The UK boasts a huge number of world-class attractions that, unsurprisingly, get photographed by tourists thousands of times a day. In 2011, London came top of the list of the world’s most photographed cities in a study carried out by photo agency Alamy, and the rest of the UK also boasts some amazingly photographic landmarks. Here is a rundown of 10 of the most photographed buildings, natural attractions and ancient wonders found around the UK.

1. Trafalgar Square

In 2011, photo sharing website Flickr announced a list of the most photographed places on Earth using the millions of photos in its database. London was the second most photographed city (New York came first), and the most photographed landmark was Trafalgar Square. With the National Gallery and Nelson’s Column only metres apart, it’s easy to see why this is one of the most irresistible places to snap.

2. Edinburgh Castle

Another survey into the most photographed landmarks was carried out way back in 2006 by Lexmark, and this time it was Edinburgh Castle that came top of the list. This landmark is popular throughout the year, but midnight shots on New Year’s Eve are likely to be one of the most popular times to take a photo.

3. Stonehenge

As Britain’s most famous ancient landmark, there is no surprise that Stonehenge is one of the most photographed places in the UK, and probably in the world. This instantly-recognisable relic from the past is especially stunning in photographs taken at sunset and sunrise.

4. Big Ben & the Houses of Parliament

Big Ben was another one to make it onto Flickr’s list of most-photographed landmarks, and who could argue with that? It is the most famous clock tower in the world and a symbol of London. There cannot be many tourists who visit the capital and fail to capture a snap for themselves.

5. Buckingham Palace

The ‘Changing the Guard’ ceremony is one of the most popular attractions in London, and you only have to see the amount of cameras snapping away to realise why Buckingham Palace is one of the most photographed landmarks in the UK. Perhaps the thousands of people taking photographs of it every day are hoping to catch a glimpse of the queen in one of the windows when they look through their photos upon arriving home.

6. Blackpool Tower

Although London’s attractions dominate the most photographed landmarks, Blackpool Tower is still one of the most popular holiday snaps. It even came in third place in Flickr’s list, which is unsurprising as it is one of the most iconic monuments in the UK.

7. The White Cliffs of Dover

How many British tourists have snapped away at the White Cliffs furiously upon leaving their home country or arriving back from foreign lands? The welcoming sight of Dover’s white cliffs is enough to make any British person feel like they have truly returned home, and it is no wonder it is such a popular snap.

8. Tower Bridge

It’s not the oldest monument in London, but it’s certainly one of the most spectacular. This Victorian work of genius that spans the River Thames is one of the most important symbols of the city, and you can’t blame visitors for snapping away at it like mad when they cross the river.

9. The London Eye

The London Eye came sixth on Flickr’s list of most popular landmarks, and although it is one of the newest additions to London there cannot be many visitors who have not wanted to take a snap of it home with them. However, there are probably even more taken of the stunning views from the top.

10. The Tate Modern

The Tate Modern is surely the most photographed museum in the UK, if not the world. Who can resist framing a shot of the iconic ex-power station housing one of the most impressive modern art collections in the world?

See the Top UK Landmarks for Yourself

There are plenty of top landmarks that have been left off the list, including Canterbury Cathedral, the Angel of the North, Wembley Stadium, the Millennium Bridge in Newcastle and the latest addition to London, The Shard. Fancy seeing them for yourself? Then hire a car from National on your next holiday in the UK and take a tour of the most popular spots – and whatever you do, don’t forget your camera.

One would think, judging by the hyperbole and publicity surrounding native-Kiwi director Peter Jackson’s hugely successful film adaptations of Tolkien’s masterpieces Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, that the author’s only possible inspiration for The Shire, and Middle Earth in general must be the majestic mountains, forests and plains of New Zealand. Not so.

In fact, the real life locations that inspired the author’s imagination to create exotic realms such as Mordor and Rohan and Gondor can be found in and around Tolkien’s childhood home in the UK city of Birmingham. Although born in South Africa in 1895, at the age of three John Tolkien, his brother Hilary and their mother moved to Kings Heath, Birmingham. The boys’ father was due to join them later but tragically died of typhoid shortly after their departure for Britain.

