World Walker

If you love the great outdoors, then Wales is your country and the Brecon Beacons in particular will offer all you could wish for in stunning scenery, walking, mountain biking, climbing, canoeing and many other outdoor activities.

Bunkhouse at Trericket Mill, in the Brencon beacons, Wales

If you’re travelling on a budget or just prefer to get close to nature, then you may enjoy camping, but outside the summer months, you may find it a trifle chilly and damp. I love to hill walk in beautiful countryside but I must admit I prefer a slate tiled roof over my head at the end of a long day rather than damp canvas. This is where the discovery of a network of camping barns in the Brecon Beacons, could extend your enjoyement at any time of year. A bunkhouse is one step up from a tent, but not quite a bed and breakfast – it’s often a barn or outbuilding that has been converted into simple accommodation, with bunk beds and self catering facilities.

Trericket Mill in Brecon Beacons, Wales

In the Brecon Beacons, you’ll find a group of bunkhouses that you can use as a base for exploring the area or spend your time hiking or cycling between them, and which are ideal for groups getting together or families. At some of the bunk houses there is also camping or bed and breakfast accommodation available , and normally they will have cooking facilities but if not there’ll be a cosy pub nearby.

We stayed in the bunk house at Trericket Mill last summer at an old water mill where a stone building in the orchard provided the bunk house with camping spaces surrounding it. We toasted marshmallows over the camp fire in an old oil drum then slept soundly with chickens pecking under the apple trees as well as ducks swimming on the mill stream that ran through the property. There was a swimming place with a freezing plunge pool just up stream which was so cold it took our breath away and lead to squeals of shock and delight from our children. In the watermill there was Bed and Breakfast on offer and you could even order a vegetarian home cooked evening meal, if the thought of another round of sausages and baked beans didn’t appeal.

Swimming in the Stream at Trericket mill in Wales

Next time I visit the Brecon Beacons, I’d love hike from one of these bunk-houses to the next, using the maps and trails on the boots bikes and bunkhouses website. You can cross farmland and fields, follow the rivers or canals, stop off at interesting local towns like Brecon and Hay on Wye and soak up some history and pre-history in ancient forts, stone circles and Roman remains.

Visit the Boots Bikes and Bunkhouses Website for details of the bunkhouses in this area as well as walking, cyling and mountainbiking trails and useful information on outdoor adventure activities in the Brecon Beacons in Wales.

All photos by Heather on her Travels on Flickr

Once you have arrived at London Heathrow airport there are a number of ways you can continue your journey on to your destination including public transport, taxis, hotel transfer shuttles and both self drive and chauffeur driven rental vehicles. Hiring a car is a great way to get around the UK, and offers much more freedom for travellers to explore the country and areas of interest at their own convenience.

Terminal 5 on Heathrow Airport

There are eight car hire outlets based on site at Heathrow airport including Sixt, Europcar, Avis, Budget, Enterprise and Hertz and these offer a wide choice of vehicles from economy cars through to SUVs, so you should find the right car to suit your travel needs.

Rental Requirements

You will need to be over the age of 21 years in order to hire a car in the UK (this age limit may be more for specialist vehicles) and you will also need to have a full, clean drivers license and a valid credit card. You will also need the correct insurance cover, and this can be provided through your existing auto insurance company, your travel agent or with the hire car company directly. It is not mandatory to take out a Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) policy alongside your main auto insurance in the UK, but this can be a good idea if you can afford it as it CDW will cover your for repairs and loss of earnings should the hire car be damaged during the term of your hire, regardless of whose fault it is.

Which is your favorite car to hire from Heathrow airport

Booking in Advance

If you book online in advance you can make some great savings with most of the leading hire car companies, and this will also ensure that you get the car you want (and if it is not available for any reason when you arrive you will be entitled to a similar model or an upgrade at no extra cost). If you book in advance you can also save a lot of time and hassle at the counter, as all you will need to do is show your drivers license, credit card and insurance details and you can pick up the keys and get going straight away.

Hire Car Use

With all of the main hire car companies based at Heathrow you can arrange to use your car outside of the UK mainland for trips to places like Ireland, France, Spain and Portugal, but you will need to confirm this with your hire car company first before you leave and amend your breakdown cover and insurance to cover you for trips outside of the UK mainland. Some specialist vehicles may be restricted from leaving the country such as luxury sports cars.

Looking for a reason to head to Scotland’s Shetland Islands – a dark, often wet and cold place in winter? Well, believe it or not, at the end of January the Shetlands are one of the most happening places in Scotland as Lerwick plays host to Europe’s Largest Fire Festival: Up Helly Aa

Up Helly Aa, as the name implies, has it foundations in Viking culture. It has many meanings: some say it’s a celebration of the end of the festive season, others mention a purification ceremony. The cynic would say what the hell else do you do when it’s cold and dark up there? No matter how you look at it, though, Up Helly Aa is a pretty crazy experience that is a must-see if you get the opportunity.

