Posts filed under 'London'
Tis the season to get shopping!
December is approaching at a faster rate of knots than ever before, and you know what that means – Christmas shopping. Now, when it comes to seeking out gifts for the ones I love, I’m in the majority: I want it over with as quickly as possible. However, I was chatting to a colleague about her shopping plans and she revealed to me that she was planning on taking a Christmas shop n’ spa break in London.
The idea is that you head off on your Christmas shopping and top off the day’s work by indulging in spa treatments and staying in a luxurious hotel. That way, the stresses of Christmas shopping disappear and the whole experience turns into a bit of a holiday. Now that’s the sort of Christmas build-up I can get behind.
Usually, I’m not the type of person that likes to go to the spa very often, but I’m sure that’d change if I started. Then again, my bank account probably wouldn’t approve too much of me getting used to being pampered – though a once in a while treat must be okay. So I’ve been thinking about recreating the London shop n’ spa here in York, or somewhere nearby and gorgeous like Durham, which is a stunning city with many excellent shopping and sightseeing opportunities!
It also made me think about spa breaks in general and how they’re some people’s idea of the perfect break away – the entries to our Build Your Dream Break competition proved this. I got to thinking that giving a trip to a spa as a gift might be a welcome present for your family or loved one this Christmas – combined with our Superbreak gift vouchers, you could even give your recipient the choice!
Add comment 19/11/2009
New Year’s Celebrations around the UK
The beginning of 2010 is going to be an exciting one and I’m sure that most people are determined to make the welcome party a good one, too.
While Christmas is usually a family thing for me, New Year is one where I love to focus on my friends. There’s nothing like getting together with a big bunch of people and celebrating the New Year in style. This year, however, it looks like things might be a little different – some of my friends have said they’re interested in going away to celebrate this time around! And guess who they turned to for suggestions?
Naturally, it’d be a bit much to expect to travel too far to celebrate the changing of the year, so I thought I’d look into New Year celebrations in the UK first – but I’m sure there are some of you out there who either live outwith the Euro zone or would be more than happy to travel, so I may end up doing several posts on this (and Christmas too, if I can squeeze them in – I love the holiday season!).
So let’s get started – what’s on offer in the UK? Well, I thought I’d start by checking out the capital – London, of course. If you’re in the vicinity of the big city, there’s going to be a cracking fireworks display along the banks of the Thames, at Alexandra Palace Park and in various other London locations. It’s such a big city that I wonder what the chances are of standing somewhere open and seeing more than one fireworks display going off at once! Of course, hitting Trafalgar Square at that all important moment is surely an event to remember, as is attending the parade on New Year’s Day held at 12 sharp – if you can get up, that is.
Of course, if I’m going to talk about large scale New Year’s celebrations, I can’t get away without mentioning Edinburgh. The capital of Scotland is renowned for hosting the biggest New Year’s celebrations in the world. Its annual Hogmanay party, which lasts for the three days surrounding the big night itself, is filled with concerts, events, exhibitions and street performance as Scottish revellers get into the party mood in style.
Every town, city and village in the UK has its own celebrations, but I’d definitely recommend hitting the big cities like the two mentioned above, as well as Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool and Glasgow if you’re hoping for the biggest party of the year – the problem is deciding where.
Add comment 18/11/2009
Dream break competition results
Well folks, it’s finally over. Our Build Your Own Dream Break competition had the Superbreak office in a tizz for some weeks, and I have to say we’re glad to have a little bit of time to relax after the rush to collect all of the entries and decide on a winner.
And guess what? The effort was fantastic. We got hundreds of entries ranging from the sweet and romantic to the downright bizarre, with a surprising amount of you choosing to build your dream break right here at home. There were plenty of entries looking to enjoy a break in Edinburgh, London, Liverpool, the Lake District, Inverness and here in York
We also discovered dreams involving Spain, Italy, France, Norway and Germany, with many of you hoping to take advantage of the cold weather by heading off on New Year or Christmas breaks, filled with romance, snow and walks through idyllic city settings. Some of you, however, wanted nothing more than to jet off for a holiday in the sun in destinations like Hawaii, Sydney, the Caribbean, New Zealand and a host of South American destinations like Peru and Mexico. It was clear our entrants really got their imaginations going and ran wild with their dreams – especially one fellow who included the presence of Angelina Jolie in his!
