Blackpool Illuminations in Ultimate Bucket List
To mark St George’s Day, VisitEngland is unveiling the ultimate bucket list of English experiences and can reveal which parts of the North West made the cut. The area stars in four out of the six categories that make up VisitEngland’s list of “101 things to do before you go abroad”.
Over 1,000 nominations were submitted to VisitEngland’s Facebook app and the national tourist board worked with Rough Guides’ Publishing Director, Clare Currie and a panel of expert judges to whittle them down to the top 101. Bill Oddie, Sonali Shah, Clemency Burton-Hill, Skye Gyngell and a Yeoman Warder from the Tower of London each helped select 20 experiences in their respective categories: Wildlife & Nature, Health & Fitness, Arts & Culture, Food & Drink and History & Heritage. Wallace & Gromit were tasked with finding one overall “Because it’s Awesome” suggestion.
Revealed for the first time, here is the full list of experiences from the North West:
Health & Fitness, as chosen by Sonali Shah, Host of World Triathlon series and part of the presentation team for the London 2012 Olympics:
- Go mountain biking in Penrith
- Climb Scafell Pike
- Walk Alfred Wainwright’s coast to coast
- Walk the Pennine Way
Food & Drink, as chosen by Skye Gyngell, Michelin-starred chef, formerly of the Petersham Nurseries in Richmond and now culinary director at the soon-to-open country house hotel, Heckfield Place:
- Chomp on Grasmere Ginger Bread
History & Heritage, as chosen by Barney Chandler, a Yeoman Warder at the Tower of London and guardian of the country’s culture and traditions:
- Stroll through Chester's famous rows
- Take a trip along the Settle to Carlisle steam railway
Arts & Culture, as chosen by Clemency Burton-Hill, regular face on BBC2’s Culture Show and BBC Proms:
- Go to Another Place by Anthony Gormley
- See the Blackpool Illuminations
- Visit the John Ryland Library
- Have a Beatles-inspired weekend in Liverpool
- Experience the football in Manchester
The full list can be viewed at www.101thingstodoinengland.co.uk, where you can see how many of the experiences you have done and create your own bespoke “to-do” list.
For interview requests and imagery, please contact the VisitEngland press office on the details below.
Ends
For further press information please contact:
Natalie Ashworth / Laura Dewar / Mark McCulloch
VisitEngland Press Office
Tel: 020 7578 1447 / 020 7578 1437 / 020 7578 1446
Email: [email protected] / [email protected] / [email protected]
Notes to Editors:
About England
• Historic yet contemporary, traditional yet cutting-edge, metropolitan yet wild: England is truly a unique destination and a real powerhouse in global tourism.
• With ancient Hadrian’s Wall straddling the wild north and the world’s biggest indoor tropical rainforest nestled in the far south, England really is the ultimate mix of old and new as well as being home to some of the most iconic sites in the world, including Stonehenge, the honey-hued Georgian terraces of Bath and the towering peaks and glistening meres of the Lake District.
• Did you know that in 2010 there were 96.4 million domestic overnight trips in England, 25.5 million inbound visits and 872 million tourism day trips?
More information can be found on www.visitengland.com
About 101 Things to Do Before You Go Abroad
Designed to inspire the nation to take more holidays in England, 101 Things to Do Before You Go Abroad includes the best of the very best English experiences. From enjoying the thermal waters in Bath to taking in a Shakespeare play in Stratford-upon-Avon, the app will remind Britons of the fabulous range of experiences, only on offer here in England.
Become friends with VisitEngland on Facebook to share how many of the 101 experiences you have already done and create your own bespoke bucket list.