Gortin Glen is a forest park 6 miles outside the town of Omagh in Co. Tyrone. It is open every day between 10am and dusk. The charge is supposed to be £3 for cars, or if you walk in and don't use…Read More

Gortin Glen is a forest park 6 miles outside the town of Omagh in Co. Tyrone. It is open every day between 10am and dusk. The charge is supposed to be £3 for cars, or if you walk in and don't use your car it is £1 for adults and 50 pence for children. There was no-one there to take any money though during our visit, so it cost nothing.

We found plenty of parking spaces and a nice little picnic area. There were spaces where you could have a BBQ and toilets. There is also an information board, with details of all the hikes and trails through the forest.

It is a lovely setting - very leafy and green, right in the Sperrin Mountains with coniferous woodland. The whole place was peaceful and quiet - although there were plenty of cars in the car-park, we didn't meet anyone else while we were hiking the trails.

The first trail we hiked was very short - just one mile - the Nature Trail. It was nice, very gentle and easy and we saw lots of wildfowl and deer. All the trails are colour marked, you can't get lost.

We had a picnic, then tackled the 3.5 mile Ladies View Trail. This was slightly more challenging, though still not difficult if you are moderately fit. It climbed up quite a way and followed a path cut into a river gorge. There were lots of bridges to cross, steps to clamber up and a lovely little waterfall. This was definitely more fun to hike and far more scenic.

We finished by doing the 5 mile scenic drive through the park. This promised stunning views and vistas. All we could see were trees - the views were not as promised. There are lots of places you can pull over and look out without having to get out of the car.

We spent about 4 hours in Gortin Glen, then decided to drive to Omagh. After coffee and cakes in a little cafe on the main street, we headed to the Peace Garden. This is a memorial to the 29 people (plus unborn twins) who were killed in August 1998 when an IRA bomb ripped through the town centre.

The garden is peaceful and quiet. It is a good place to sit and reflect. There are 31 tall posts with mirrors on top - representing the 31 people killed. A mirror in the garden tracks the sun and reflects it onto the top of the posts. The mirrors are somehow arranged so that the sunlight is then carried to a glass sculpture containing a Tyrone crystal heart which glitters with the reflected light. This is not in the garden, but right at the centre of the bomb site. What a special and beautiful memorial.

Be sure to cross the bridge over the river and notice the name of the river - the Strule - this is an anagram of Ulster.

You don't need to spend a long time at the Peace Garden - 15 minutes is probably enough, but it is a special place and well worth coming to visit.   Close

Cranfield beach is in Co. Down - a very nice setting as it is at the entrance to Carlingford Lough and the Mountains of Mourne are the backdrop. We spent a couple of hours here one sunny, Sunday afternoon.The beach was very busy during…Read More

Cranfield beach is in Co. Down - a very nice setting as it is at the entrance to Carlingford Lough and the Mountains of Mourne are the backdrop. We spent a couple of hours here one sunny, Sunday afternoon.

The beach was very busy during our visit - but it was an extremely hot day. There is a caravan park behind the beach, so I guess a lot of people probably come here to camp and enjoy the great outdoors when the weather is nice. There is a car park, it is free to park, but you need to get there early to be sure of a space. We arrived after lunch and had to wait about half an hour to be able to park.

The beach itself is not the most beautiful beach in the world. Do not come here expecting golden sand - it is mainly sandy (not golden) but also quite stoney. It does though, slope gently into the sea and makes a great place for children to play. A tip - bring a windbreaker or something to shield you from the breeze. It seemed to get very breezy here. It was a hot, sunny day during our visit - elsewhere there was not even a gentle wind, here it was not the case. Most other people seemed to realise this and came equipped. It is south facing though and stayed sunny for ages.

The views out into the bay are lovely and we spotted lots of people taking part in various water sports. After an ice-cream, we left the beach and walked along the shore. Be sure to do this - you get some lovely views and it is nice to look back along the coast.

After our trip to the beach, we drove the short distance to the little town of Kilkeel - apparently this is the capital of the Kingdom of Mourne. We found another beach here - deserted and really beautiful. We walked along, enjoying the beautiful Irish Sea coastline.

Kilkeel is home to Northern Ireland's largest fishing fleet, so the obvious next stop here is the harbour. It is a great place to walk around, have a look at the fishing boats and watch the fishermen prepare to go out to sea. At one time there were 115 fishing boats here, this has declined due to EU quotas and restrictions. They used to catch herring, cod and haddock but now prawns are the main catch as well as crabs and lobsters.

