Tag: tour

Why a virtual tour of Manchester is the best way to celebrate Corrie at 60

A British institution reaches the age to collect its bus pass today.

It’s not a person but a TV series, one that has reflected the changing fortunes of Manchester from gritty, post-industrial monochrome to modern cultural colossus.

It has celebrated ordinary lives lived large, survived countless traumas and even launched a campaign to ‘free the Weatherfield one’ [see picture above].

As Coronation Street celebrates 60 years of kitchen-sink drama from the streets of Weatherfield, I joined a virtual tour of the key sites with tour guide Sue McCarthy of Tour Manchester.

My preview of tonight’s anniversary tour is published today in the i Newspaper.

Here’s a preview:

The Street has a long history of strong female characters from femme fatale Elsie Tanner to resident gossip Vera Duckworth.
Hilda remains the soap’s queen, her leaving party from 1987 still one of the show’s most-watched episodes with 27m viewers.
“Many of those classic female characters were based on Tony Warren’s extended family,” explains Sue.
“I admire the feisty female spirit that has been a trademark of the show throughout the years,” she adds.

Read the full story, How to join a celebratory virtual tour of Coronation Street.

More about Tour Manchester

An interview with Brian Jones, guide at Llechwedd, North Wales

 

Nothing makes a story come alive like putting a human face to it.

I found another example of this recently on a visit to Llechwedd, the North Wales tourist attraction that forms part of the UK’s current bid for Unesco World Heritage status.

This is to recognise the heritage of the North Wales slate industry.

Llechwedd is home to a host of attractions, including Zip World Titan and Bounce Below.

It also opens a new boutique hotel, Plus Weunydd, in June this year.

But, meanwhile, let’s sit back to listen to Llechwdd guide Brian Jones bringing the site to life.

Why I made the shortlist for the French Travel Media Awards

It was close but no cigar.

My story about a tour of the French Riviera [pictured above], first published in the Daily Telegraph, was shortlisted this week at the French Travel Media awards.

The article describes a trip in the footsteps of film stars and the Euro glitterati. It was timed around the 70th anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival.

Here’s a taster of the text:

I was formulating my bid to be the next James Bond from the casino at Monte Carlo. All I needed was that powder-blue suit from the Hugo Boss store on La Croisette (a snip at a mere €750), a couple of well-promoted selfies on the red carpet outside Le Palais and a bit of luck with the croupier to thwart Le Chiffre’s plan to take over the world from a Monte Carlo gaming table. Watch your back Idris Elba. After a week on the Riviera, there’s a new leading man in the frame.

Better luck next time, then.

I’ve got my eye on Roman Nimes and Monet’s Giverny for next time.

Cannes Film Festival and Riviera for Telegraph Travel

Cannes. It’s getting to be a habit.

I’ve been three times on assignment in the past year and recently returned from another and very timely sojourn.

The reason? The Cannes International Film Festival opens tomorrow — May 17. This year marks 70 years of cinema heritage [mural pictured above].

I was there to report back on preparations for a feature in this weekend’s Telegraph Travel.

But, joining an escorted tour for a few days, I was also trying to put the glamour of the Riviera into context.

I explored some of the reports, spanning the French-Italian border, frequented by the British gentry long before the likes of Brigitte Bardot [pictured below] arrived with photographers in hot pursuit.

Casino Royale 

Here’s an extract from my first draft, based around a visit to Monte Carlo Casino. 

I’m not a natural high roller.

If I was Daniel Craig in Casino Royale, then I’d be sporting a freshly pressed tuxedo, sipping a martini, shaken not stirred of course, and nonchalantly placing all my chips on black 17.

In reality I’m budget Bond: a Ben Sherman shirt, sipping an espresso and observing the oligarchs at play from a safe distance.

Still, at least I can still admire the Belle Époque ceiling and renaissance frescos in the Europa gaming room of Monte Carlo Casino.

After all, I have paid 17 Euros just to walk inside.

Read more in Telegraph Travel this Saturday.