Despite the loss of their father, the childhood years of John and Hilary Tolkien, spent exploring the environs of their new home city, were happy and fun and – according to the author himself – the places in which they played and let their boyish imaginations run riot around Birmingham would at least partially influence many of the locations, people and events that would later form the mythical world of J.R.R. Tolkien’s best-selling stories.

Sarehole and the Shire

Upon arriving in Britain, the Tolkien family initially set up home in the semi-rural hamlet of Sarehole, on the edge of Moseley, Birmingham. John Tolkien was at his happiest here, exploring the open farmland, nearby mill and water meadow close to his home. These impromptu playing fields were later to form the basis of Tolkien’s Shire; the green and pleasant land in which Bilbo Baggins lived in The Hobbit. Sarehole Mill itself is referenced in the book – it becomes Hobbiton’s ‘Great Mill’. Nowadays, Sarehole Mill has been restored and converted into a museum and visitor attraction, part funded by J.R.R. Tolkien, and the site has become almost shrine-like for devotees of the author’s work.

The Old Forest and Moseley Bog

Now a nature reserve accessible from Yardley Wood Road, the unromantically named Moseley Bog holds evidence of human settlement dating back to the Bronze Age, but in J.R.R. Tolkien’s childhood it was the site of a heavily-wooded mill pond that fed the nearby Sarehole Mill. An exciting environment for an imaginative boy to play in and explore, the features and setting of Moseley Bog would later be drawn upon to describe the Old Forest, home of the hobbit Tom Bombadil.

Edgbaston and the Two Towers

John and Hilary Tolkien’s mother, a diabetic, died in 1904 and the boys moved to Edgbaston, a short distance from Birmingham’s city centre. Today, many impressive towering structures such as the British Telecom Tower, the luxury Hyatt Regency Hotel,  and the Five Ways Tower offices dominate the skyline visible from Edgbaston, but when J.R.R. Tolkien was a boy there were fewer and thus two imposing towers close to his home clearly made a lasting impression on the author which resurfaced when he wrote The Two Towers; the second volume of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Built in 1758 by wealthy landowner John Perrot, the magnificent Perrott’s Folly remains an imposing feature of the Edgbaston landscape today and is one of Birmingham’s most historic landmarks. Now a Grade II listed building the folly is almost one hundred feet high and stands in close proximity to the ornate, gothic tower (actually a concealed chimney) that overlooks Edgbaston Waterworks, which was built around 1870.

These examples are probably the most notable illustrations of the way in which J.R.R. Tolkien’s early life and experiences in and around Birmingham had a profound influence on his later writing. There are more Middle Earth connections to be discovered in Britain’s second city, but if you want to see them for yourself you’ll have to make your own journey “there and back again”.

Unlike the Americans, the British are not always so keen to create unashamedly patriotic films that inspire pride in the viewers. However, there are a few gems that have been made over the years, all of which will leave you feeling proud to be British, and here are 10 of the best.

1. Zulu

This 1964 classic depicts the Battle of Rorke’s Drift, where the 150 British soldiers battled 4,000 Zulu warriors in January 1879. Directed by Cy Endfield, this patriotic classic was also the film that launched Michael Caine’s career.

2. The Dambusters

The Dambusters is another classic that tells the story of 617 Squadron and their attempt in World War II to destroy the German dams that were so crucial to the country’s industry. Michael Redgrave stars, leading the way in the 1943 mission ‘Operation Chastise’ where Barnes Wallis’s bouncing bombs were put to use against the enemy.

3. The King’s Speech

Nothing inspires British pride quite like an Oscar-winning hit, so The King’s Speech leaves a lot to be proud of. It stars Colin Firth in the role of King George VI battling to overcome his stammer with the help of Lionel Logue, a speech therapist played by Geoffrey Rush. A story of duty, overcoming great difficulties and, most of all, friendship, it is one of the most successful (and best) British films of all time, and won Best Picture at the Academy Awards in 2011.