Look out for the memorial to fishermen lost at sea - it is by the Nautilus Centre in the harbour. Fishing is apparently the most dangerous peacetime job - the memorial here makes this apparent.   Close

During the recent Heritage Open Days, I made a short list of the places in Northampton that I most wanted to see and top of the list was the St Sepulchre Church. I had visited briefly during a previous HOD weekend as part of a…Read More

During the recent Heritage Open Days, I made a short list of the places in Northampton that I most wanted to see and top of the list was the St Sepulchre Church. I had visited briefly during a previous HOD weekend as part of a tour of the city’s Jewish heritage. That tour had been a bit of a mess, with more than a hundred people shuffling round the city looking at bizarre places as we went. I liked what I’d seen and I wanted to go back for more. When we got to the church on the Saturday afternoon, all the signs said the church was open for the Heritage Open Days but the vicar had apparently completely forgotten that heritage lovers would be swarming around wanting to see his church and he had booked a wedding right in the middle of the afternoon. As a result, despite all the old laws about churches having to be accessible to the public during weddings (just in case someone’s going to pop up with a ‘just cause or impediment’ to the marriage) all the visitors were told that they couldn’t go inside.


We were told that the church would probably be open again in about 45 minutes and since there was a Heritage ‘fair’ going on in the church hall, we decided to go and have a look. If we killed a bit of time, maybe we’d be able to get into the church once the wedding was over.


The Heritage Fair had about a dozen stalls laid out and quite a large area for teas, coffees and snacks. It was a typical red-brick church hall and if you closed your eyes, it was easy to imagine it cycling through a rota of coffee mornings, scout groups, play group and Weightwatchers. Would I have bothered to go to a Heritage Fair if the church had been open? No, in all honesty I probably wouldn’t have bothered. There were stalls set up by various local interest groups – collectors of post cards, local memorabilia and the like were showing their projects and their collections. A few stalls were selling things but most seemed to be rather quietly recruiting for their clubs.


We had a long chat with a man from the Friends of Northampton Castle. There is nothing today that would ever give you a clue that Northampton was once one of the most important towns in England had had either the third or fourth biggest castle in the country. I write ‘third or fourth’ since I’ve seen both claimed. I was surprised that the man from FONC who claimed it was the third biggest didn’t know what the second biggest was. Don’t try to baffle me with statistics if you can’t tell me what the bigger ones are. Today there’s almost nothing to see except one old gateway. What wasn’t destroyed by Charles II after the Civil War, didn’t survive the town planners and the path of the railway which cut through the site.


We really enjoyed talking to the man from FONC and I realised that if I was at home more often and had more free time, I’d almost certainly want to join a local history group and learn more about the area. We live in a village which claims its church is the oldest Saxon church in Europe and I really ought to find out more. I have none of the usual ‘family tree’ and genealogy interest – I don’t care and I’m not interested in finding my roots but I am very interested in imagining how life would have been at different times in history.


After our castle chat we sat down for a while for weak, cheap tea and coffee to kill a bit more time before heading out to see if the church was open again. We were really disappointed to discover that the bride had only just arrived and not even gone inside the church yet. With only an hour on the parking meter and the time nearly up, we gave up on St Sepulchre church and decided to come back the next day as there were many more things to see and do in the town.

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The Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre is in Drogheda in Southern Ireland. It is quite easy to find, there are lots of signposts from the main Dublin to Belfast motorway. It is open every day between 9:30 am and 5:30 pm.…Read More

The Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre is in Drogheda in Southern Ireland. It is quite easy to find, there are lots of signposts from the main Dublin to Belfast motorway. It is open every day between 9:30 am and 5:30 pm. Last entrance to the visitor centre is one hour before they close. The car park and main gate are locked one hour after the closing time. Entrance to the visitor centre is very reasonable - just 4 Euros for adults, 2 Euros for children and 3 Euros for senior citizens. Parking is free and if you just want to wander around the very extensive grounds, then there is nothing to pay for that either.