Unfortunately, there’s only so much Superbreak can do – and that isn’t one of them. One thing we did do, however, was pick a winner. And it was tough. There were heaps of fantastic dreams and cutting them down to end up with only one was a truly nightmarish task. But we managed, and our congratulations go to Paul Marshall for his poignant entry, which we hope he can make true with the £1000 prize which can be used to tailor make a break on our website.
As for the rest of you who didn’t manage next time, keep your eyes peeled. We had so much fun with this competition that we’re already brainstorming the next – so good luck and keep dreaming!
Add comment 06/11/2009
Time is running out to win a dream break!
Many of you will be aware that Superbreak is currently running a build your dream break competition, where you have to tell us what your idea of the perfect break would be. Sounds easy enough, right? Well, we want you to do it in twenty words or less – and that’s where the fun begins. Trying to pack your idea of the perfect holiday into just twenty words has clearly been proving to be something of a difficult task, but keep them coming and you never know your luck!
We’ve had heaps of entries so far, from the nice-but-normal romantic city break style choices to some really wacky and adventurous ones. It’s been a pleasure reading them so far, and the competition has had all of the Superbreak office buzzing over the last few weeks – I think there’s more than a few of us who have been eyeing up our last days of annual leave after being inspired by your suggestions.
So go ahead and tell us what your dream break would be. Don’t worry, you can be as imaginative as you like – after all, we’re looking for an eye-catching winner whose dreams we can turn into reality. That’s not to say we don’t adore the slightly more usual ones too, meaning that you’ve got a great chance no matter what your ideal break would be.
And time is running out – the competition closes on Halloween, October 31, which is just a little over a week away – now there’s a scary thought! Keep the entries coming and you can also add me to Twitter to stay up to date on how the competition is going. Good luck!
Add comment 21/10/2009
London swallows the Big Apple
Since October 3, London has been giving locals and tourists the opportunity to experience the genuine New York lifestyle as retailers from the famous US city are opening shop in the UK capital for just four weeks.
I wish this had been in London when I was down there for the Moctezuma exhibition at the British Museum but it looks like I was a week too soon!
Taking place on London’s Carnaby Street, the event is part of an initiative called Wish You Were Here, which aims to let locals in both London and New York experience what it’s like to switch cities for a month. As London and New York are two of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world, I can’t imagine exactly how different it’ll be – but there isn’t a doubt that some experiences, such as catching a yellow New York cab down the road, will be great fun for London residents and visitors to the capital.
Wish You Were Here wants to promote an exchange of cultures, which is why it also got part of London to uproot and move to the Big Apple last month, an experience that many New Yorkers must’ve been thrilled by (and many London tourists may have found a bit baffling). Each move brings with it shops, street vendors, markets, food, drink and, of course, the people. All of the New Yorkers currently selling New York classics like hot dogs, pizza and pretzels on the streets of London have never been to the city before and had no idea what to expect when they got here – so they simply set up shop and got down to business.
I really think this is a wonderful idea. Especially during the recession when so many people are having to postpone their dreams of travelling somewhere far afield due to a lack of cash flow, it’s an excellent opportunity to enjoy some of the authentic experience of another city without having to break the bank.
I just can’t wait for the Hong Kong swap 
Add comment 14/10/2009
Give an amazing gift for Christmas this year – a holiday
Every year in the run up to Christmas, we get a lot of interest on the phones about our Superbreak gift vouchers as they’re such a handy gift to give your friends and family at Christmas. Superbreak gift vouchers are versatile and can be used to book trips away through the Superbreak website, meaning your loved ones can choose the holiday and gift they want most of all.
