Travel

Travel Getaway: Waterloo

As Robert Sheehan makes his stage debut in The Playboy of the Western World, Nell Frizzell makes a night of it in London’s Waterloo

What I know about the Battle of Waterloo could be written on the back of a Prussian musket. Napoleon was there, I know that much, and I’m pretty sure things didn’t go too well for the old 18^th Century Phil Collins look-a-like, but beyond that, I’m afraid I’m about as much use as a Belgian ski lift.

But, when it comes to fish and chips, I like to consider myself something of an expert. So, it is with great pleasure that I can tell you that my evening of capital culture and extreme comfort in Waterloo kicked off with an…

Read more... | See all articles in Travel

Travel Brussels

Mark Fletcher discovers, what the Belgian capital lacks in world famous postcard shots it makes up for in the rich tapestry of its indulgent cuisine and patchwork mix of old and new. Oh and chocolate and beer too!

"Brussels always seems to be repairing itself" my fellow traveller pronounces, as we stride across the bustling grey streets of Europe’s de facto capital.

True enough, Brussels has a history of revitalisation, and there is an air of perpetual self improvement about a city that’s more melting pot than a chocolate fondue set – which there’s plenty of on display in the windows of the myriad tourist traps around Grand-Place, the impossibly wonderful centre piece of the city’s charm.

Brussels is a city of old and new, rich and poor, the sublime and the ridiculous. Just look above the clustered…

Read more... | See all articles in Travel

Travel The Three Acres

Despite nearly burning the place down, Sophie Haydock is well looked after at this Calderdale Inn

It’s a good sign that when you accidentally set the menu on fire in a well-to-do establishment, the staff react in a calm and reassuring way. This is what happened at the Three Acres inn and restaurant; while reading the menu at the bar, I absent-mindedly held the highly-flammable document over a low-lying candle – and inevitably, the thing went up in smoke. Luckily for me, I wasn’t forcefully ejected by the management – the woman behind the bar saw the funny side. Instead, we finished our drinks (Leeds Pale and Black Sheep), chosen from a wide selection of…

Read more... | See all articles in Travel

Travel Ilkley

Ali Schofield discovers a unique hotel and restaurant pairing at the Crescent Inn

This month has seen the likes of Jeremy Paxman, Simon Armitage, Janet Street-Porter and Simon Callow appear at the Ilkley Literature Festival. If any of them were to need a place to stay - or if readers fancy making a night of it - I can recommend The Crescent Inn, where my partner and I snuck off to on a recent Friday night for a lazy weekend stay.

We were initially drawn to the hotel’s interesting logistics. Built in 1861 and refurbished earlier this year, the inn hosts 11 boutique rooms, a pub at the front and a…

Read more... | See all articles in Travel

Travel The Butterfly House and Rutland Hotel, Sheffield

Ali Schofield finds meerkats, greenery and more wet rooms than she can manage on a weekend in Sheffield

I think I’m in love. His dark, pool-deep eyes look into mine as I stroke my hand through his wiry hair. Meerkats are probably not the best of pets, though and this one looks pretty happy to continue being shown round the visitors at Sheffield’s Butterfly House. My partner and I have come to see the new prarie dog residents – similar to meerkats but, as they bask in the sun in their expansive enclosure, seemingly a bit more chilled out – along with other residents including pigs, goats, rabbits, skunks, birds of prey and of course, butterflies.

It’s a…

Read more... | See all articles in Travel

Travel Kitesurfing in Spain

We try an action holiday on the Costa de la Luz

While I love lying on a beach for a week as much as the next person, this year I embarked on a holiday with a bit more excitement, and when I say a bit, I mean a lot. I tried my hand at kitesurfing in Tarifa, Spain.

Located in the Costa de la Luz, Tarifa lies at the narrowest point of the Straits of Gibraltar which makes for perfect conditions for sports that rely on the wind. While Tarifa used to be best known for its windsurfing, it is kitesurfing that has become increasingly popular here over the last few…

Read more... | See all articles in Travel

Travel Rockliffe Hall Darlington Hotel Review

We combine gastronomy, golf and a long soak in a spa at Darlington's destination hotel

It would be reductive to suggest that the restaurant at Rockliffe Hall is worth the hour and a half drive from Leeds alone. It undoubtedly is, of course. Kenny Atkinson at The Orangery is the archetypal destination restaurant, run by the Michelin-star winning chef, whose beef salad starter won the viewers’ vote on the BBC’s Great British Menu. But for a real understanding of what makes Rockliffe Hall in Darlington so special, you really should experience its acclaimed golf course, relaxing spa and thermal bathing suite and the lavish bedrooms, complete with bath-side TVs.

My partner and I arrive at…

Read more... | See all articles in Travel

Travel The Yorke Arms, Nidderdale Valley, Hotel Review

We stay at the Michelin-starred restaurant with rooms in the beautiful North Yorkshire countryside

We weave through country lanes, beautiful greenery either side and just the odd wandering kamikaze sheep or pheasant ensuring we don’t take our eyes off the road for long. After this short, scenic drive via Pateley Bridge, the Yorke Arms appears in front of us beyond the perfect baize of Ramsgill village green. We are in the beautiful Nidderdale valley, the surroundings working wonders on the appetite but upping the pressure on the Yorke Arms to deliver: any slight slip-up or glimmer of mediocrity will stick out here, especially given the Michelin-starred price tags.

We receive a warm welcome before…

Read more... | See all articles in Food & Drink

Travel London

To celebrate the opening of Tate Britain’s new exhibition, Nell Frizzell paints the town watercolour in London’s Victoria

The word Victoria prompts several cultural cues, depending on the cut of your jib. The Old Vic for the Spacey adventurers, the Queen Vic for ‘Eastender’ frienders, secretive knickers for the underwear-orientated, a 1969 hit single for The Kinky among you and, if you’ve ever had the pleasure of disembarking at the nearby train, coach or tube stations, a London district full of grand old houses, parks and things called Westminster.

I kicked off my Victoria weekend with a cup of coffee and tour around the Victoria Park Plaza hotel; my London lodgings for the duration. From studio-style rooms to…

Read more... | See all articles in Travel

Travel Viva Las Leeds

Visitors to the city can enjoy a hotel stay, a visit to the casino and a cocktail making masterclass all in one package. Rebecca Ryder puts Viva Las Leeds to the test

The Eton Collection, the company behind Leeds’ four-star boutique hotels Quebecs and 42 The Calls, have partnered up with Alea Casino to create the Viva Las Leeds package. For £100 per person you get a deluxe room for the night in either hotel with breakfast and an evening at Alea Casino. There, a cocktail class precedes a three-course buffet at The Bird, Alea’s Indian restaurant. Then a one-hour tutorial on the betting tables preps you for your night’s gambling.

I couldn’t resist blowing away the month’s cobwebs on a wet January weekend. The first stop, 42 The Calls, sits…

Read more... | See all articles in Travel