Glasgow was once known as the Second City of the British Empire – the powerhouse of the industrial revolution, a great port and merchant city whose architectural and cultural magnificence hid a darker side of urban poverty and squalor. Today the heavy industry is long gone, and 21st-century Glasgow is comfortable in its role as a smaller, cleaner, greener city, a vibrant and stylish centre for the arts and learning, now even more friendly and culturally diverse. With a wealth of insider’s local knowledge and engaging anecdotes, 111 Places in Glasgow That You Shouldn’t Miss will guide you round a huge variety of intriguing sights, unique venues and surprising corners of this great city, helping you understand how the people made Glasgow and how Glasgow made its people.
Fife is an ancient Scottish county, proudly known as the Kingdom. Its distinctive, self-contained identity is summed up in the old adage ‘Bid farewell to Scotland, and cross to Fife!’ A compact peninsula shaped like the head of a Scottie dog nosing the North Sea, it boasts magnificent approaches from south and north via the celebrated bridges over the Forth and Tay. Tourists flock to the world-famous golf courses in the old university town of St Andrews. But Fife is packed with all manner of much less-visited treasures, places of stunning natural beauty as well as fascinating monuments of every era, from prehistoric to post-industrial, testaments to its long and eventful past and richly diverse cultural heritage. You will discover a land where generations of the illustrious and the powerful, the humble and the hard-working have all left their mark, from kings and queens to miners and fishermen, from bishops, earls and industrialists to scholars, artists and sportsmen – to say nothing of the internationally famed Fifers whose legacies have changed history. This book will introduce visitor and native alike to a whole host of unexpected and contrasting sites and sights that celebrate the delightful otherness of this unique little Kingdom.
Edinburgh is rightly celebrated for its famous historical and cultural attractions. But for the discerning visitor it has much more to offer away from the well-worn tourist trail. This book takes you to hidden corners and secret sights in this city of contrasts, exploring fascinating locations unknown even to most residents, and revealing unexpected aspects of some familiar local landmarks. Marvel at a unique underground temple hewn out of the living rock; learn how a world-famous illusionist came to be buried here – with his dog; find out why the city council once commissioned an enormous electric blanket; look out for the ordinary Edinburgh post box with an explosive history. Discover the human stories behind a wide range of places, both exceptional and commonplace, bringing to life the greatly varied cityscape where people have been leaving their mark for at least 5,000 years.
Glasgow was once known as the Second City of the British Empire – the powerhouse of the industrial revolution, a great port and merchant city whose architectural and cultural magnificence hid a darker side of urban poverty and squalor. Today the heavy industry is long gone, and 21st-century Glasgow is comfortable in its role as a smaller, cleaner, greener city, a vibrant and stylish centre for the arts and learning, now even more friendly and culturally diverse. With a wealth of insider’s local knowledge and engaging anecdotes, 111 Places in Glasgow That You Shouldn’t Miss will guide you round a huge variety of intriguing sights, unique venues and surprising corners of this great city, helping you understand how the people made Glasgow and how Glasgow made its people.
takes you through the doors of 111 rarely visited churches, but which, with the help of this informative guide are now on the map! With their spires, towers, columns and capitals, vaults and arches, carvings and paintings, London churches tell us a lot about its architecture and its history. And with their beautifully carved fonts, pulpits, carvings, mosaics and decorative objects, they show you centuries of skill and labour that went into making these buildings for which the main objectives were majesty, endurance and posterity.
The hidden art of London is for the ever-curious roamer of both the back streets and the familiar places you never quite see – churches, gardens, graveyards, pubs. What little garden finds the poet John Keats sitting in the corner of a bench? Which abandoned building tells the story of a great Roman Road?
There are always marvels hidden in plain view – the back corner of a museum containing great sculptures by Rodin or the naked, street-corner golden boy, who marks where the Great Fire of London finally petered out. A famous literary cat or a painting by Hogarth on the bend of a stairs in an ancient hospital.
This guidebook takes you exploring London beyond its most famous sights to find the art we have never quite noticed before: the hidden statues, paintings, and murals that have escaped from the official museums, and often live unnoticed lives in tucked away places.
“This book opens the door to Scotland’s hidden past, to places scarred by death, betrayal, disaster, and unresolved trauma.” — NL Magazine
‘Dark Tourism’ involves travelling to sites associated with death, disaster, or the macabre. Scotland is filled with these ‘dark places’ that embody pain, shame, and ‘difficult heritage.’ 111 Dark Places in Scotland That You Shouldn’t Miss provides an engaging, accessible, and authoritative guide to these significant sites within Scotland’s castles, ancient cities, towns, and natural landscapes. This book delves into the darker aspects of the nation’s heritage.