I thought I’d do a blog post about them, seeing as it seems that the Christmas spirit is already in the air – if the number of people Christmas shopping in town is anything to go by. The vouchers offer a way for you to buy thoughtful gifts for loved ones without having to spend hours and hours in town at its busiest times – and means that you’ll be guaranteed to give them the gift they really want. A lot of people think it’s a little impersonal to buy someone vouchers at Christmas, but let’s face it – there’s a good chance that when you make the selection of what particular CD, piece of clothing or even short break a person might like, you could be wrong. By giving a voucher, you get to be as generous as you like while ensuring the recipient has the freedom to choose to spend it on what they really want.
This could be anything, from an amazing romantic trip to Paris, a historic trek along the Great Wall of China or a short break in Berlin to feel the buzz of a city brimming with life. Maybe you think your parents would like a trip to a big city when all they want is to relax on a seaside break, or you think your best friends would adore visiting Prague when they’d love nothing more than to check out London in style – by giving Superbreak vouchers, you can make sure that your friends and family will be able to go on the short break they want to.
There’s a huge amount of amazing breaks to choose from theatre breaks and concerts at the O2 to spa breaks, speciality breaks and even airport products can be purchased with our vouchers.
You can find out more about Superbreak gift vouchers and, conveniently, order them online in various denominations. Don’t forget that you’ve still got the opportunity to score a great break for yourself, too! Our win a dream break competition is still in full swing and you could win your dream break by entering our simple, fun competition.
Add comment 06/10/2009
Moctezuma: Aztec Ruler at the British Museum
It’s opening weekend of the exciting new exhibition at the British Museum and I’m in London! Hooray! I travelled down last night with a couple of other Superbreakers so we could check out the latest instalment. And I have to say that it’s pretty breathtaking.
Moctezuma was the last elected Aztec emperor who ruled from 1502 until 1520 and was seen by his followers as more of a god than a mortal. His tragic downfall in the wake of Spanish invaders changed the history of the ancient people, destroying its culture and leaving behind the story of a savage people that the Christian conquerors saved from darkness and horror.
However, the Aztecs were an enlightened people with a complex social and political culture, sophisticated to the highest degree for the time – which is something that the new exhibition brings to light. This is the first time that some of the pieces on display have ever been shown in the UK and I couldn’t recommend a visit enough. Fascinating from the depth of amazing history, dazzling treasures and jewellery, with a fantastic array of video displays that reveal much of the true civilisation of Moctezuma’s Mexico before Spain’s invasion – well, I won’t spoil it for you. I will, however, say it’s well worth a visit and you could even incorporate it into a nice short break down south.
At Superbreak, we’ve put together a couple of packages that incorporate tickets to the exhibition alongside a hotel stay including breakfast. You can choose from various packages, like a night and breakfast at the 3 star St Giles hotel from £73.50pp or a four star night at the Grosvenor from as little as £51.93pp – not too shabby for a hotel, breakfast and afternoon entry to the exhibition.
Well, we’re about to head off out to dinner – then back to York tomorrow afternoon. See you next week – and don’t forget to enter our win your dream break competition for the chance to do just that!
1 comment 26/09/2009
One night in London may not have been enough
After my one night in London last weekend, I’ve definitely been feeling that it wasn’t enough. Although I had an amazing time taking in a few sights and the fabulous stage version of Sister Act at the West End, it would’ve been even better to have at least one more day in the big smoke!
Still, beggars can’t be choosers – and it’s not as if I’m not off to the amazing Edinburgh Festival this weekend, so I can’t really complain. But I was checking out other breaks in London and wanted to share this exclusive London hotel and attraction package with my blog readers, which includes entrance to four of London’s most famous attractions – one of which I visited the other day and had a lovely time at.
That was the London Aquarium, which I really enjoyed. The chance to see all those fish, rays, sharks and absolutely huge turtles was really special and I’d definitely recommend it. Also included in the deal is entry to Madame Tussauds, London Dungeons and a flight on the London Eye – all parts of the quintessential London experience. All in all, you save around 20% than if you’d gone to everything separately, so it’s definitely worth thinking about if you’re going to London with the family soon. Staying at the 3 star Hampstead Britannia hotel for two nights with a family of four costs only £391 – definitely an eye-catching price when you’re looking for recession breaks.