The night centers around a man known as the Guizer Jarl. He has over 800 Vikings with torches helping him light the streets of Lerwick, as they all march towards a massive replica Viking ship. In dramatic flair, the men throw their torches into the galley of the ship, and mayhem ensues as the ship bursts into flames

The festival doesn’t end there; in fact, it goes all night long, as folks head to private parties.  The Viking “squad” attempt to visit every party, doing a little song and dance in each (and of course, having a drink).  It’s a good think the  nights are long in Lerwick in winter as you need all the hours you can get to get through this Up Helly Aa marathon.

Want to check it out?

You can fly to the Shetlands from Edinburgh, or travel across the mainland and then catch a ferry; make sure you investigate this before you travel as a) it’s a long ride, and b) there aren’t that many trains/ferries so you’ll want to know your schedule. Several companies offer package tours from Edinburgh that include accommodation and transport but these often sell out several months in advance.

Photo by chatirygirl

The UK experienced some unusually extreme wintry weather at the start of January 2010. We live in Berwick upon Tweed in the north eastern corner of England, next to the Royal Border Bridge which carries the East Coast railway line over the River Tweed. Below is my pictorial diary of the period 4 – 9 January 2010. All the photos and videos were taken with my Samsung Jet S800 phone.

The Tweed Estuary from the Berwick upon Tweed town walls, 4 January 2010

The snowy Elizabethan town walls of Berwick upon Tweed, 4 January 2010

Snow on Spittal Beach, Berwick upon Tweed, 5 January 2010

A walk along Spittal Beach, Berwick upon Tweed, 5 January 2010

Ice sheets appear in the River Tweed, Berwick upon Tweed, 6 January 2010

Pinky dusk over River Tweed, Berwick upon Tweed, 8 January 2010

Icicle cascade, Berwick upon Tweed, 9 January 2010

Frozen banks of the River Tweed, Berwick upon Tweed, 9 January 2010

Royal Border Bridge slices ice sheets, Berwick upon Tweed, 9 January 2010

I hope that you’ve enjoyed this pictorial diary of a wintry week in Berwick upon Tweed. It’s very beautiful but I’m hoping that the cold snap won’t last too long so that life can get back to normal.

In this guest post our son Simon describes the current music scene in the Scottish city of Glasgow and why the city’s a mecca for music lovers. Simon Bryan is a DJ in the Glasgow area and presents the Beat Beneath show on Subcity Radio, his email address is simon (at) subcity.org.

Simon’s gig at the Lite Club by subcityphotos

“Whether you know it or not, Glasgow is proud to have a vibrant music scene with nearly all styles being represented, from folk music in traditional pubs to some of electronic music’s most interesting new artists and labels and just about everything in between. There is no shortage of venues either, so whether you’re into seeing international pop acts in places like the SECC, the Glasgow Auditorium and the Academy or want to witness some obscure DIY noise-punk in a dingy basement you’re bound to find something that takes your fancy.

Glasgow Auditorium by alllyballly

The current local scene is as diverse as ever with plenty local bands and artists of various styles doing the rounds. The last year or two has seen bands such as The Twilight Sad, Frightened Rabbit and We WerePromised Jetpacks break out of the local scene onto national radio and US tours, and young groups such as Nevada Base, Vendor Defendor and Super Adventure Club are sure to follow suit. If you want to catch the next big thing then head to the very reputable King Tut’s (often
publicised as the place that Oasis were discovered but don’t let that put you off) or Nice N Sleazy in town or perhaps the West End’s new kids on the block The Captains Rest and The Halt Bar, the latter of which has recently made a name for itself putting on an extremely wide range of free gigs in its function room. Also worth mentioning are The 13th Note and Mono just east of the city centre, both of which are famed for their anything-goes music policy and tasty vegetarian food.

Francois & the Atlas Mountains @ mono by twistyfoldy.net

Glasgow is also renowned for its electronic music scene: long-running clubbing institutions such as Slam, Colours, Subculture and Optimo are going as strong as ever, helping clubs like the Arches and the Sub Club consistently place high in worldwide clubbers’ and DJs ‘ lists of favourite destinations, and at the same time there is no shortage of newer but nonetheless high quality nights in smaller venues like AdLib, Stereo and The V Club. Those looking for a true underground experience should check out the Soundhaus, a former warehouse in an industrial part of the city’s Anderston district, home to regular techno, drum and bass and dubstep nights, while a more hip, studenty crowd can be found throwing shapes on the Glasgow School of Art’s infamous dance floors. In terms of DJs and artists, youngsters barely out of high school including Rustie, Hudson Mohawke and other members of the Numbers collective are finding international acclaim with their hard-to-categorise styles and exhilarating live sets.