4. Chariots of Fire

This classic from 1981 is a story of dedication and glory, focusing on the real story of two athletes training for the 1924 Olympics. Winning two Academy Award out of its seven nominations, including Best Picture, it was a massive hit, as well as inspiring national pride. Even if you’ve never seen it, you’ve almost certainly heard Vangelis’s score, which remains one of the most memorable and emotive in film history.

5. Four Weddings And A Funeral

This 1994 comedy hit looks at the institution of the British wedding, and gets it spot on.  Starring Hugh Grant and written by Richard Curtis, it was also nominated for the Best Picture gong at the Academy Awards. This is British comedy at its best, and the film was a worldwide sensation which has aged surprisingly well (just like our Hugh really!). Its a staple of late night film4 so set your Youview and enjoy it with a night in and a take-away!

6. James Bond

From the release of Dr. No in 1962 to the latest instalment, Skyfall, the James Bond franchise is one of the longest-running and most successful of all time – and it’s British. Even if you don’t like the Bond films yourself, you cannot fail to feel a touch of pride at the international success of the franchise.

7. Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World

In 2003, director Peter Weir took us back to the Napoleonic Wars in 1805 when the British Empire ruled the waves. Russell Crowe plays the fictional character of Jack Aubrey, from the books by Patrick O’Brian, and no Brit will be able to escape a feeling of pride watching the British rule the high seas once again. It was also nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won two.

8. The First of the Few

This 1942 film directed by (and starring) Leslie Howard is dedicated to the story of R. J. Mitchell and his design of the classic Spitfire fighter plane. Coming out in war time, this would have been a morale-boosting film at the time, and it still has the power to invoke patriotic pride in its viewers.

9. The Life of Brian

Although it was one of the most controversial films of all time when it was released in 1979, and screens around the country refused to screen it due to claims of blasphemy, The Life of Brian is now recognised as one of the greatest British comedies of all time. Telling the story of Brian, who was mistaken for Jesus throughout his life, the unique comedy of the Python team would make anyone proud to be British.

10. Wallace & Gromit

The Wallace & Gromit films, dating back to 1989 with the short film A Grand Day Out, have become an international sensation. The Wrong Trousers and A Close Shave both won Best Animated Short Film awards at the Oscars, and The Curse of the Were-Rabbit won Best Animated Feature in 2005. That these short (and very British) animated films about a man and his dog could go on to be so successful around the world is enough to make any British viewer proud.

Great British Films

If you are in the mood for feeling patriotic, or you just want to be reminded of the very best of Britain’s qualities, check out a few of the films on the list above. They each have different qualities that inspire national pride, from their clear patriotic agenda to the way they capture the very essence of Britishness. So sit back, put one of these in the DVD player, and enjoy a Great British film this afternoon.

The London pub is a great tradition and one that has been established for many centuries. From old ale houses through to the modern day bar-pub hybrids with wasabi nuts on tap and a range of boutique beers, drinking holes in the Capital have seen the city through some of the best of times and also some of the worst. That makes them an enjoyable way to immerse yourself in some of the city’s history, as well as the chance to try some of its greatest drinks.

There is some considerable debate over which is the oldest pub in London but the Cittie Of York is definitely a contender. The pub is in a Grade II listed building located on High Holborn and sits where there has been a public house since the 1400s. Look out for the Victorian era cubicles that were once used for consultations between lawyers and clients.

The original version of the Olde Cheshire Cheese on Fleet Street was destroyed in the fire of London but there has been a pub on this site since 1538. It has unique natural lighting and has been associated with some of London’s most famous resident brains, including Mark Twain and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

The George Inn is located on Borough High Street and is widely acknowledged as London’s last galleried coaching inn. This kind of tavern represents what used to be the heart of London life, acting as everything from a job centre, to a gambling den.