Phew – I better stop thinking about the capital when I’ve got another capital to set my sights on. Edinburgh, of course! The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is in full swing now and I’ve already booked my tickets to a few shows, as well as the Military Tattoo in Saturday night. I really can’t wait to head up north to Scotland this afternoon and soak up the festival atmosphere – in fact, it’s nearly time for me to get home and catch the train! The joys of an afternoon off – see you after the weekend!
Add comment 14/08/2009
Sister Act at London’s West End
Well, I’m back from my short break to London and I have to admit that the weekend couldn’t have gone quicker! We left early on Saturday morning and arrived in the city centre around lunch time. The first thing we did was check into our gorgeous hotel before going out for a walk and some food. We were both starving after rushing around all morning and skipping breakfast in the excitement, so when my boyfriend suggested a fairly expensive restaurant my purse normally would’ve overruled my stomach but this time I said yes.
London is full of amazing restaurants and I wish I had the time to visit more of them. There’s so much variety, from fast food sushi outlets to celebrity chef owned places and I really love finding somewhere cheap and cheerful around Soho – but Saturday’s trip to Pearl Restaurant was nothing if not exquisite. We had the most delicious French food I’ve ever tasted and it really got our trip off to an amazing start.
Following that, we visited the London Aquarium for a couple of hours before it was time to get back to the hotel and get changed for the show! Anybody who’s started following me on my Twitter account will know that my boyfriend surprised me with tickets to Sister Act and I have to say that this show is really unmissable. Patina Miller is fantastic as Delores and they got the casting just right for all of the other characters. We were totally impressed by how good it was – it just made for a wonderful theatre break.
I really love getting away, even if it’s only for one night. This last weekend was really fantastic and it was great to get away to a completely different environment and soak up the culture. I don’t know what I’m going to do come September and all of my short breaks suddenly come to an end – this weekend I’m going to Edinburgh for a few days to take in the Edinburgh Festival. The highlight will definitely be the Military Tattoo as I’ve never been before, but I really can’t wait to get back to such an amazing city. And at festival time, it really comes to life.
Hmm, that means I’ll be visiting England and Scotland’s capitals within a week of one another – maybe I should think about Ireland and Wales too – after all, there is that bank holiday coming up
Add comment 10/08/2009
The West End will prevail!
I was checking out the news this morning and saw an article saying that, despite the recession, ticket sales and audience numbers in the West End are going up as people look for great new entertainment on one of the quintessential London experiences.
I couldn’t help but feel good that at least that’s one area of the industry the recession hasn’t hit. We’ve seen a lot of people changing their travel plans here at Superbreak, usually choosing to ‘holiday at home’ instead of heading abroad, but, to be honest, I think it’s pretty fantastic. There’s so many undiscovered places in Britain that people who’ve lived here all their lives didn’t even know existed that taking a city break in another UK destination can be a real eye-opener when it comes to our broad-ranging culture. It’s always refreshing to hear about people from Manchester discovering what it’s like to visit the Scottish Highlands, or Blackpool residents discovering big cities like Birmingham or London.
It’s really good to see that people are still determined to enjoy themselves – and the West End is certainly one of the best ways to go about doing that. I love the theatre and you can always be sure that any show you take in at the illustrious London West End will be a good one. I’ve seen a few shows down there and I’ve loved it every time. The quality is superb, and it seems like I’m not the only one who thinks so.
Okay, so I’m not just writing about this just because I saw the news this morning – though that was certainly a coincidence. My boyfriend also sprung it on me that he’s booked a surprise theatre break for the two of us and I’m already really excited. August is going to be an amazing month – London this weekend, the fabulous Edinburgh Fringe the next – I don’t know when I’m going to have time for anything else with all this travelling.
Worst of all, he’s not telling me what we’re going to see – it could be anything! Wicked, The Lion King, Phantom – I’ve no idea, but I’ll be sure to write all about it when I get back – both here and on my new Twitter account which you can follow at SarahSuperbreak. I’ll be Tweeting about my travels and the fantastic deals I find at Superbreak so be sure to follow me if you’re a member!
Add comment 07/08/2009
