became of them all in the 1820s, which...

This tour of the Square Mile, starts with some stories from its history: medieval days, the plague, the Great Fire and the subsequent rebuilding of the city which became a world centre of finance.  We'll hear from many Londoners, such as Dick Whittington, Samuel Pepys and Christopher Wren, and visit some of the places you might want to look round today, including a number of churches and such vene...

We begin our tour of London at St Paul's Cathedral, which stands as a symbol of the city and which has so many links to its past.  Hear a little of the history of the cathedral itself, listen to stories as varied as Catherine of Aragon's (first!) wedding, Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee and the funerals of Nelson, the Duke of Wellington and Winston Churchill.  Find out too what to look out for wh...