The Jamaica Wine House

The Jamaica Wine House on Cornhill in the City has an atmospheric exterior if ever there was one, located down a narrow alleyway with a traditional protruding sign. This was London’s first coffee house – there’s even a plaque outside that reads ‘Here stood the first London Coffee house at the sign of the Pasqual Rosee’s Head 1652.’ The current building is 19^th century but the spot has a serious pedigree and was even visited by Samuel Pepys in 1660.

Simply finding Ye Olde Mitre Tavern is enough to justify a pretty substantial amount of refreshment, as this Holborn establishment is not in the easiest to track down. The historic pub is as traditional as they come, so much so in fact that it has been used in numerous films, such as the British flick Snatch. The pub was built in 1546 and has a very famous cherry tree that Queen Elizabeth once danced around.

For a historic pub with a great river view, the Prospect of Whitby is ideal. The Wapping pub dates from the 1500s and holds the title of being the oldest riverside pub in London. It has a rather dark reputation, having once been known as ‘The Devil’s Tavern’ and been the drinking establishment of choice of ‘Hanging’ Judge Jeffreys, who is spookily commemorated by a noose hanging nearby….The Guinea pub dates from the 1400s, at which point its location in Mayfair was in the middle of fields and farmland, as London did not yet stretch that far. Whilst The Guinea was always a simple pub serving simple fare, in 1952 it also became a specialist steakhouse.

If you want to experience a taste of London history but still enjoy a trendy cocktail or fine wine then the Churchill bar at the 5 star London Hyatt hotel is a homage to London history in modern surroundings. With historic artefacts from the iconic prime ministers life including a life-size bronze statue of Churchill sitting on the terrace.

Opposite the much-loved Eel Pie Island in Twickenham, the White Swan has an idyllic location and some almost untouched seventeenth century interiors that have survived since the pub was first built. It’s worth a visit to see these alone, as well as to enjoy the out-of-this-world riverside location.

Old Bull and Bush, Hampstead

The Old Bull & Bush in Hampstead Heath was first built as a farm in 1645 and became a pub some two decades later. It also gave its name to the music hall song “Down at the old Bull and Bush,” sung by Florrie Forde. The Olde Wine Shades was one of the few pubs in London to survive the great fire and has hardly changed since it was first built in 1663.

Finally, the Lamb & Flag pub in Covent Garden might well take the title as the very oldest of pubs in London, dating all the way back to Tudor times. The pub is also known as ‘The Bucket of Blood,’ thanks to its reputation for bare-knuckle prize fights.

If you’re looking to uncover London’s history through its drinking dens then these 10 are a great place to start. Just make sure you drink plenty of water in between each one!

I used to walk through Little Britain every day on my way to work.

Nothing at all to do with Matt Lucas, David Walliams and the hit TV show – its name reflects the fact that once upon a time the Duke of Brittany had his quarters here. It lies between Smithfield and the City; Petty France, its counterpart (in those days Brittany and France were two separate states), lies just south of St James’s Park.

Sometimes street names are interesting because they tell us how the street was used or who owned it centuries ago. Sometimes they are just amusing. Quite often they are both thought-provoking and funny, and if you look up the meanings of the street names you notice on any particular day you’ll probably get a laugh out of it as well as learning something about the city.

The Square Mile of the City of London has some amazing street names. I’ve drunk in a wine bar in Gutter Lane – quite appropriate really; there are some good verbs too – Seething and Mincing Lanes – and then there’s Bleeding Heart Yard which sounds like the start of a murder mystery, but in fact commemorates a pub with a sign of the Virgin Mary wounded by five swords through the heart – a standard medieval religious image.

I also like Love Lane. Not an unusual name – but in the Middle Ages this wasn’t where you got love exactly, it was the red light district. It’s just a little bit of a euphemism then! It seems quite apposite that the City of London clinic at no 1 Love Lane offers various, er, gynecological testing services.

And then there’s Bread Street, Milk Street and Honey Lane, off Cheapside. They always have a Biblical flavour to me – is this the land of milk and honey? But they reflect the fact that Cheapside was the main market street of the medieval City, and this is where those commodities were sold. In fact the name Cheapside comes from the verb ‘to cheapen’ or bargain – it’s where things were haggled for.

