Ferne's United Kingdom Travel Blog

_{©Sandra Keuz/ courtesy of The Swannery}

What is Wordless Wednesday?

It's not too late to be an Oxford fellow...Well kind of. Oxford University's week long summer school classes at Christ Church College, The Oxford Experience , include studying with Oxford professors, living in student accommodation and taking meals in Christ Church's famous halls. Participants get a real experience of Oxford student life - without the exams and papers.

There are still a limited number of spaces available so registration has been extended until May 31. Get in there and bag your place at one of the world's greatest universities.

• Find out more about Oxford University for All
• A Guided Walk Around Oxford University
• An Afternoon in Oxford - Tour the Colleges Then Down the Pub

It is a beautiful Sunday. The air - even in London - smells all leafy and green, British "boys of summer" are playing cricket on village greens, there is not a cloud in the sky and the temperature must be almost 80 degrees. And to think - a month ago I was writing about April snowstorms. Well, all I can say is, get it while you can.

I bet some of England's fabulous gardens are looking just prime right now. Check these out:

• Best English Gardens to Visit
• RHS Wisley Garden
• Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden
• Sissinghurst Castle Garden

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H.O. Ward, our intrepid pub reviewer in the South of England, finds a pub with a great horse story and a delicious menu. He's been back three times and has not yet had room for pudding!
Check out H.O.'s review of the Horse & Jockey Pub in Hipley, Hampshire.

_©H.O.Ward

Visitors to the UK who try to buy train tickets for the odd single journey or two have found themselves totally flummoxed by the bewildering array of rail ticket categories available in Britain. Trying to figure out the best value fare can sometimes even confuse ticketing agents in the train stations.

Not any more. A new rail fare structure sweeps away all the complicated variations replacing them with a three-tier system. One of the new ticket categories is already for sale, the other two go on sale in September. According to the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC), it's the first such shake up in 40 years. The new tickets include:

• Advance - Buy in advance, use anytime. These are single (one-way) tickets, that usually represent excellent value for money. They must be purchased in advance for specific journeys. Advance tickets are already on sale.
• Off-peak - Buy anytime, use off-peak. Available in September
• Anytime - Buy anytime, use anytime. The most expensive and flexible tickets. Available in September.

Of course, when it comes to British train travel, nothing is ever that straightforward. All the new tickets will still be available as first and second class tickets and an assortment of discounts - senior, youth, military, etc - will still apply.

If you're planning a lot of train travel on your UK visit, why not save yourself all the confusion - and probably some money too - and buy a BritRail Pass

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The recently refurbed Maynard Hotel near Sheffield in the Peak District, has declared itself a dog-friendly zone in the nicest possible way. We haven't yet visited the Maynard but we already like their continental attitude toward four-legged traveling companions.

Pointing out that their location in Derbyshire's Peak District National Park, is ideal for walkies, Paul Dowling, a hotel spokesperson, said,
"...it would be a shame for dogs...to miss out on the countryside surrounding the hotel. There should be no reason why pet owners can't enjoy a good quality hotel with their animals, yet there is a dearth of hotels prepared to take pets, as we have found to our own cost in the past. The price of putting pets into kennels can be significant, and many owners naturally prefer not to leave their pets in the hands of strangers. We believe that most pet owners are responsible and the vast majority of pets are well behaved. Within reason, therefore, we will welcome pets... "

Wallace the Westie (shown here dining with excellent good manners in Paris) and I like their style and wish them luck. If you visit the Maynard or have discovered other pet-friendly accommodations, do send us your impressions by commenting below.

• See our tested and recommended Dog-Friendly hotels
• Find out more about the Peak District and other UK national parks
• Visit the Maynard website

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The Summer Solstice, the longest day (or the shortest night, depending upon your point of view) in the Northern Hemisphere, is a very special time at Stonehenge. It is the one night of the year when visitors are:

• allowed to spend the entire night at Stonehenge
• allowed to park free
• given free access to the monument itself.

English Heritage, custodians of England's iconic ancient monument, have just published the conditions of entry - along with sunset and sunrise times - for this year's Summer Solstice on June 20 and 21.

Leading up to Glastonbury, an overnight at Stonehenge might be just the great New Age experience you're looking for. And, if you aren't all that New Agey, just think - what a great place to camp out! You can tell your grandchildren.
Plan Your Summer Solstice Visit to Stonehenge

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For the first time in its 61 year history, the Edinburgh International Film Festival will be held in June. The world's oldest continuously run annual film festival is scheduled for June 18 to 29, breaking it free from the glut of Edinburgh arts festivals in August.

Keira Knightley will be the star attraction of the opening gala which will feature the world premier of The Edge of Love, a Dylan Thomas biopic starring Knightley along with Sienna Miller, Matthew Rhys and Cillian Murphy. The film was written by Glasgow playwright and scriptwriter Sharman Macdonald who, as it happens, is Keira Knightley's mother.

• Read more about the Edinburgh International Film Festival
• See what else is happening in June in the UK
• Essential facts about visiting Edinburgh

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Artists working in any medium, anywhere in the world, are invited to bid for the chance of a £20,000 commission to create a new map of Liverpool. The map, which will be displayed in the new Museum of Liverpool when it opens in 2010, will be based on ideas and suggestions submitted by readers of the Liverpool Daily Post. The people of Merseyside and those with Liverpool connections worldwide have been asked to decide where they think the boundaries of Liverpool really lie, geographically, historically and culturally. The results will contribute towards the source material for the Liverpool Map artwork.

The project is being funded by National Museums Liverpool, Liverpool Daily Post, Open Culture, Liverpool Culture Company and British drama producer Phil Redmond. Submissions of expressions of interest for the commission are due in Liverpool by June 30.
Full details about the project and how to submit an expression of interest at the Museum of Liverpool website

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The thoroughbred racing season is warming up in England and one of the best places to see the best of English flat racing is at the York Racecourse. Racing meets are scheduled for May through August, culminating in the Ebor Festival at the end of August. It's all happening within a short walk of the city center.

• Find out more about thoroughbred racing at York
• The Mount Royale, a friendly place to stay near York Racecourse

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