Tourist Attractions?

Long Crendon Court House - just one of the many under visited attractions England has to offer

Tate Modern, Stonehenge, Big Ben - all names you'd expect to see in a list of the most popular tourist attractions in England. But spare a thought for the attractions where queues are replaced with tumbleweed.

VisitEngland have conducted a survey of 1279 of the nation’s attractions to see which were the most and least popular last year.

The British Museum was the most popular free attraction, followed by the National Gallery and the Natural History Museum in London. The Tower of London, St Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey made the top three spots for the most visited paid for attractions. But what about those who struggle to entice visitors through the door?

The Radar Tower in Essex came bottom of the list with only six visitors throughout the year. Built in 1941, the tower was used to detect German 'E' boats in the Harwich Harbour approaches during WWII.

The Gissing Centre in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, came 5th from bottom. The museum, which celebrates the author George Gissing (who some believe to be one of the best three novelists of his generation alongside George Meredith and Thomas Hardy), was only able to attract 118 visitors in all of 2013.

Chief Executive of VisitEngland, James Berresford said: “This survey is open to all attractions to participate, from large attractions attracting thousands of visitors a year, to those with few visitors, but that have local appeal and importance, sometimes even just as well-known local landmarks. At the local level these attractions can make their own unique contribution to the local area, by providing interesting things for visitors to see and do.”

Here are ten of the lower attractions you might want to visit if you live locally - obviously you might not want to travel too far....!

Old Buckenham Mill, Breckland, Norfolk.

An old, and particularly wide mill worth a visit.

Astley Cheetham Art Gallery, Stalybridge

Tameside's oldest gllery - but only open 20 days a year!

Longcrendon Court House, Aylesbury, Bucks.

Early 15th Century timber framed courthouse in an idyllic village

Barton Village Ghost Walks, Barton-upon-Humber

Fancy a scare?

Calverton Folk Museum, Calverton, Notts

Local Victorian Artfifacts your thing...?

The Radar Tower, Harwich, Essex

The site of early radar developement during WWII

British In India Museum, Pendle, lancashire

Swords, soldiers and The Raj

North Ings Farm Museum, North Kesteven, Lincs

Agricultural Equipment and a narrow gauge railway

St Andrews Church, Durham

Two Saxon Crosses here

The Gissing Centre, Walkfield, Yorks

A Museum dedicated to George Gissing teh novelist.

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Blackpool Celebrates

With the inevitable decline of Britain's seaside resorts over the last decades as Holidays in the Sun have become more accessible to all, we have seen many such towns re-inventing themselves in recent years.

Amongst the largest of these re-vamps have been the Jerwood Gallery in Hastings and the Turner Contemporary in Margate which have attracted millions since opening and now it seems it is Blackpool's turn.

At the very heart of the Lancashire town lies the iconic Winter Gardens dating from the late 19th Century - a Grade II listed building that combines theatres and halls that have been used for almost a hundred and fifty years. It is this building that is now to become a Museum to the resort's history.

Blackpool's Heritage Museum will be housed inside the Pavillion Theatre - previously used as a Bingo Hall. Billed as a Celebration of both the town and the Manchester and Stockport factory workers who flocked to the town in droves for the only entertainment available, the £21 million museum is due to open in 2018.

The Exhibitions will show through mixed media the story of how the town became one of the World's largest resort towns - the Las Vegas of Lancashire and the Architects of the project hope to attract millions to the town again in the future.

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Embarrassing Things To Do On A Plane

Falling asleep on a complete stranger has topped a new poll exposing the 10 most common embarrassing experiences for people while flying.

The research conducted by UK flight comparison website Jetcost found 65 per cent of respondents have seen or been involved in people falling asleep on a stranger's shoulder.

A staggering 49 per cent encountered passengers breaking wind. 48 per cent have seen people dribbling whilst asleep (though it's unclear how many of these incidents coincided with people being asleep on a stranger's shoulder).

The study revealed that walking in on someone using the toilet actually figures quite low on the list, while experiencing other passengers arguing was more common.

The survey asked people who had all travelled at least once in the last two years and surprisingly, noisy children were not high on the list of people’s pet peeves. It came in at number nine, only just beating travel sickness.

When all this is going on, nearly two thirds admitted that they couldn’t help but ‘watch as the incident unfolded’, while just over a fifth of people have confessed to sharing awkward glances with fellow passengers, and 18 per cent ‘awkwardly look away, pretending not to notice’.

Co-founder of Jetcost, Antoine Michelat said, “No matter how embarrassing, sometimes we just can’t help but watch as others are put into awkward situations, just to see how it plays out – there’s no better place to do this than on a flight. However, it is undoubtedly a completely different story when you find yourself stuck in one of these situations and you have tonnes of eyes peering out at you.”

Cruise Holidays - A Guide

Having not long returned from my first Cruise - 24 days aboard the Saga Pearl II - I found this recent article from The Telegraph most interesting.

If you're thinking of booking a cruise - take a look

A is for... ashore

This is where a lot of your time will be spent, so pick an appealing itinerary and check out the shore excursions. If you really want to push the boat out, look for cruises with land-tour extensions. Choices include cuddling a panda with Crystal Cruises and watching an outback sunset at Uluru in Australia with Princess Cruises.

B is for... book ahead

Contrary to popular opinion cruises – and especially river cruises – do sell out quickly. If you have any type of event in mind, cultural or otherwise, are travelling with family (during school holidays) or in a group or want a particular type of cabin, secure it as soon as you can. Christmas markets and New Year cruises are often booked a year in advance. The same applies for booking flights.