Birdcage Walk is named after Charles II’s aviary.  French Ordinary Court, tucked away under Fenchurch Street Station, is a truly strange name; a French “ordinary” was a kind of 17th century bistro, with a simple prix fixe menu.

Once you get to the West End things get a bit boring. While the Middle Ages, when the City developed its current layout, was a time of linguistic freebooting and privateering, the West End was developed by noble families who owned the land and mainly named the streets after themselves or their estates; the Dukes of Bedford built Bedford Square, Russell Street (their family name), Woburn Square (their country house) and so on.

But not everyone approved of this kind of noble megalomania and when one of the grandees got into debt, he laid himself open to abuse. George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, sold his land to a chap called Barbon to be developed as housing, in order to repay his debts, but only on condition that every street was named after him. So there is Duke Street, George Street, Villiers Street – and Of Alley.

And it’s not just street names that are sometimes weird. There’s the Bag o’ Nails pub near Victoria (which happens to be close to my favourite 5 star boutique hotel). Some says the pub was originally the Bacchanals – named after the wine-god Bacchus and his merry nymphs and satyrs – others that it was more prosaically located in a former ironmongers’ shop. It’s still a strange name for a pub!  But I’ll save the weird pub names for another occasion…

Edinburgh offers itself neatly packaged to the tourist – tartan shops, bagpipes, the Castle and haggis for tea – a nice little ersatz taste of Scotland.

But to get the most out of the city, you need to go a bit further – wander around the back streets or take a hike up the hills or spend some time in the museums.  Here are my top ten favourites:

1. Yes, it’s touristy – but if you walk the entire Royal Mile from Holyrood House to Edinburgh Castle (or the other way – which has the advantage of going downhill), you’ll get a feeling for the way the city developed. Spend a little time investigating the wynds and closes on either side of the main street and you’ll find surprises such as the Halfway House, a tiny real ale pub on Fleshmarket Close, or the Scottish Writers Museum in Makars Court, where the flagstones carry quotations from Scots writers.
2. Climb up Calton Hill for a superb view of the city and the Firth of Forth. Calton Hill is topped by monuments – the Observatory, the Nelson monument and a huge unfinished copy of the Parthenon – but it’s the airy openness of the site that I love. On a good day you’ll find kids flying kites, people walking their dogs and office workers eating their lunches in the sun before heading back to the busy city below.
3. Visit the Scottish Parliament, which offers free guided tours as well as access to all the public areas from Monday to Saturday. The Parliament buildings were intended to embody the spirit of Scotland; quotations from Scottish writers are inscribed on the walls of the Canongate façade, and different varieties of Scottish rock are used in the building. Yet it was designed by a Catalan architect, Enric Miralles, and it’s uncompromisingly modern.
4. See the Lewis chessmen and Queen Mary Harp in the National Museum of Scotland. You’ll also find Dolly the Sheep, the first cloned mammal, and The Maiden – an early form of guillotine – as well as exhibits dating from the Romans and Picts all the way to contemporary sculptures by Andy Goldsworthy. Best of all, entrance is free.
5. Visit Edinburgh’s pubs. I personally love the Bow Bar, with its antiquated, traditional feel (in fact, the furnishings came from other pubs that were being renovated); or you could drop into the Oxford Bar, favourite of fictional detective John Rebus; or the Blue Blazer, which offers a selection of obscure rums as well as beer and whisky. Or you might head a little further out of the centre to the Caley Sample Room near the Caledonian (‘Caley’) Brewery. Scottish beer tends to be sweet rather than bitter, with styles such as 60 and 80 shillings (the name comes from the amount of customs duty that had to be paid on the various strengths of ale).
6. Shop in Princes Street and George Street, or just window-shop and then head for one of the many bars or cafes. Jenners, the oldest department store in Edinburgh, has now been taken over by House of Fraser but remains a local institution, worth visiting for its food hall and remarkable baronial architecture. Afterwards, wander through Princes Street Gardens, with expansive lawns where once the dark waters of the Nor Loch brooded.
7. Spend some time in Gladstone’s Land, a 17th century building on Lawnmarket that is still preserved much as it would have been three or four hundred years ago. It’s typical of the Old Town – tall and narrow, making the most of the limited land available. Above the door hovers a gilded hawk – ‘gled’ in Scots, a pun on the name Gladstone (Gledstanes).
8. Wander alongside the Waters of Leith from the Dean Village with its little wooded gorge all the way to the port of Leith and its industrial buildings. Once run down and unruly, Leith has been smartened up in recent years and now has stylish bars and restaurants, art galleries and boutiques, as well as docks and tall waterfront warehouses.
9. Climb Arthur’s Seat, the craggy-headed hill to the south of the city. Unlike Calton Hill, Arthur’s Seat feels almost like the wilderness – it’s actually a dormant volcano. The views are even wider, though mist and rain blowing in can suddenly hide the city; still, it takes only an hour or so to climb, so if the sun is shining when you start out, chances are it will still be sunny when you get to the top.
10. Head to Cafe Piccante in the New Town and get yourself that quintessentially Scottish “delicacy” (though I admit that may not be the right word) – the deep fried Mars Bar. Everyone needs to try one at least once in their lives and probably never again!