Scotland, while part of the UK, maintains a distinct cultural identity with a history steeped in conflict, especially with its dominant neighbour, England. The country’s legacy of turmoil has shaped its strong sense of national identity, often the core of dark tourism. This guidebook is the first of its kind, designed for both locals and visitors to explore Scotland’s dark tourism sites. It complements 111 Dark Places in England and provides a distinctly Scottish perspective on the nation’s challenging past.
Few, if any, cities have a literary history as rich as that of London. Writers have written about it; and lived, loved, stayed and died there. Here are 111 stories to be revealed. Among them are the lives of writers and their characters, and the plots and venue. Where can you see the first printed book in the western world, or visit the library with no books? Where did two poets marry secretly and then flee to Italy; and what happened when Sigmund Freud met Salvador Dalí? What is the mystery of the signed copy of Mein Kampf?
This is a guide to the capital unlike any other – not only enlightening to residents who may have thought that they knew their city (and their books), but the visitor, too. These are sights you shouldn’t miss – but which you’re unlikely to find without this book.
Few, if any, cities have a literary history as rich as that of London. Writers have written about it; and lived, loved, stayed and died there. Here are 111 stories to be revealed. Among them are the lives of writers and their characters, and the plots and venue. Where can you see the first printed book in the western world, or visit the library with no books? Where did two poets marry secretly and then flee to Italy; and what happened when Sigmund Freud met Salvador Dalí? What is the mystery of the signed copy of Mein Kampf?
This is a guide to the capital unlike any other – not only enlightening to residents who may have thought that they knew their city (and their books), but the visitor, too. These are sights you shouldn’t miss – but which you’re unlikely to find without this book.
111 Places Along the Tyne and Wear Metro That You Shouldn’t Miss takes readers beyond the region’s famous landmarks, from Hadrian’s Wall to the iconic Tyne Bridge, and reveals the stories that make Tyne and Wear unique. Following the Metro’s 60 stations, this guide uncovers incredible tales of local characters, from eccentric residents and wild Victorian industrialists to imprisoned kings and missing bones. Readers can discover bizarre follies and hidden histories: the miner who dynamited a cave home into a cliffside to avoid paying rent, the warren of tunnels built beneath Newcastle in just two years, and the Wearside links to American independence. They can visit a Greek-style temple outside Sunderland, the site of the first incandescent lightbulb demonstration, the world’s oldest operating railway, atmospheric monasteries, haunted castles, historic waggonways and the secrets of Tyneside’s seaside towns. From city to coast — and even a vampire rabbit — every place is reachable by Metro.
Mediaeval no-go zone, Victorian hell-hole, war-ravaged bomb site, 21st century shining city, the most exciting area in one of the most exciting cities in the world – the East End has often been London’s strange alter ego. Ed Glinert trawls through the strange stories, the crazed characters, the violent vignettes, the dried-up docks, the imaginative immigrants, the proud philanthropists to give a different history of the most misunderstood sector of the capital, from the Princes in the Tower to the Ratcliffe Highway murders; from Jack the Ripper to the Kray twins; the Jewish ghetto to Banglatown; Cable Street to Canary Wharf; Mahatma Gandhi to George Orwell.
Bath is a city of contrasts. Legend has it that its hot springs were discovered by pigs cured of leprosy after wallowing in warm mud. Beyond the world-famous Georgian crescents and Roman ruins lies a small city with an unexpected past: once home to giant industrial cranes shipped worldwide, the birthplace of Plasticine, and a place whose history narrowly escaped destruction by over-zealous planners. Its beauty and ancient origins even made it a bombing target during the Second World War. Most of the quirky corners featured in this book are within easy walking distance. But Bath’s UNESCO World Heritage status extends beyond hot springs, Roman archaeology and Georgian architecture to include its dramatic natural setting, so be prepared for the occasional uphill walk. Along the way you’ll discover burial grounds and bollards, a slippery lane and a sentry box. Why was England’s first king crowned here? Where are traces of historic floods? Who built a treasure-filled tower to escape dull company – and why is one red postbox grey?
This book guides even Mallorca connoisseurs to places that will amaze them. And it tells stories that hardly anyone has ever heard. You think you already know everything and then this picturesque island, and then you find it’s full of big and small surprises – 111 times!