Mu @ Optimo by biotron

As well as venues, local media help to support the thriving scene. Publications like The Skinny and The List are full of articles and listings about the most interesting gigs and releases while Subcity Radio and Radio Magnetic pride themselves on their all-inclusive, no-playlist policies and have served as the launchpad for countless DJs and musicians. Overall Glasgow is, more than ever, a hub of exciting, forward-thinking music and is a must-visit for music lovers from around the world.”

Happy New Year folks! It’s been five days since the New Year festivities but I find myself unable to shake off the holiday stupor. So today I cracked my fingers, pulled out the camera and ran through photos from our New Year celebrations at London’s London Eye. I thought I’d share these with you.

A bunch of us headed to a friend’s terrace (situated in the heart of London) for this remarkable view of the London Eye.

London Eye

The London Eye, also known as the Millennium Wheel, was all lit up, waiting, like the rest of the world for the clocks to strike 12. And then it happened.

Inaugurated in 1999, by the then PM Tony Blair, the London Eye was the largest Ferris wheel (or observation wheel, as some prefer to call it) in the world. It still remains the largest Ferris wheel in Europe.

Not only is the London Eye a popular landmark and tourist attractions, the London Eye fireworks display has become a highly anticipated global event. Thousands braved the cold (and it was cold!) to catch a glimpse of this. It was totally worth the effort.

The tradition of the London Eye fireworks display began in 2005. The show includes a stunning 10 minute extravaganza full of bright light and cheer.

How did you spend the minutes leading up to the New Year?

Bob Baird is a retired police officer turned all-type-of-water paddler extraordinaire. He teaches, instructs and tests all levels of fresh or sea water canoeists and kayakers of all ages, and when he has some rare free time he even goes paddling for the fun of it! Borders canoe club (BCC) is extremely fortunate to have Bob as its official trainer, which for the price of the fiver for a year’s subscription is an unbelievable bargain! Other local qualified folk charge incredible sums for the type of trips that Bob organises and runs for the simple fun of seeing people’s expressions when they realise what beauty and sheer exhilaration there is to be enjoyed!

In this post, Bob describes a trip he organised and participated in, on Tuesday 22 December, the shortest day of the year! Bob and my husband Demetrius paddled in the North sea from Berwick upon Tweed in England to Eyemouth in Scotland (total distance approximately 9 nautical miles). Bob describes the journey as ‘Halcyon days’!

River Tweed from the RNLI station at Berwick upon Tweed

‘Demetrius who had launched himself onto the Tweed from his back door, wended his way through the thin ice sheets that were also making their way down the cold freshwater. In a few minutes he was down at Carr Rock by the RNLI station, where the mighty Tweed pours into the North sea. There I was waiting, already in my own kayak and we immediately went off into the brilliant sunshine and beautiful blue, blue warm sea.

Both wearing sunglasses we made good time to Burnmouth (in Scotland) 6 miles north, helped along by the tidal stream and light wind on our backs. Fulmar Petrels swooped and circled close to our faces. Seals were forever popping up to pose for a photo and against the cliffs birds were catching the thermals circling upwards anti-clockwise on the rising warm air. This was like a Summers day in the middle of Winter and it was great to be alive and not to be at work.

Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis), by arne.list

It’s quite sad really but lots of harbours charge you to land/launch a kayak (!) and Burnmouth is no exception. It now sports a sign demanding £7 for the privilege. St. Abbs wants a tenner and Berwick just doesn’t want you at all! The only local harbour which positively encourages and welcomes you with friendliness is good old Eyemouth.

The most enjoyable part of the trip was yet to come as we headed for Eyemouth close to the towering cliffs and several huge sea caves. Although there were Guillemotts, Curlews and Great blackbacked gulls, the thing that gave it away that this was indeed Winter was the abscence of the thousands of breeding birds and their incessant calls. Which also makes this particular trip amazing in Spring for totally different reasons!

Demetrius in the North Sea

There has been a nasty land slide at Smugglers Haven which is one of the several easy landing sites along this trip. A massive hole has appeared in the side of the cliff creating potential for the overhanging ceiling to follow suit. So be careful if you plan to visit this beautiful cove anytime soon. This overhanging mass has the footpath at its top, so, walkers on the seaside path should also be aware!

We hit the beach at Eyemouth about 2.30.p.m. squinting into the sunlight at the end of a super trip.”

If you or your group want to get in touch with Bob he can be emailed at: BBNLL.AT.sea49.wanadoo.co.uk (.AT. stands for @ to avoid spam-bots!)