Finally, to accomplish all the above in a short time, I recommend staying in a cheap hotel in Edinburgh city centre to be within walking distance of much of my top 10 list.

Now that the Summer Holidays have drawn to a close it’s worth putting something in the diary for the kids to look forward to. Not as bribery of course (ahem), but to enhance their learning out of school too. Here we have a host of activities across the UK that have an erudite slant!

Black Country Living Museum, Dudley

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The Black Country Living Museum has a great offer on giving a 2 for 1 admission. This award winning museum brings the Industrial history of the West Midlands to life. History has never been this real – a village comprising 50 shops and houses and actors to interact with, who tell the story of what it was like to live and work during the Industrial Revolution.

Jorvik Viking Centre, York

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Celebrating York’s heritage, this museum gives kids a real insight into the sights, sounds and, yes, even smells of Viking times in the city. For children who like their histories horrid, there are two exhibitions on at the moment detailing the diseases and illnesses that affected the Vikings, as well as the weaponry used at the time.

Amberley Museum & Heritage Centre, West Sussex

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One child goes free with each paying adult at this open air museum. There are many resident craftspeople who will demonstrate their arts, such as glass blowing, pottery and woodturning. BT have a permanent exhibition of communications artefacts and hands-on displays.

Bristol Aquarium, Bristol

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At this aquarium, enjoy £2 off each ticket and kids under 3 go free! There are the usual underwater tunnels that we expect from aquariums these days, but with the added bonus of a “Learning Lab” to teach groups about various aspects of sea life. Plus they have a Giant Pacific Octopus, which is enough to impress even the most hard-to-please kids!

Thinktank, Birmingham

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This science museum in Birmingham is offering 25% off each single entry. There are four floors of interactive displays, with something for kids (and grown-ups) of all ages. The exhibits and ideas explore the past, present and future of science and technology. Tickets last all day so you can go out and explore the Bristol Harbourside and then pop back into the aquarium.

The Roald Dahl Museum, Buckinghamshire

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Family favourite Roald Dahl is celebrated at this story centre, offering a kids go free voucher at the moment. Aimed at 6-12 year olds, here you can dress up, make up your own stories and learn about one of Britain’s best-loved storytellers.

Edinburgh Dungeon, Edinburgh

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Get up to £7 off when you book online. Not recommended for younger kids or the faint of heart, the Dungeon has rides, historical exhibits and actor-led shows. New this year is a William Wallace experience where his severed head comes back to life to tell you his story. Gruesome yet enlightening!

All of the offers mentioned above are available on www.vouchercloud.com. Check before you book your next adventure, or download the vouchercloud app to grab discounts on the go!