Greenwich is the one London district whose name resonates around the world. As ‘the place where time began‘, everyone has heard of it, so naturally everyone wants to come here when they visit the capital.
With a memorable and picturesque Thames-side location, its maritime history means that there‘s more to see here per square foot than any other outer London neighbourhood, and this new guide tells you how to do it.
111 Places not only tracks down the most interesting nuggets among Greenwich’s mainstream sights, from the Cutty Sark to the Meridian Line, it also lifts the lid on the area’s lesser-known attractions – from haunted Jacobean houses and mudlarking in Deptford Creek to classic pie and mash shops and famous riverside pubs. It explores beyond the confines of Greenwich town centre, turning up treasures like Henry VIII’s favourite residence, Eltham Palace – now an Art Deco gem – and nearby engineering feats like the Thames Barrier.
You could come to London and spend half your time in Greenwich, and we wouldn’t blame you if you did. This book tells you how to make the most of London‘s maritime borough.
Experience the less explored nooks and pockets of Britain’s capital through the eyes of a passionate local. With its labyrinth of characterful streets and alleys, charming squares, open green spaces, monuments and museums, public artworks, bustling markets, and tempting boutiques and restaurants, London is a walker’s paradise. Whether you’re a first time visitor or longtime local, the city offers endless surprises – fascinating sights and stories, both ancient and modern, hidden in plain view. London insider and native Nicola Perry leads you away from the famed attractions on 33 strolls through the city’s most interesting enclaves, sharing entertaining insights, historical anecdotes, and engaging tips at every cobblestoned turn. Each walk burrows its way into the heart of a neighbourhood, crafting and curating a path that reveals its individual essence and personality. Also available: 111 Coffee Shops in London That You Must Not Miss ISBN 9783954516148 111 Places in London That You Shouldn’t Miss ISBN 9783740816445 111 Shops in London That You Shouldn’t Miss ISBN 9783954513413
The number of ice creams bought along Bournemouth’s seafront each year: 750,000. The number of deckchairs hired out on a busy weekend: 3,000. The number of trees standing proud in the town: 47,000. Having long since shrugged off its reputation as God’s waiting room, Bournemouth and its surrounding areas have a boundless number of places to discover, explore and relish.
Whether you’re a curious local, a seasoned traveller or a one-time visitor, these 111 places will surprise, delight and astonish you. Amble over the bridge that won World War II, get whisked off on an Asian adventure, learn about Charlie Chaplin’s connection to the town, visit Florence Nightingale’s grave, order a Żubrówka, gaze into the real Alice in Wonderland’s mirror, make friends with an Egyptian mummy, stand beneath the lamppost AFC Bournemouth was formed under, and walk in the footsteps of the Fab Four, as well as the woman who brought the British government to its knees.
As you explore, take your time, take photos and take advantage of everything this extraordinary, astounding, fascinating area has to offer. The number of times you’ll gasp as you discover something new: countless.
There might be more books on Oxford than students who have attended the world’s greatest university, but there has never been one as dynamic and exciting as 111 Places in Oxford That You Shouldn’t Miss. Author Ed Glinert has sifted through all the college histories, records and lists of alumni; examined all the quads and cloisters of the great colleges; explored the glorious villages hewn from honey-dripping Cotswold stone; luxuriated in the glamorous coffee houses of High Street; imagined society’s earliest motor cars built at the Morris garages; been struck dumb by the never-ending peal of bells at Tom Tower; relaxed at Carfax, the very centre of the universe; and tippled at each of the legendary pubs between St Giles and Merton.
This is a volume which will send residents into paroxysms of laughter, remind students why they’re there, and warn prospective undergrads of the joys of living in one of the world’s most beautiful and cleverest cities.
London is full of strange and beautiful sights. It is a place for traditions and rebels, for the establishment and every alternative subculture. This book celebrates the diversity of the city. It invites you to see Little Ben or the fake 10 Downing Street, and answers both conventional and unusual questions. What, apart from Rolling Scones, will you see at God’s Own Junkyard? Where does an old-school gentleman buy his wine and umbrellas? Why did Robbie Williams feud with his next-door neighbour? How has the city commemorated the Queen Mother and Princess Diana? In which park do 100-year-old naked ladies cavort on the banks of the Thames? Where did Lenin and Julian Assange campaign for their beliefs? And which bridge rolls itself up?