C is for... cabins

Most cruise lines don’t call them that. For stateroom, read en-suite bedroom. For suite, read the same, but much larger, with a seating area; rarely does it mean two separate rooms, usually just more room. For studio: read en-suite bedroom with seating area and curtain divider.

D is for... dining options

The venues menu is more mouthwatering than ever, so pack an appetite. Celebrity chef choices include Jamie Oliver’s restaurant Jamie’s Italian on Royal Caribbean International’s Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas, and Atul Kochhar’s Sindhu on P&O’s Azura, Aurora and Britannia cruise ships.

E is for... enrichment

This term embraces destination-related lectures and locally sourced experiences on board. Don’t miss them: they will help you get more from your cruise.

F is for... fun

The sky’s the limit on newer, larger ships, with skydiving, surfing, ice skating, rock climbing and dodgems among the thrills on offer.

G is for... gratuities

These are covered only on genuinely all-inclusive ships. Other cruise lines either add them to your bill or suggest appropriate amounts. On most ships, gratuities are shared between all the service staff.

H is for... health

It’s in your hands. As on land, at least 30 seconds lathering with soap and hot water before leaving toilets or entering public areas reduces the risk of contagion.

I is for... internet

Connections are still patchier and slower afloat than ashore, but improving. Crystal has upgraded Wi-Fi fleet-wide. Royal Caribbean’s Quantum-class ships claim to offer industry-leading bandwidth and speed. Many ships charge for Wi-Fi but it’s free on Viking river cruises in Europe, Russia and Ukraine.

J is for... just you

Going solo? Norwegian Cruise Line’s ships Breakaway and Getaway each have 59 single studio cabins, within a keycard-accessed complex featuring an exclusive lounge. The refit on Cunard’s Queen Victoria will create nine single cabins. On rivers, Emerald Waterways ships each have two single cabins and every Scenic Tours vessel has one. Elsewhere, look for sailings offering “no or low single-occupancy supplement”.

K is for... keeping fit

It’s easier to keep fit on a cruise ship which usually has a well-equipped gym and promenade deck that you can walk around. Some river ships carry bicycles. Or choose an active cruise such as the August itinerary offered by Ramblers Worldwide Holidays, which includes a guided walk tour in France as part of a cruise on board Fred Olsen Cruise Lines’ Braemar.

L is for... luggage

Weight restrictions will apply if you fly, but cruise lines don’t impose them on board. The night before you disembark, large cases must be left outside your cabin.

M is for... mealtimes

For increasing flexibility, more and more ships are offering when-you-like, where-you-like and with-whom-you-like venues and menus. Those who prefer assigned seating at dinner are catered for on many cruises.

N is for... numbers

The smaller the ship, the fewer passengers, venues and activities on board. Bigger ships have many more activity, entertainment and dining options; but more passengers also means more queues.

O is for... on-board spend

Normally there’s an additional bill at the end of a cruise, so be sure to budget for it. Only a handful of luxury lines are truly all-inclusive: Azamara Club Cruises, Crystal, Regent Seven Seas, Seabourn, SeaDream Yacht Club and Silversea. On the rivers, there are three: Emerald Waterways, Scenic Tours and Uniworld.

P is for... ports of call

Where you dock determines how much you can see and do ashore. You’ll get more time at step ashore ports than somewhere like Civitavecchia, which is the port of call for Rome but is set 50 miles away from the city.

Q is for... Quantum class

Royal Caribbean’s game-changing vessels will sail in Europe from April. The newest and “smartest”, Anthem of the Seas, has robot bartenders, robo-screen experiences, “virtual balconies” and wristbands that function as a room key and payment card on board.

R is for... rivers

Cruising’s fastest-growing sector shows no signs of slowing, and remains the most relaxed, immersive and intimate way to see countries from the “inside”.

S is for... sailing

Star Clippers has the world’s largest full-rigged tall ship, the five-masted Royal Clipper, and two four-masted ships. Ponant has the three-masted Le Ponant. Luxury Windstar Cruises is another alternative.

T is for... transatlantic

This isn’t a cruise, it’s a crossing; and the ship that most famously makes it, Cunard’s Queen Mary 2, is not a cruise ship but an ocean liner. Several other lines offer twice-yearly transatlantic repositioning cruises.

U is for... under the radar

Up-and-coming destinations: Cuba, with Star Clippers; Japan, the Philippines or both with Azamara Club Cruises, Crystal, Celebrity, Holland America Line, Princess and Silversea. Exotic new river routes include Vietnam’s Red River, and, in India, the Brahmaputra with Pandaw Cruises and the Lower Ganges with APT.

V is for... view

But what will you be able to see from your cabin? “Obstructed view” means there’s a lifeboat or structural feature in the way. On river ships, views are a given (but see Windows, below).

W is for... windows

The higher your deck, the bigger your window. In lower cabins they’re shallow and high on the wall, or portholes. Inside cabins don’t have windows, but a few ships create “virtual portholes or balconies” by projecting outside views onto a wall.

X is for... ex-UK cruises

This year, Fred Olsen has departures from 10 UK ports* and Cruise & Maritime Voyages will sail from eight.** Among larger lines basing ships in Southampton are Celebrity Cruises, Cunard, Royal Caribbean and Princess Cruises. Princess will also base Ocean Princess in Dover, and Harwich will host Holland America Line’s Ryndam.

Y is for... youngsters

Ships that cater for children do so in spades. They’ll be so busy you won’t see much of them, unless you want to.

Z is for... Zodiac

These rigid inflatables are not for the faint-hearted. You need to be nimble on your feet to get on and off, and happy to balance unsupported on a sturdy rubber edge

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