Sometimes I end up catching an early train that gets into London at a ridiculous hour of the morning – five or six o’clock, too early for anything to be open except the greasy spoon cafes and a couple of hard-working investment banks. It’s always been a bit of an annoyance, so last time I took an early train I decided to put my time to better use and visit one of the few places in London that works through the night; Smithfield Market.

In fact, by the time I got there at nearly seven in the morning, quite a few of the traders had already packed up and gone home. There were a few refrigerated lorries outside, their engines humming, but the white-coated porters had enough time to stop and chat in the lane between the two halves of the market when they met, and most of the stalls were already being tidied away. Few of the meat rooms had more than three or four carcasses still hanging from the rails.

Those shops that were still open were mainly those offering cooked meats, sausages, and hams, some with a range of deli goods – this must be a useful place to shop if you live locally or you’re passing through on your way to work in the City.

Though it was light by now as the grey of an overcast morning slipped through the glass roof, the fluorescent lighting still gave the place a bluish, antiseptic tinge. Step through the transparent plastic sheeting that hangs at the entrance, pushing the thick tabs aside and you’ve entered a strange twilight world of glass and steel, utterly clean and ordered by comparison with the grey, traffic-encumbered streets outside.

The architecture is splendid, Victorian cast iron at its best; or perhaps its second best – Leadenhall Market just nudges it out of the top slot in the City, I think. (They’re both by the same architect, Sir Horace Jones.) But what I’m here to see today isn’t the Victorian market, but the modernist addition – the Poultry Market, rebuilt in the early Sixties by Sir Thomas Bennett. Its huge, shallow concrete dome is possibly the largest concrete shell structure of its era, though the stalls that cluster tightly underneath make it difficult to grasp what its original impact must have been.

Besides the great meat market and the poultry market, there are other buildings that originally belonged to the same huge enterprise; a General Market, at the western end, amazingly ornate brickwork with a truly Victorian flourish and swagger to it, as well as the Red House Cold Store. And there’s another great building; the Central Cold Store in Charterhouse Street, clearly utilitarian in its architecture but with an ornate cartouche and fine, strong classical details. It’s now a power station. (Wonderful London irony; Tate Britain turned from a power station to a gallery, but here, a cold store turned into a power station.)

One of London’s most engaging mysteries is the series of tunnels under the market. The whole market is built on a hill, with Farringdon Road running down one side where the Fleet Ditch used to be, and this enabled the Victorian engineers to create a link to the Underground at Blackfriars and King’s Cross to carry freight through the Snow Hill tunnel. You can still see the cobbled spiral ramp to the old sidings on one side of the market; now, it’s an underground car park and the meat goes by road.

It was time for me too to hit the road, to see if I could blag an early check-in at my nearby budget hotel in Liverpool Street.  But as I travelled I couldn’t help but ruminate on the future of Smithfield.

The City Corporation is the official guardian of London’s heritage. It’s about as worthy of the name as Boris Johnson is of the maillot jaune – however fast he pedals, I can’t see him making it up Mont Ventoux – because it actively campaigned to have the General Market knocked down as ‘rather cheap and nasty’, and replaced by an expensive (and nasty) glass and chrome office development. Fortunately a campaign by English Heritage and SAVE rescued the market from the threat of demolition, though it’s still uncertain what’s going to happen to the buildings.

We all need a little indulgence now and then, a bit of luxury in our lives.  We all need to step outside our normal routine and experience something different.   But what does the word ‘luxury’ conjure up when thinking of holidaying in the UK?   Five star hotels?  Aristocratic Castles? Imposing stately homes?  Quintessential country houses?  Classic manor houses? Trendy boutique hotels?  Relaxing Spas?  Tailor made bespoke packages?  Whatever you prefer, there is something for everyone if you choose to holiday in the UK.

If you are thinking of treating yourself to something a little bit special how about some of these ideas to get you in the mood?

How would you like to head north and stay in a Scottish Castle.  Imagine spending the day messing about on the river, doing a spot of salmon fishing and then relaxing with a picnic lunch.  Be looked after by your own personal ghillies, experts in Scottish country pursuits, who can teach you the rudiments of clay pigeon shooting.  Follow this with a spot of off-roading in an ATV before heading back to the castle to change for dinner.  Be entertained by jesters before a sumptuous banquet and finish the night with a little whisky tasting and some wild highland dancing.

