Reviews
A cricketing pilgrimage to Hambledon
Hampshire will be reminding everyone in World Cup year exactly why the county is known globally as the “cradle of cricket”.
The ICC Cricket World Cup will be held across the country between May 30 and July 14 over the summer, and - in addition to the county hosting several of the matches - the story of Hambledon Cricket Club, founded in Hampshire in the 1750s, will once again be shared by anyone with an interest in bat-and-ball.
... One of England's most powerful and foremost cricket clubs, it was instrumental in helping to develop many of the early rules of the game before the cricketing world's focus switched to Lord's at the end of the 18th century.
"Trying to unravel the exact and true origins of cricket is one of the great medieval mysteries, with much of the answer lying in and around the village now known as Hambledon,” writes former England international David Gower in his foreword to John Goldsmith's Hambledon: The Biography of a Hampshire Village.
“It was the Hambledon team of the late 18th century that 'raised cricket from a sport to an art', in an era when the local team was more than a match for any All England team, and when it seemed that the Bat and Ball Inn, run by the legendary Richard Nyren, was the centre of the cricketing universe”.
The landlord of the nearby Bat & Ball Inn for ten years - between 1762 and 1772 - was the Hambledon captain Richard Nyren. It was under his guidance that the club took shape.
Hampshire's historic links with cricket don't end there, however. Thomas Lord, who was the founder of The MCC at St John's Wood, is buried in the West Meon Church graveyard in Hampshire, where the village pub - the Thomas Lord (https://www.thethomaslord.co.uk) - is named after him.
All tourist information for Hampshire can be found at http://www.visit-hampshire.co.uk.
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Turkey’s leading low-cost carrier Pegasus Airlines will launch flights between Manchester Airport, its second base in the UK after London Stansted, and Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen from July 2019.
Pegasus’ scheduled flights will connect Manchester Airport to 32 destinations throughout Turkey and 39 international destinations including across the Middle East.
Flying between Manchester Airport and Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen, the new route will operate five days a week connecting to f...urther destinations across Turkey, including coastal and cultural hotspots such as Alanya, Antalya, Bodrum, Dalaman and Izmir. Flights can be booked now at www.flypgs.com/en with fares starting at just £79.99 one way, including taxes and charges. With the launch of the new Manchester route, Pegasus now flies low cost scheduled services to 107 destinations in 40 countries. Güliz Öztürk, Pegasus Airlines' CCO said: "We are delighted to be launching our Manchester route. The UK is among our key markets in Europe and since the launch of our scheduled flights from Stansted airport we have flown over 2.7 million people from and to the UK.
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Charles Dickens' Birthplace Museum in the city of Portsmouth will be celebrating the 175th anniversary of the publication of Dickens' A Christmas Carol with a one-day special opening on 19 December.
Normally closed through the winter months, the museum will be giving out a limited number of free copies of the book on a first come, first served basis.
When Charles Dickens was born in this modest house in Portsmouth, on 7 February 1812, Britain's Navy was still at war with Na...poleonic France and Charles's father was a clerk in the Navy Pay Office, renting the house as the first home of the young couple's married life in the summer of 1809.
More at www.charlesdickensbirthplace.co.uk
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easyJet announces new Glasgow - Venice route
easyJet has expanded its Scottish network with the announcement of a new route from Glasgow to Venice due to commence 30 October 2018.
The new year round service is Glasgow’s first direct connection to Venice. Flights will operate twice weekly on Tuesday and Saturday with fares starting from £26.70 one way per person.
... Ali Gayward, easyJet’s Head of Scotland, said: "As Scotland’s largest airline we are pleased to further strengthen our network with the announcement of this new route to Venice. Given this is not a route already served from Glasgow we believe that this will prove a very popular addition for our passengers.”
Paul White, Glasgow Airport’s Business Development Manager, said: “easyJet’s decision to introduce a year-round service to Venice is fantastic news for Glasgow Airport. It is important for Glasgow to have regular, direct links with European markets and as a major city-break destination, Venice will undoubtedly prove a huge draw for passengers.”
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Baroness Sugg and the Aviation Industry join forces to launch national Awareness Campaign on the consequences of irresponsible drinking when travelling
Travel retailers, airports and airlines have joined forces to unveil a summer passenger awareness campaign to encourage people to fly responsibly.
The ‘One Too Many’ campaign was launched today by the Aviation Minister, Baroness Sugg.
... It reminds passengers of the costs of drinking to excess when travelling by air. These include the risks of being denied boarding, having a plane diverted and the associated costs which include heavy fines, up to two years’ prison, an airline ban and a diversion fee up to £80,000 for the most serious in-flight incidents.
Participating airports including Manchester Airport Group, AGS Airports, Bristol, Birmingham, Newcastle and Gatwick will work with airlines and other airport stakeholders to promote the campaign.
Baroness Sugg, said: “Disruptive passengers have the potential to ruin other people’s flights, and this campaign is an important new step to ensure all passengers are aware of the consequences they face if they behave disruptively after drinking before or on board a flight. I am pleased to see the industry come together to ensure the experiences at our airports and on flights remain positive for everyone.”
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Fly Vietnam
The Government of Vietnam has confirmed a further extension of its visa exemption programme for United Kingdom passport holders - valid for single-entry stays of up to 15 days - for three more years.
First introduced in 2015, the policy also applies to French, German, Spanish and Italian nationals. This latest extension, until 30 July 2021, is the longest extension period yet.... According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, over six million people visited the country in the first five months of this year, representing a 27.6 per cent increase on last year's figures.
