Tourist help!

[Neko Bazu]

Just a quick question - I've got an American associate who wants to visit the UK next year, and they want some idea of what's worth going to see. By the sound of things, they want to avoid the typical tourist hotspots (Tower of London, Big Ben etc) and instead get out around the country to see as much as they can in about two weeks.

So what would you guys recommend? The full email conversation so far is given below, to give you an idea of what they want:

Them: hey, its mel... sorry we didnt get to talk much at the con but i was wondering if you could help me figure out interesting or fun places to see in the uk

i havent been there since 1994 so i dont remember much

the stuff i already have on my "go see" list are all over the place
paisley scotland, stonehenge, cardiff, blackpool

no clue what i want to do at these places when i get there but if you have any other ideas for good places to see could you tell me?

Neko: I guess really it depends what sort of stuff you'd call 'fun' or 'interesting' really. Have you got anything in particular in mind that you'd like to see/do? My idea of fun/interesting could very well be completely different to yours, after all!

Them: i wanna see old buildings (in the words of eddie izzard "EUROPE! WHERE THE HISTORY COMES FROM")... i love historical junk and architecture
i want to go to clubs
i want to do pretty much anything i dont do here... which is watch doctor who and eat...
i plan on sticking around for two weeks. i might hop over the channel for a day or two but mostly i want to stay in the uk

any ideas?

C'mon guys; I can vouch for Bedfordshire, some of London and the Hastings area, but you lot are nationwide! Give me some ideas!

[gt]

Well, here in Newcastle the area is steeped in Roman history, with Hadrian’s Wall on the doorstep and several Roman Forts (Arbeia, Vindolonda, Segedunum, Housteads) if that’s their bag. I find it fascinating personally. Beautiful coastlines too.

As much as I love Nottingham, I don’t know what I’d recommend, I only go for football and beer

[Neko Bazu]

Sounds like exactly the sort of thing they're after, GT - muchos gracias for that!

[gt]

No problem Neko, also County Durham is only a few miles down the road, where they will find the market town of Chester Le Street as well as Durham itself, which is possibly my favourite haven in the whole of the land. They can visit the cathedral, take a pleasure cruise down the Wear (indoors at this time of year I would suggest mind – in the summer you can row too), and enjoy a pint in one of the many welcoming pubs. There are also an abundance of overpriced shops that Americans love so much

Also in County Durham there is the Beamish open air museum which is a ‘real life’ museum recreating an old pit village, complete with period dressed actors, trams, and authentic shop interiors. Bear in mind it is ‘off peak’ by now so the open air attractions will be sparse.

All this is very easily accessible from the A1(M) too, so they wouldn’t be too inconvenienced in terms of finding places.

Sorry if I sounded like a cheesy voiceover there.

[Neko Bazu]

Lol - no worries! ;D

I think they're planning to visit next year, so presumably that'll be during the tourist season. IIRC, she's from California too, so I doubt she'd survive our winter anyway! (I think they consider something like 60-70°F cold?)

[CHOPPER READ]

Stonehenge,Wilts.
Portsmouth Naval Museum. (Mary Rose etc)
New Forest
Derbyshire Peak District
Lake District
Snowdonia National Park
Gower Peninsula (Wales)
Yorkshire Dales
North York Moors
York.

[Neko Bazu]

Good selection there, Chops!

[Arnold]

Bath

[HURLOCK]

Hull ;D