Or maybe you would you prefer a trip to London, the capital of theatre, fashion, the arts and great restaurants.  Stay in a sumptuous hotel suite, complete with Jacuzzi, in house music system, flat screen tv and wifi and of course every little extra you can think of, from complimentary upmarket toiletries to fresh flowers.  Then head off to an early dinner in a fine restaurant before making your way to the theatre to take in a show.  The following day head up to the West End for some serious shopping or maybe visit an art gallery or museum.  Grab a bird’s eye view from the London Eye or take the cable car across the Thames.

Feeling a little stressed, then head to a chic luxury spa for a bit of pampering and indulge in a few relaxing and rejuvenating treatments.  From hot stone massages to saunas, steam rooms and whirl pools, let the cares of the day disappear as you unwind and restore your equilibrium in beautifully calm surroundings. Eat delicious, meals and just relax and let the world wash over you.

For the ultimate luxury in travel, take a trip on the Royal Scotsman. With only 36 guests accommodated in private cabins, you will travel in style through the Scottish Highlands.  Marvel at the towering pine clad mountains, sit on the open deck observation car and absorb the stillness of the lochs.  Enjoy fine food in the dining car; this is most definitely an indulgence not to be missed.

Whetted your appetite a little?

Whenever you want a luxurious break, there is no need to jet off, the UK has all the luxury you will ever need.

Whilst you might have been under the impression that street art first saw the light of day in the cultural hub that is London, this form of urban creativity has actually been nurtured and developed in many cities across the UK. One of the key locations for the growth of the movement is Bristol, which has been an important contributor to the world graffiti scene for more than thirty years, and is the birthplace of some of the most important and revolutionary players in street art – ‘3D’ from Massive Attack, Nick Walker, Inkie and Robert del Naja to name a few. Banksy is of course the name that everyone knows in the context of street art, and the ‘identity unknown’ artist was born and raised in Bristol, with much of the inspiration for his taking spray can to walls, pavements, and any other likely surface, coming from Bristol’s underground creative scene.

In most textbook definitions, ‘street art’ is basically visual art that is a response to an artist’s own situation and to the conditions around them. It’s often used as a form of protest or self expression and rarely follows the more traditional ideas about art and design. With street art you can expect digs at the police, the government, corporate entities and prominent figures, as well as visual commentary on relationships, youth and social issues. If you head to Bristol today in search of street art then you won’t be disappointed as there are many who have followed in the world famous footsteps of Banksy et al’s dark and irreverent images, creating new styles of their own. Below are some highlights of the kinds of images that you might see.

Nick Walker was one of the forerunners of the Bristol street art scene, producing clever, politically astute pieces like the one above. Walker was one of the first people to use stencils in his work and incorporated images from the mass media, such as characters like Judge Dredd.

Whether this is a Banksy or not is not quite clear but the use of the CCTV camera in place of a head for this policeman is quite a protest image quite typical of the street artist who once spray painted the phrase ‘One Nation Under CCTV.’ Either way, it’s a prime example of some great, protest street art in Bristol.

Not all of Bristol’s street art revolves around the kind of stencil style that was made famous by the likes of Banksy and Nick Walker. Other pieces have the feel of more of a mural, or the more traditional graffiti style of colourful letters and images, as is showcased in the image above, which was sprayed in the St Paul’s area of Bristol.

There are also some great street art images that really do fall more on the ‘art’ side of street art and have clearly been created by someone with a real flair for portraits. The image above, which appeared on the Bristol Harbourside some time in 2009, is a great example of the – often underestimated – talent that lies beneath the spray can.

If you have any interest in street art then Bristol is a great place to visit to get inspiration. With many of the most famous street artists in the world having cut their teeth here, and a fantastic culture of underground art, it’s a must visit for anyone looking to get to grips with British street art.