2012: The Year to Celebrate Great Britain

Royal Connections
In honour of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, celebrating 60 years of Queen Elizabeth II on the throne, there’ll be exciting events taking place across Britain. A programme which will include a flotilla with 1000 boats along the River Thames, a concert at Buckingham Palace, the lighting of 2012 beacons and a Big Jubilee Lunch, has already been confirmed with the majority of events taking place over the extended weekend from 2 – 5 June. Additionally, visitors can discover the picturesque town of St Andrews, where Prince William and Kate’s romance began or head to the Isle of Anglesey, the place the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge now call home. Visitors to the Isle of Anglesey can enjoy a visit to one of its many beaches or stroll along one of the coastal footpaths for a wonderful view of the Welsh coastline. Or for a royal summertime retreat visit the Balmoral Estate in Aberdeenshire, which is set amongst the magnificent scenery of Royal Deeside. Here, visitors might spot the Queen – as travellers can take up residence by renting a lovely cottage on the estate.

Literary Greats
When it comes to literary greats, nowhere has more than Britain. With the British cultural and geographical landscape often a key part of these writers’ works, it’s also possible to go and see for yourself what inspired these wordsmiths. The work of the world’s greatest playwright William Shakespeare has never been more relevant, as 2012 sees the biggest ever World Shakespeare Festival take place across the country in celebration of all things Shakespearian. This year also marks the bicentenary of Charles Dickens’ birth, with the occasion especially by his birthplace, Portsmouth, and the setting of many of his books, Rochester. And then of course there are the settings for other world-famous novels from writers including Thomas Hardy, Keats, Jane Austen, Robert Burns, Irvine Welsh, Yeats, Dylan Thomas, the Brontë Sisters, Henry James, Agatha Christie and JK Rowling. Bookworms will love the Oxford Literary Festival and the Edinburgh International Book Festival which hosts over 750 writers, from Nobel Prize-winners to exciting new talent.

Cinematic Locations
Speaking of JK Rowling… The magic continues as the film set that bought the story of the world’s most famous wizard to life will throw open its doors for the public this year. The Warner Bros. Studio Tour London begins in March 2012, and will take you behind the scenes of the magical world of Harry Potter. It isn’t just Potter fans that will travel to see the mise-en-scene of their favourite film or TV show. Thousands of fans have been visiting the locations of Downton Abbey and Dr Who, drinking cocktails in The Sugar Hut, Essex in an attempt to glimpse a cast member of TOWIE and seen ‘what’s occurring’ on Barry Island the home of Gavin and Stacey. This summer film lovers can experience the mythical and magical with Disney-Pixar’s new animation, Brave, which is set in the Scottish Highlands. From these examples, it’s easy to see why moviemakers have made Britain one big, beautiful movie set.

Maritime Heritage
April 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of the Titanic disaster, and to commemorate this moment in history, the city of Belfast will be unveiling the ‘Titanic Signature Project’ set to make the city’s Titanic Quarter the largest waterfront development project in Europe. The new ‘Titanic Belfast,’ a state-of-the-art building in the heart of the Titanic Quarter, will include a ‘Titanic Experience’ exhibition, an ‘immersive theatre' diving underwater to explore the wreck, and a Titanic-themed banqueting suite. Outside of Belfast both Liverpool and Southampton have strong connections with the life of RMS Titanic. Liverpool is where the dream of the world’s biggest ocean-going liner began and the city will mark the centenary of Titanic’s sinking with an extensive and thought-provoking programme of events and exhibitions, including the epic ‘Sea Odyssey’ – a three-day phenomenon that will see a 30ft ‘giant little girl’ tour the city over three days in April, taking the country on an unforgettable and emotional journey of love, loss and reunion. Finally, Southampton was the city that the RMS Titanic set sail on her ill-fated maiden voyage. The story of Titanic and Southampton’s maritime heritage can currently be explored at The Wool House.

Natural Wonders
Coastal Wales is the greatest region on Earth to visit in 2012, according to Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel. And this year Wales is set to become the only country in the world whose entire coastline can be walked. The Wales Coast Path, due for completion in May, 2012, includes 70 sweeping beaches, 15 picturesque ports and innumerable secret coves. Whether an avid walker or up for a new adventure, visitors of all walking abilities will want to explore the Wales Coast Path, 85% of which is within the National Parks. From the longest to the highest, at 650ft, Eas a Chual Aluinn, near Kylesku in the remote North West Highlands, is Britain's highest falls, crashing down from a cliff before flowing into Loch Beag. It's nearly four times the height of Niagara. The waterfall is reached by a two-mile walk across boggy ground from the road three miles south of Kylesku in Sutherland. In England, Cheddar Gorge at first glance could well be mistaken for the steep-sided Grand Canyon in Arizona. Carved out in the Ice Age more than 300 million years ago, Cheddar is Britain's largest gorge with a depth of 500ft. And beneath that is an elaborate and fascinating stalactite cave system. It's an international centre for caving and rock climbing.