The Battle of the Boyne is probably the most iconic battle in Irish history. King William III crossed the Boyne, defeated King James who then fled Ireland and changed the course of history. Both kings commanded their own armies. The Battle of the Boyne was fought at this site on 11 July 1690. At this battle was the largest amount of troops deployed on an Irish battlefield - 36,000 for William and 25,000 for James. They were fighting for the British throne, French dominance in Europe and religious power in Ireland. James was Catholic, William (his son-in-law) was Protestant, and as we all know the after effects of this battle lived on and still do to this day.

This visitor centre was only opened in 2008. The setting is absolutely gorgeous - the beautiful Oldbridge Estate, which sits right on the site of the battle. There is a mansion, landscaped grounds, extensive walks and so much to see. You need to spend the whole day here. The whole place is so interesting, but also ground breaking in the peace process. It was redeveloped in co-operation with the Irish government and the Orange Order, so was a key step forward in the peace process. It really is a must see.

We found lots of parking and even had a picnic in the car park. There is a small exhibition inside the mansion, unfortunately you are not allowed to take pictures inside. They have life size wax models of William and James in their tents on the eve of the battle. It is well done and shows battle plans from each of their view points. You can listen in to conversations in the different tents. They also have a few relics and some murals.

The interior of the old mansion is just beautiful - old, wooden floors, high ceilings and original features everywhere. It has a real air of grandeur and is a shame you only pass through a couple of rooms on the ground floor and don't get to see more of it.

We all loved the large model of the Boyne Valley as it was in 1690. There are display screens showing the battle scenes and they use lasers to simulate troop movements at the battle went on. It was a great way to show a historic battle and really brought it to life.

Outside in the courtyard was an interesting artillery exhibition - lots to look at and you can take pictures from this point on. It is worth noting though, that everything in this area is a replica and nothing is original. Make sure to peek into the stables here too and see the horses.

There is a film in a little cinema area which recreates the battle and is also very good.

After all this, we were ready for refreshments and went to the tearoom. I highly recommend a trip here - delicious food and such a choice. We sat outside in a lovely courtyard overlooking the walled garden.

There are also a series of self guided walks you can take away from the mansion, through the battle field sites and into the surrounding countryside. We decided to take the longest one - about 3 miles but mostly flat. It took us away from the house to the edge of the estate. We saw a replica of Oldbridge Village where the battle was fought and some markers depicting battle sites. We carried on through fields and along a canal tow-path. The walk was nice, all on grass and you definitely need comfortable shoes.

After the walk, we saw some displays going on in an arena in front of the mansion. They had weaponry demonstrations with soldiers in period costume on horseback. This is well worth seeing too.

We had a great day out here - history, nature and beautiful scenery, there is something for everyone.   Close

Saint Columb's Cathedral lies just inside the city walls of Londonderry. If you decide to walk around the walls it is really easy to find, you can't miss it. It is definitely worth a detour from the walls to go inside. This,…Read More

Saint Columb's Cathedral lies just inside the city walls of Londonderry. If you decide to walk around the walls it is really easy to find, you can't miss it. It is definitely worth a detour from the walls to go inside. This, after all, is the most historic building in the city. It is open Monday to Saturday between 9am and 5pm. They have church services here on Sundays at 8am, 11am and 4pm. There is no charge to go inside, but they have a box by the door for voluntary donations.

The cathedral was built in 1633 and dedicated to St Columba - an Irish monk who established a Christian settlement here in the 6th century. It was the first cathedral of its kind to be built after the Reformation of the Church.

The church is very plain, simple and beautiful inside. We just wandered around, taking in the quiet, peaceful atmosphere. The original foundation stone is right in the entrance area. They also have a cannonball shell - it was fired into the city during the 1689 Siege. There was a message inside saying "Surrender or die." The citizens did not accept this but obviously kept it.

The wooden pews are beautiful and the ceiling is very ornate - don't forget to look up! All the pew ends are different - this is a lovely detail most people miss. They were all hand carved by a father and his son.

There are lots of memorial tablets along the walls on one side of the church. Lots are interesting to read - one dated back to 1678. There were even memorials to soldiers who died during the 1689 siege.

Close to the entrance of the church is a little area which apparently was once the choir robing room. Now they have an exhibition about Mrs Cecil Francis Alexander. She was a famous writer of hymns - There Is A Green Hill, O Little Town of Bethlehem, Once In Royal David's City amongst others - and they have portraits of this lady and her husband (an Archbishop) and other interesting information about her and her life. There was also a display about the slave trader, John Newton. Apparently he was moved to write Amazing Grace after a visit to this cathedral. His ship was wrecked in a storm, he survived, came here to pray and wrote that famous hymn.