National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines operates the UK's only nonstop scheduled services to Vietnam, with daily Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flights from Heathrow T4 to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, offering SkyTrax 4-star rated service across three cabin classes. The flights are carefully scheduled to offer convenient overnight journeys in both directions, and offer excellent onward connections domestically within Vietnam, to Indo-China and to 30 destinations in Asia and onward to Australia.
Further information at www.vietnamairlines.com
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New e-Visa service for Egypt
The Egyptian government has introduced a new e-Visa service, allowing citizens from the UK to obtain an entry visa online.
The new service offers an alternative to applications upon arrival, or through the Egyptian Consulate prior to travel.
... A single-entry tourist visa is priced at $25, while a multiple entry tourist visa is priced at $60, with payment required on a credit or debit card. Tourist visas granted using the e-visa system are valid for a maximum of 3 months.
Amr El Ezabi, Director UK & Ireland for the Egyptian Tourist Authority said, “We want travel to Egypt to be as seamless as possible and in the digital age this new e-Visa system is an important step towards simplifying the process. Latest tourism figures have shown a significant rise in arrivals and we hope that this trend continues as more people are encouraged to visit our diverse nation.”
Travellers are advised to make an e-Visa application at least 7 days before departure. Entry requirements on arrival include a passport valid for at least eight months, a printout of your e-visa and your travel itinerary, with accommodation details.
For more details or to apply for a visa visit https://visa2egypt.gov.eg
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Drogheda, Boyne Valley has been announced as the location for the world famous Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2018.
Sandwiched between Dublin and the Northern Irish border the Boyne Valley is expected to become one of must visit regions in 2018 thanks to Ireland's biggest cultural event the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann taking place in Drogheda.
From the 12th to 19th August 2018 the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann will attract hundreds of artists to the country's largest family festival and... they will play to an expected audience of 400,000. The event is the world's largest annual celebration of Irish music, language, song and dance.
Boyne Valley was once Ireland's ancient capital, home to some of they country's most mythical landscapes including a collection of UNSECO world heritage sites dating back 5,000 years. It is also one of Ireland's most accessible destinations only 20 minutes from Dublin International Airport.
The Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann will showcase Ireland's rich cultural history and to allow visitors to explore Boyne Valley's unique history, culture and beauty the Discover Boyne Valley tourist board have created a series of routes and tourist offerings.
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Horticultural expert and plantswoman extraordinaire Carol Klein will officially open the Blenheim Palace Flower Show on Friday, June 22.
The hugely popular BBC Gardener's World presenter will be on hand to launch the 5th annual show, which runs from June 22-24 at the Oxfordshire UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A multi award-winning gardener, Carol is a much-loved television personality whose own Glebe Cottage gardens were made famous in a six-part TV series and accompanying book.... As well as opening the show on the Friday, she will also be giving two talks over the weekend on her favourite plant-based subjects.
The Grand Floral Pavilion forms the centrepiece of the Show and features the UK's finest nurseries and growers giving expert advice and gardening ideas. It is guaranteed to be a riot of colour, fragrance and weird and wonderful plants.
A highlight for 2018 will be the brand new 'Orchid Tunnel' which leads into the Pavilion. Visitors will be able to walk through the tunnel and see over 1,000 orchids from all over the world.
With workshops, talks and demonstrations taking place throughout the event, you'll be guaranteed to learn something new and take inspiration for your own gardening project. Visitors can also enjoy fabulous food and drink as well as an outdoor Plant Village and live entertainment throughout the weekend.
Visit the shopping village featuring over 250 stands selling everything from unique garden gazebos, greenhouses and arbours to beautiful flowers, gardening sundries and hundreds of other products.
Admission to the show includes entry to the Park and Gardens so visitors can also make a day of it exploring Blenheim Palace's Formal Gardens and 2,000 acres of 'Capability' Brown Parkland.
More: blenheimflowershow.co.uk
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Two new routes have been added to the summer offering at Edinburgh Airport after easyJet announced they will operate flights to Seville and Jersey from March.
Both routes will be twice weekly through the summer season and will come into operation from the 26th of March and the 31st of March respectively.
It increases the number of destinations from Scotland’s busiest airport to 146.
... Chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport, Gordon Dewar said: “The New Year always brings fresh opportunities and adventures, and we’re delighted to be able to offer two new summer destinations to passengers in Seville and Jersey. We know choice is important and these new routes only add to the huge selection we already have – and it’s never too early to be planning that next trip.
“We have a strong relationship with easyJet and the fact they are continuing to grow at Edinburgh is a sign of their commitment to Scotland’s busiest airport and of the success we have had already and will continue to enjoy in 2018 and beyond.”
Ali Gayward, easyJet’s UK Country Manager commented: “We’re really pleased to be adding even more routes to our Edinburgh network and to be putting flights on sale today, allowing our customers to book early and take advantage of our lowest fares for both leisure and business travel.
“easyJet is the largest airline in Scotland and we have been committed to Edinburgh for over 22 years. We are proud to have carried more than over 41 million passengers in that time. We’re committed to expansion at Edinburgh and the addition of new routes will help us to deliver long term, sustainable growth, providing passengers with a greater range of destinations, all with low fares and great service,” he said.
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The 23rd Scottish Borders Walking Festival is about to get into its stride and will be hosted by the Royal Burgh of Peebles this year. The oldest established walking festival in Scotland, and a reputation for being one of the friendliest, takes place from September 3 to 9. Walks cater for all levels of fitness and cover a variety of routes in one of the most beautiful areas of the UK. To book and for further information:-
e: info@borderswalking.com w: www.borderswalking.com
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