Musical Legacy
Liverpool is the birthplace of the Beatles and the city that shaped their lives and early music. With 2012 marking the 50th anniversary of their first smash hit "Love Me Do," there has never been a better time to visit the award-winning Beatles Story, an experience that gives an atmospheric journey into the life, times, culture and music of the Beatles. Visitors will see how four young men from Liverpool were propelled into the dizzying heights of worldwide fame and fortune to become one of the greatest bands of all time. With the world famous Cavern Club and the home of John Lennon available to visit, make 2012 the year to bring the story of the Beatles to life! Alternatively, bringing things right up to date the Manchester music scene is one of the world’s most innovative, original and exciting places for both making music and going out to listen to it. The city is full of intimate music venues for live music fans, and if you want to experience Manchester’s clubs and bars, head to the Northern Quarter, Deansgate and Castlefield. Keeping the Manchester connection, why not travel north to Glasgow, UNESCO City of Music, where Oasis were discovered and signed at the renowned King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut?

Traditional Boozers
In Britain, pubs aren’t just places where you can buy a pint; they are an integral part of the British way of life and the cornerstone of many local communities. From ancient ale houses to literary drinking dens, Britain has hundreds of historic pubs to explore. Drink in the Oxford atmosphere at the Eagle and Child, a 17th-century pub once a favourite of J R R Tolkien, C S Lewis and later, Inspector Morse creator, Colin Dexter. Today you’ll find the Eagle and Child a simple pub with decent ales. For a Celtic favourite The Café Royal, Edinburgh built in 1863, is a Victorian gem that joins ornate plasterwork, stained glass and marble to dazzling effect. The food is excellent with Scottish classics including Cullen Skin and Arbroath Smokies. However, if you are feeling brave, Olde Trip to Jerusalem was Nottingham’s favoured pitstop for crusading knights en route to the Holy Land, the Olde Trip to Jerusalem has stood beneath Nottingham Castle since 1189. It’s connected to the caves at the foot of the castle and still has an atmospheric cavern-like feel. The pub’s cellars used to be part of the castle gaol and an old cockfighting pit.

Afternoon Tea
What a perfect way to spend the afternoon, and not a crust on a cucumber sandwich in sight. By the 1860s, the fashion for afternoon tea was widespread in Britain and still is to this very day. For elegance and tradition you won't find better than classic hotel venues like Brown's Hotel, Claridge’s, The Langham and The Ritz in London. If you like tea with history, many British country houses and historic attractions will happily oblige. Visit The Pump Room at the Roman Baths in Bath for afternoon tea followed by a drop of famous Bath Spa water or take tea at Winston Churchill’s birthplace, Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire. For tea with a twist try Glasgow's 'magic teashop' Tchai-Ovna, a relaxed hangout with eclectic furnishings and dark, comfy corners serving 80 different teas or Liverpool's 'punk' Leaf tea bar. It serves tea by day and turns into a late-night club with DJ-sets and a cool crowd. And don't be surprised if you're offered something a little stronger with your tea…

Quirky Events
Britain wouldn't be the same without its wealth of quirky events and at the time of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, England will also be celebrating the 400th anniversary of its Olympic roots – Robert Dover’s Cotswolds Olympicks. Started by a local barrister, Captain Robert Dover, the world’s inaugural Olympick Games were staged on a Cotswold hillside in 1612. Today thousands of spectators and ‘athletes’ partake in country-side games such as obstacle courses and tug-of-war, in addition to unique sporting competitions such as shin-kicking. However, if football is more your game why not try your hand at Swamp Soccer in Inverness, Scotland. The rules of swamp soccer are similar to regular football, with a number of exceptions. Each team has just six players (a goalkeeper and five outfield players) with unlimited substitutions. Games last for 24 minutes in total (12 minutes each way) and fancy dress is permitted. In fact, its actively encouraged. For another unusual experience, get on board the RockNess Express, part of the celebrations for the Year of Creative Scotland 2012. Visitors can travel up to the stunning music festival RockNess on the banks of Loch Ness in style from London Euston, on what is the first time that a train has been chartered for a festival in the UK. Across the border, the Welsh love a spot of snorkelling and The World Bog Snorkelling Championships is an international sporting event which takes place annually on August Bank Holiday Monday in Waen Rhydd peat bog on the outskirts of the smallest town in Britain – Llanwrtyd Wells in Powys, Mid Wales. The aim of the championships is to swim two lengths (about 115 metres) of a peaty, murky trench, which has been dug out of the Waen Rhydd peat bog, in the quickest time possible. Not for the fainthearted.

Whatever you want from 2012, you’ll find hundreds of GREAT offers on accommodation, attractions, spas, restaurants and activities at www.great2012offers.com.

PHOTO: St. Pancras Renaissance London Hotel