There is also a really fascinating museum in the Chapter House. It is small, only a couple of rooms and maybe a bit "dry" for children - our 9 year old wasn't too interested, but we found it fascinating. There are lots of display cases, all of which seemed to be full of great things. These include the padlocks and keys of the city gates which were closed in the face of King James' army in 1688; the sword, watch and snuff box of Adam Murray one of the siege heroes; the governor George Walker's bible and sword and much more.

We did not have time to explore the graveyard outside the church, but apparently there is plenty of interest there too.

Not too far from the cathedral and just along the walls, you come to the Peace Bridge. It is worth going here too. It stretches across the River Foyle and was opened in 2011. It is a symbol of the achievement of peace and looks beautiful. We walked out to the middle of the bridge to get a different perspective on the city and the city walls.   Close

We decided to visit Londonderry because it is the 2013 City of Culture. We were expecting lots of cultural events, what we did not expect was just how much history and glorious scenery there is to explore in this city. The city walls…Read More

We decided to visit Londonderry because it is the 2013 City of Culture. We were expecting lots of cultural events, what we did not expect was just how much history and glorious scenery there is to explore in this city. The city walls and walking around them is a real highlight and a must do.

The city walls here are particularly special because this is the only completely walled city in the whole of Ireland. It is also one of the finest examples of walled cities in Europe. There are few city centres fully enclosed within 17th century walls, and even fewer which are so well preserved as this. You can walk the whole way around the city on the walls. This gives you a wonderful view of the inner city which retains its Renaissance style street plan. You also get great views from the walls of the modern city beyond.

The walls were built between 1613 - 1618. They were first built to defend Protestant settlers during the colonisation of Ireland and have never been breached, despite 3 sieges (hence Londonderry's nickname - the Maiden City). The most famous siege was in 1689 when many of the city's inhabitants died holding out against the forces of the Catholic King James II.

We started off walking the walls near the Guildhall. This is a really beautiful building, neo-gothic and built in 1887 from red sandstone by the Honourable Irish Society. The stained glass windows are beautiful and it looks great after its recent £9.5 million restoration.

Walking around the walls is just like being in an open-air museum, there is so much to see and take in. You see those parts of the city which were protected from the Jacobite area, but you also get good views of the area beyond - including the Bogside, where more recent history is commemorated on modern walls. We saw some murals which showed some key moments over the past 40 years of troubles in Northern Ireland.

Keep an eye out for the 4 original gates to the city - Bishops Gate, Ferryquay Gate, Butcher Gate and Shipquay Gate.

There are lots of cannons all along the walls - very popular with our son, who enjoyed climbing on them! This is apparently Europe's largest collection of cannons with known origins. Roaring Meg is the most famous one of all - it was actually used and fired during the 1689 siege.

Look out too for the Walker Memorial. This was a statue on a pillar, commemorating George Walker, joint governor of the city during the siege of 1689. This was blown up by the IRA in 1973 and the statue which once stood on top of it is now in a newly constructed memorial garden beside the Siege Heroes Museum.

Near the Walker Memorial Plinth is Grand Parade - a popular walkway in the 19th century. There are 13 sycamore trees here which commemorate the apprentices who closed the gates on King James' soldiers during the 1689 siege. The fruit of the sycamore tree is a bit like a bunch of keys which is symbolic of the locked gates.

We spent the whole day strolling around the walls. There are information boards at the various points of interest, so you can read about the gates, bastions, cannons etc.. It is also better if you walk the walls, but also sometimes use the steps to come down and look at them at ground level. That way you can really appreciate their beauty.

There is a gorgeous ice cream parlour near the Guild Hall - so many flavours of delicious ice cream which is a good place to stop and have refreshments, especially if, like our visit, it is a hot day. There are also lots of coffee shops, cafes etc. both on the walls and close by, so you are never stuck for food and drink stops.

We loved exploring these wonderful walls - it is something you definitely must do if you are anywhere close to this fascinating city.   Close

One of my favourite events in the year is the annual Heritage Open Days. This event – or should I say these events since there are many – take place during September, running on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday with something to appeal to almost…Read More

One of my favourite events in the year is the annual Heritage Open Days. This event – or should I say these events since there are many – take place during September, running on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday with something to appeal to almost everyone around England. Slightly different dates and organisations cover the other constituent countries of the UK and London usually gets its own dates but I’m in Northamptonshire, so I attend the English HODs.