London offers a plethora of fun, interesting things for locals and visitors to do. Aside from the obvious tourist attractions, did you know there’s a man stuck in a clock? Or that dancing on a certain grave can make a beautiful tune? Do you know the best place for making sandcastles along the Thames? Or where to have breakfast with real London bus drivers? Have you ever seen the talking cat?
Covering all 32 boroughs of inner and outer London, this book offers an eclectic mix of fun facts with unique things to do; leading you to rediscover London. You may have walked down the same street a hundred times and never noticed a certain something. This book will tell you why it’s there and that just around the corner there is something great for kids! The book will introduce children to art, history, science and much more, which will inspire them and create great family talking points all whilst making invaluable memories. So, whether you are an ‘inny’ or an ‘outy’ Londoner, or visitor to this great city, grab the kids and get exploring!
Welcome to the home of Wallace and Gromit, and Blackbeard and Banksy. Bristol is where the world’s first solid chocolate bar was created (Ribena was also invented here) and you can still watch delicious chocolate creations made by modern day Willy Wonkas. The city has a hidden castle (you just need to know where to look) and secret vaults underneath the Clifton Suspension Bridge only rediscovered recently after being hidden for more than 100 years. Climb inside these vaults, or into the cockpit of the final Concorde to fly or ride your skateboard in what used to be a swimming pool. If water is your thing, you can surf guaranteed waves at an inland surfing lake or take a trip in a boat that used to fight fires. Science and art collide at We The Curious, which has the UK’s only 3D planetarium.
If you think you know Bristol, think again. Allow this book to be your guide to Bristol’s best bits for kids.
Paris is known as the City of Lights, but it is really the City of Museums. Explore iconic centres of fine art with fresh eyes and dig deeper to uncover a world of museums dedicated to art and artists, science and industry, literature and film and curiosities both unusual and fascinating.
Can you identify all the great artists of French impressionism? Do you know about French contributions to early automobiles and airplanes? Are you fascinated by haute couture? Would you like to visit the ateliers of great painters and sculptors? Do you love music and film? Are you an obsessive collector of something truly peculiar? Or do you simply want to learn about new and compelling things in the world around you?
111 Museums in Paris That You Shouldn’t Miss highlights destinations, both well-known and obscure, where you will discover new treasures throughout this magnificent city.
Make the most of Norwich with this new guide to the sights and secrets of East Anglia’s premier city, from the unknown treasures of its magnificent cathedral to the legends and stories behind its historic pubs. It’s a place of numerous historical layers, with intrigue and interest lurking on every corner, from the black circus proprietor who inspired one of The Beatles’ most famous songs to remnants of England’s most notorious red-light districts. It’s eminently walkable, too, but you can also bike or even canoe your way around the centre, maybe even heading out to explore the natural beauty of Broads National Park which lies just beyond.
Athens can be noisy and crowded and confusing, but it’s spontaneous and always surprising. A cable ride up Lykavittos rewards with an incredible panorama but veer off the track to discover the hill’s secret links to Parnitha. The beauty of Kaisariani Monastery’s architecture is matched by the ‘organised wilderness’ of its incredible gardens.
Ancient relics, great and small, mirror a glorious past that remains an example to the world, but they are only the start of what’s great about Athens today. There are the mountains that surround it, busy with climbers, runners and picnic-lovers during the weekends. The ubiquitous graffiti, some admirable, some abhorrent, that reveal what’s bugging the Athenians’ psyche. Bars, cafés and restaurants thronged with broke Greeks who refuse to stay inside. Stores where you can find vendors as venerable as their antiques and others that are up to date with the edgiest demands. And many surprising, sometimes downright dark, dank and mysterious pockets. Athens is changing day by day. This book will take you to places that are beyond touristy or trendy; whether hundreds of years old or contemporary, their tales are timeless.
Poole: home to one of the largest natural harbours in the world, award-winning sandy beaches, tons of pottery and Ryvita crispbreads. Well, yes – but what else? Loads, as it happens. Poole and its surrounding areas are fit to burst with places to explore, uncover and enjoy. Whether you’re a visitor or a local and want to discover Poole’s role in saving Labradors from extinction, where writer H.G. Wells’ ashes are scattered, a ghost village that hasn’t been inhabited since World War II, a structure built by one of James Bond’s relatives, the home of a prime suspect in the Jack the Ripper case, the location for one of Coldplay’s music videos, the best place to buy Sherbet Pips, or a very punctual miniature soldier, this guide will point them out, whisper some fun facts and little-known local knowledge in your ear and hopefully leave you raising your eyebrows and saying, ‘Well, I never… ‘