Heritage properties across the country throw open their doors to visitors, free of charge during the HODs. Some are very old, historic buildings, many much more modern. All have something special about them. Some are places you can see any time of the year by just walking in off the street, others are fee-paying attractions handled by the National Trust or English Heritage, and some – such as Northampton’s fabulous town hall – only open on the HODs. One year I went to a place that was a nursery school where they told me that opening for the HODs was a condition of their listed building status and that they never open to the public at any other time. If you want to get in to these places and nose around, you need to take advantage of the opportunity when it strikes. Even if you visit a place that’s always open, you may well find they’re making a special effort to make the HODs special so it’s still worth a look.


I first discovered the HODs about 4 years ago and for the next couple of years I ran around like a headless chicken doing everything I could to see the maximum number of places. This year, for the first time, the HODs fell on the weekend when my husband wasn’t working so I didn’t have to do it all on my own. We decided to keep things simple and head into the town centre rather than driving all over the countryside since the weather was looking a bit gloomy and we didn’t want to get caught in the middle of nowhere in a downpour.


The best way to prepare for the HODs is to check the website really carefully – it’s www.heritageopendays.co.uk – and get all the details. Many of the properties taking part do not open every day. Some require pre-booking and will not accept anyone who shows up on the day. Some have varied restrictions on family groups or may not be suitable for wheelchair users or people who are not too good on their feet. Others may have just a few limited start times for their activities. Take the time to check and it will help avoid disappointment. Pick the things you most want to do then look at the map and work out if you can realistically cover them all in one day. If you can’t, create a plan to guide you through your visits. One year I got through five properties in an afternoon and travelled about 40 miles between them all. I don’t recommend that or your head may well be spinning by the time you finish.


Food and drink are a key part of heritage tourism and one of the few ways that the properties taking part can earn a little bit of money from the event. When we’re planning a day of visiting places that charge entry, my husband usually makes us a packed lunch to take with us, but when the HODs are free, I like to make sure we spend a bit of money on teas and coffees and the obligatory cream scone.


Find a pair of comfy shoes – you don’t want to have to stop early because your feet are aching and there’ s nothing like standing around being talked at to make feet ache. Wear comfortable clothes – just because you’re visiting a grand property, doesn’t mean you have to dress up as if you’d been invited for tea with the lady of the manner. Make sure your clothes are appropriate to the weather but be prepared for change. Mid September can be gloriously sunny or can rain like Noah needs to start building. So sunblock and a waterproof are both a good idea. I’d suggest to pop a paperback or your Kindle in your bag in case you’re left with a long gap before a tour starts and need to keep yourself amused. If you plan to come home and write about what you saw for Igougo, you might want to take a notebook and you’ll probably want to take your camera. Make sure it’s charged up and you’ve got a spare pen before you leave home.


After we failed to get into the church which was top of my ‘must visit’ list, thanks to the vicar booking a wedding in the middle of the Saturday afternoon (the busiest time for the HODs) and ‘forgetting’ that half of Northampton would be coming to look around, we gave up and headed into the town centre where we knew we’d find lots to look at. We didn’t cover as many places as we expected after the tour of the old Art Deco cinema that’s now the home of the Jesus Centre took a lot longer than we expected. Many places close at 4 pm so don’t be too lazy and not set out until after lunch like we did. And remember when you’re making your shortlist that there’s nothing to stop you going back on Sunday to catch up on anything you missed on your first day.


If you are lucky enough to find yourself in England in September, I highly recommend checking the dates for the HODs. They can save you a small fortune on National Trust entry fees and offer you fascinating insights into the country’s past.
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Kenmore and Loch TayIn this lovely little village of Kenmore is a conservation village with all the houses beautifully kept and painted white and black. The village is nestled at the base of Drummind Hill At the end of Loch TAy with a lovely little…Read More

Kenmore and Loch Tay

In this lovely little village of Kenmore is a conservation village with all the houses beautifully kept and painted white and black. The village is nestled at the base of Drummind Hill At the end of Loch TAy with a lovely little harbor. It is here that the Loch Tay passes under a single lane 18th century stone bridge to become the River Tay, Scotland’s longest river.

In the centre of the village you will find the Kenmore Hotel which is Scotland’s oldest inn and was built in 1572. The Inn like the houses around is painted white with black trim. In the restaurant at the back you can enjoy a great view of the river through huge windows. It is a popular place for weddings apparently and also for tour groups as each time we went there was another group either American or German or another nationality.

We had a drink or two in the bar which is famous for the hand written poem scribed in pencil by Rabbie Burns when he stayed at the Inn in 1782. There are photos and copies of the poem around the bar and the poem itself is covered with a glass protection and has a bronze plaque telling you theat it was written by Scotland’s most famous poet.
The church on the Loch bank is very pretty and was built in 1759. Inside was quite plain painted white but welcoming. We peaked in when a group of musicians were there practicing one evening.

The village was created in the 18th century by the 3rd Earl of Breadalbane. Just near the hotel is a wall and imposing gated entrance to Taymouth castle which was visited by Queen Victoria on her honeymoon, I believe she stayed there. The castle is not ancient but was built in 1810, unfortunately it was closed when we were staying in Kenmore. You can walk about two miles to the castle but cannot go in. I think it may be undergoing a transformation to a hotel but I am not sure if that rumour is accurate.

Along the edge of the loch is a pebbly beach where you can sit and watch the boats on the loch. We enjoyed watching a dog chasing sticks that were being thrown for him to fetch in the loch. You can walk around onto the south loch road and hire boats and other water sport equipment such as wind surfers.

Also round that side of the loch is the Scottish Crannog centre which I have written a review about on here. This is where you can learn about the Iron Age island settlements that existed on Loch Tay and other lochs in Scotland. There were once eighteen of these island settlements on Loch Tay and the remains of some can be seen on the loch today.
There are a few little shops and a post office in the village and a couple of restaurants besides the Kenmore hotel so plenty of choice in this small village.

Beyond Kenmore there is so much to see from small towns, castles and many walks to enjoy the scenery and flora and fauna of the area. In this area you will find Perthshire’s highest mountain, Ben Lawers; Scotland’s longest river, the Tay; the Highland’s longest and loveliest glen, Glen Lyon and Europe’s oldest tree, the Fortingall Yew which is over 3,000 years old.

Ben Lawers is 4,000 ft and the tenth highest mountain in Scotland. It has a number of routes for experienced well equipped climbers but for those wanting to enjoy a less taxing walk you can follow the path along the side of the burn. In this mountain range there are seven peaks above 3,000 ft so a climber’s paradise.

In Glen Lyon there are four mountains above 3,000ft which are called Munros and five mountains over 2,000ft which are known as Corbetts. At Innerwick there is a picnic area, public toilets and the Bridge of Balgie with its popular tearoom so well worth calling in and starting even a short walk from here.

If you are lucky on your walks you may see red squirrels, Capercalie which are living in the Drummond Hill area since being reintroduced in the area in the 1830s. You may spot eagles, grouse or even wild deer. If you are into fishing then the River Tay is considered excellent by anglers from around the world for trout and salmon.

If whisky is your thing then once again there are a number of distilleries in the area from Dewar’s in Aberfeldy through to the tiny distillery in Edradour near Pitlochry with many others in between all within driving distance.

We spent a lovely week in this area and will certainly come back as there is so much to see and do that we only did half of the things we wanted to do as we ran out of time.   Close

We had decided to visit the 2013 City of Culture - Londonderry/Derry and decided to make our first stop the Siege Heroes Museum. This is right in the centre of the city and just beside the famous city walls. It is on a…Read More

We had decided to visit the 2013 City of Culture - Londonderry/Derry and decided to make our first stop the Siege Heroes Museum. This is right in the centre of the city and just beside the famous city walls. It is on a rampart overlooking the Bogside area of Derry. We easily found it - a lovely building, Neo-Gothic with a Scottish baronial facade. It was built in 1873 and is dedicated to the history and heritage of the Siege of Derry which happened in 1688-1689.

The museum is open weekdays between 10 am and 4.30 pm. We paid £2 each to go inside, and this included a souvenir booklet which was actually worth the £2 fee itself. The booklet had lots of historical information about the Siege and contained a really useful map of the city walls and all the points of interest. We used it later in the day during our walk of the walls and found it invaluable.

We had the museum virtually to ourselves - a school group were just leaving as we arrived, but apart from them, no-one else was there during our visit.

The Museum belongs to the Apprentice Boys of Derry - an organisation which commemorates the anniversaries of the shutting of the Derry Gates and the Relief of Londonderry every year. As well as the museum, they have their meeting rooms here and you can explore the whole building and see inside these meeting rooms.

We started off, as they recommended, on the first floor. Start with the little video/ film. It runs on a continuous loop every 16 minutes. We were lucky enough to arrive just as it started and it gives you information on the Siege and the situation in the city beforehand. It is full of historical information, very interesting and well laid out and a great way to get your bearings in the museum and the city. Even our 9 year old enjoyed watching it - he is not normally such a big fan of history.

They have 2 rooms upstairs filled with interesting artefacts and displays about the Siege. We saw a big statue of Lundy - they call him the "traitor" who wanted to open the city gates and surrender to the army of King James. The Walker Memorial model is also worth seeing. There are glass cabinets stuffed full of all sorts of bits and pieces, a Lambeg drum and much more. There is also a lot of material to read and get through, so whilst we found it fascinating, our son was keen to hurry us along. It is probably a little dry for children under 12.

They also give an overview of the Apprentice Boys organisation and how they were founded to commemorate the original apprentice boys who slammed the city gates shut when the army of King James was demanding entry to Londonderry. There are some interesting films and videos about the organisation nowadays, and their commemorations of the Relief of the city and the closing of the city gates. I found all of this extremely interesting and different.

Downstairs on the ground floor are a series of meeting rooms for different Loyal Orders. We wandered around and had a look in each of these. There are pictures on the walls and plenty of things to look at, I thought it was a shame they didn't provide some sort of little audio guide or at the very least a little leaflet to explain what the items in the meeting rooms were and their significance. We were not always too sure what we were looking at, a guide of some description would have been helpful and informative.

We spent about an hour in the museum, enjoyed our time there and would recommend it. It is a great place to start a visit to Londonderry - the Siege is such a big historical event, by coming here first, you get to learn more about it. The museum is also then extremely well placed to start a walk around the fantastic city walls.
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If you spend any amount in England, you’ll soon realise that we’re a nation obsessed with gardening. We’re obsessed by quite a lot of things – weather, queuing, politeness, just to name a few – but in the case of gardening, we’re also collectively rather…Read More

If you spend any amount in England, you’ll soon realise that we’re a nation obsessed with gardening. We’re obsessed by quite a lot of things – weather, queuing, politeness, just to name a few – but in the case of gardening, we’re also collectively rather good at it. I have to say collectively because I personally am no horticultural goddess but in our own rather modest way, we are a nation that’s quietly confident of our international superiority when it comes to matters of spade and fork. We are the nation that can probably claim more ‘celebrity gardeners’ than any other. The French have famous philosophers – we have famous gardeners.


It’s not all about grand stately home gardens and the Chelsea Flower Show. At the other end of the spectrum you’ll find hundreds of small local gardening societies running events to challenge their members to show off the best they can do. My parents are members of a gardening club which holds a twice yearly ‘Flower and Produce Show’ which inspires great competition amongst the society’s members.


For reasons of discretion and a fear of getting mum in trouble, I’ll avoid telling you where this particular F&P show takes place. My parents are gently but firmly obsessed with their local F&P show. Last summer my step-father was undergoing chemotherapy and focusing on the summer show became my mother’s most intense coping mechanism. A year later with his condition in temporary remission, my step-father was able to get more involved. The message went out to me and my husband, my sister and her partner, that attendance at the Flower and Produce Show was not optional. We would be there and we would enjoy it – whether we wanted to or not.


Actually I love these shows whether I have a personal connection to them or not. If you find yourself in the UK during the summer months, try to find a show to attend. They’re unlikely to be widely advertised and the best way to find one is probably to ask around at your hotel or B&B or to go to a local newsagent or shop and see if they know of any such events. Sometimes you’ll see small signs beside the road advertising a show and if you get lucky, do please go and have a look. For overseas visitors to attend a flower and produce show is an almost guaranteed opportunity to show off to their friends about seeing the ‘real’ England.


You will not find such a show if your travel is restricted to the big cities, or possibly even the mid-sized ones. Gardening clubs such as the one to which my parents belong, are country or small town groups, mostly kept going by the determination and tireless efforts of some of the community’s elder members. Their behaviour is ruled by the book – that book being the RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) rules and guidelines. Some of these rules can be common sense and obvious, whilst others are more obscure. As in all things British, we do rather like precision in definitions and the man who runs the F&P show we attend can be heard to repeatedly state how important it is to follow the specification of the ‘schedule’. This means that if the listing is for three blooms of a single type of rose, you’ll be disqualified for two or four blooms or for more than one type of rose. It also meant that my mother was able to win a prize as the only person to enter three runner beans, despite one of the three being only an inch long.


Taking part in a show is usually restricted to members of a garden society or people living in a particular village depending on whether it’s a garden society event or village show or church show. Tourists will therefore be present only as observers but if you want a really British afternoon event, you can’t beat something like this. What you can expect is to pay a small fee to go in – perhaps 50 pence or a pound with reduced entry for children or seniors. There will be an exhibition venue – perhaps a village hall or community centre, or in some cases a marquee. Inside you’ll find the best that members have to offer in a wide range of different categories. In some places where things are taken very seriously, gardeners will have laboured for months to grow the biggest pumpkin, the longest runner bean or the most perfectly matched carrots. At the one we go to, things are a little more relaxed and you’ll find vegetables to make you laugh as much as to impress you. Typical categories include baking and cookery, flowers, vegetables, photography and children’s classes. The list of classes will be published weeks before the event so that people can decide what they want to enter. At the one my mother attends, exhibitors have up to a few days before the show to submit their entries and specify in which categories they wish to compete.


For weeks before the show my mother will have been baking. Some of the items she submits may have been made in advance and frozen for the show. Some of the less expensive to make items will be made several times in the run up to the show to get them perfect. She will have been knitting and crafting the strangest of things in preparation. On the day of the show, she gets up at around 6 am to hunt around the garden for the best flowers she can find and to photograph everything for her scrapbook before she goes. At around 8.30 am, she and I drive round to the hall to set up. This year she competed in every single cookery class, several of the flowers and plants classes, a couple of fruit and vegetable classes and in one of the handicraft classes. In total I would guess she had a go in about two dozen different competitions.


People can get very snippy during the set-up. Some try to move their entry into a more advantageous position on the table, some will snipe about how big or small or pathetic someone else’s entry may be. Last year one woman took issue with my mother entering three hydrangea flowers on the grounds that they were "shrubs, not flowers" and "shouldn’t be allowed". My mother showed her that they did meet the instructions in the schedule and she harrumphed off. This is the woman my step-father refers to as "Her with the rat-face".


All exhibits have to be set up by 10 am so that judging can then take place. The show opens in the afternoon at 2 pm and exhibitors can then return and see how many certificates they’ve won. Typically there are different coloured certificates for first, second and third places and in some places ‘highly commended’ certificates are also given. Within each category – e.g. cookery, fruit and veg, flowers, craft, photography – there are typically challenge cups to be won and in some cases additional prizes. Children are especially encouraged and generally get a certificate just for turning up as many of the societies are desperate to encourage a younger demographic.


Judging can result in controversial decisions and many people who take part (and many who attend) are quite forthright in expressing their disagreement with the results. Last summer we were subjected to what a friend of mine refers to as ‘Cheese Straw-gate’ after the judge decided that none of the 10 or so entries in the cheese straw category was "cheesy enough" and refused to award a first place certificate. Sometimes you’ll hear some quite spiteful comments but more often you’ll overhear people saying the loveliest things. I heard one young man exclaim with delight when he saw mum’s entry in the ‘knitted toy’ class. "Jeez, can you believe someone knitted a cat? Wow, that’s amazing".


Expect to find a village hall or a marquee stuffed full of neatly laid out entries, a serving hatch where you can get teas and home-made cakes and outside an area with children’s games, a raffle, a bric-a-brac stall and other entertainments.


My mother won the cookery ‘rose bowl’ this year for the summer show. In spring she won the cookery ‘cup’. In total this year she won 16 certificates for her various entries. It takes a lot of work, a lot of practice, and a very special brand of British determination to work like an ant and accept the praise and rewards with a shrug and an "It was nothing". You can find the best, the worst and some of the most eccentric aspects of British life at a Flower and Produce Show – so please don’t drive on by. Stop, park up, pay your pennies and have a look around.
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