10 days home in England - places to show the mrs?

[Lipboy]

I took my Thai fiancé (now my wife) last September, in glorious sunshine, for 2 weeks to North and South Devon and Cornwall. My recommendations are based on this visit but you will need to cut your programme because of your limited time.

From Bourton on the Water travel through Torquay to Paignton, Dartmouth or Totnes to stay overnight. Take the very enjoyable river cruise between Totnes and Dartmouth and catch the bus back to your car park. The river trip can be taken in either direction. There is a good Thai restaurant next to Torquay harbour.

Travel the next day taking the marvellous road across Dartmoor via Princetown (location of Dartmoor Prison) to Fowey for lunch and, if you miss the River Dart trip the day before you can enjoy a boat trip here. Then across country to Newquay where I found a good Thai restaurant in the Town Centre. I stayed at a B.& B halfway from Newquay to Padstow.

In Padstow enjoy the good restaurants and again you can enjoy a nice boat trip. Good place to stay for 2/3 hours but no more. Move on quickly to Bude for a short break and on to Clovelly for a 2/3/4 hour stay. Use the light evening to drive North to Woolacombe for your overnight stay.

If you then have time call in to Ilfracombe but better use your time to enjoy a drive across Exmoor before heading to ............?

Alternatively, you can travel from Fowey to Lands End and stay overnight in wonderful St Ives but ensure you find a place to stay offering its guests car parking as its at a premium in this town designed before the car was invented. St Martins Mount for 2/3 hours is well worth a visit en-route to Lands End.

[Lipboy]

It's St Michaels Mount NOT St Martins Mount.

[mickyboy]

shops that do her

[lanng khao]

goodison park.

coyb...

[beano2274]

For my missus, Buckingham Palace, Trip on the Thames, Tower of London, London Bridge. Harrods, Oxford Street, then as am a Yokel, Stonehenge, Street (Clarks Village) and of course Bath. Next trip is to Edinburgh, and up towards Aviemore.

If she is a Harry Potter fan how about up to the Park near Luton.

[NanLaew]

I enjoy visiting places that neither if us have been to before, be it in Thailand or overseas. It is much more fun discovering new places together so the OP should cherry-pick 2 or 3 of the London 'standards' and then get on the road. June and July should see mostly decent weather and the Lake District and Scotland would be on my to-do list. Plenty castles up that way too. Loch Lomond or if there's time, the 'Whisky Trail' up Speyside to the Moray Firth and Findhorn. Or a drive along Royal Deeside and Balmoral.

[slipperylobster]

Take her for some good Thai food.. Seriously.

[NCFC]

Rent a motor boat on the Norfolk Broads and let her do the driving

Greenwich Meridian

Seaside pier, preferably with a slot machine arcade on it

Picnic in a nice park

Whisky distillery

Circuit of Silverstone in a fast car

Isle of Man TT races

Join an archealogical dig

English vineyard

Pick your own strawberries

Weekend in a caravan

[jacko45k]

Marks and Spencers, to buy sweaters, coats and scarf.

[malt25]

Sound like you don't know your own country and neigher what you lady likes to do or see...

There is no guideline book on stupidity

A bit harsh... don't you think ? OP is just asking for suggestions.

Disagree about the guide book on stupidity. You'll find there's a chapter on posting stupid replies to valid questions.

[4u2mad]

Stonehenge was number 1,Big ben number 2. For Gawds sake keep her out of the charity shops, the plane will never take off!

[dragonfly94]

pound shop usually impresses them

[sawadee1947]

...don't forget Nottinghill. Then she will know why she doesn't want to stay in UK and will feel happy to go back to LOS...

[Jip99]

Sound like you don't know your own country and neigher what you lady likes to do or see...

There is no guideline book on stupidity

A bit harsh... don't you think ? OP is just asking for suggestions.

Disagree about the guide book on stupidity. You'll find there's a chapter on posting stupid replies to valid questions.

+1

[Jip99]

pound shop usually impresses them

Not sure if this was intended as serious response, but my missus spent hours in charity shops. She bought loads of seeds in the Pound shop in Ealing.

[dsfbrit]

I bought my wife 2 tourist books in Thailand, written in Thai, about where to visit in the UK and where to visit in London. She spent a lot of time reading them before we left Thailand and then I let her decide where she wanted to visit. Her favourite memories seemed to involve food - in particular eating fish and chips on Bournemouth beach and sharing the chips with the seagulls. Her least favourite memories were the London Eye, which she thought would go faster - well it does look like a ferris wheel and she was not happy with all the walking I made her do!

We were there for a year though, whilst I sold everything then came to retire in LOS. In 10 days it will take her some time simply to adjust to the different time zone and adjust to the new surroundings in general, so you really don't want to try to do too much, or it will become a chore.

I reckon she should try:-

- English pub and food there and the beer - especially a pint of Guinness

- Trip to the beach and try fish and chips

- Trip around London on London bus and then the tube visiting the places she chose to visit - especially the shops in Oxford Street !. Careful if you take a boat trip on the Thames - it made my wife a bit sick.

- Trip around the other places she chose outside London

I wouldn't take her to the RIchmond Temple or anything 'Thai', nor to a Thai restaurant - she can do that over here!

Have fun

Edited March 17, 2015 by dsfbrit

[thaiguzzi]

Rent a motor boat on the Norfolk Broads and let her do the driving

Greenwich Meridian

Seaside pier, preferably with a slot machine arcade on it

Picnic in a nice park

Whisky distillery

Circuit of Silverstone in a fast car

Isle of Man TT races

Join an archealogical dig

English vineyard

Pick your own strawberries

Weekend in a caravan

+1. We have similar opinions. Missus loved the Broads and driving the boat. Loved Cromer pier and the fish and chips. Caravan sounds a good idea, and i must do the IOM TT myself someday. Cheers. ONBC.

[transam]

Big Ben, The Wheel on South Bank (photos), a walk along South Bank.

St.James Park leading to the Palace. Greenwich Park, the view is great, walk down to the Maritime Museum and Cutty Sark then walk along the bank (east) and you will come to a couple of riverside pubs.

But, Mrs.Trans much preferred our trip to the west country , by the sea to see my dad....

[Jip99]

It is clear from responses that there are hundreds of places to visit and things to do.

The main factors are time and money. If neither are an issue then the UK is your oyster. 10 days limits the opportunities geographically and it would perhaps be best to concentrate on London and your time in the Midlands.

For London I would reiterate that the London Eye is a 'must do' along with Buckingham Palace (time it for changing of the guard), Covent Garden, Oxford Street, Chinatown/Leicester Square and a trip on the Thames. Kew Gardens, British Museum and a beer in the Prospect of Whitby (500 year old pub in Butlers Wharf).

We were fortunate that our last visit coincided with The Killers playing at Wembley - going to see Mama Mia was my back up.

This year we are spending 3 nights in Dublin as I discovered that you don't need an additional visa to go there.

Fish & Chips at Southwold in Suffolk, along with a pint ofAdnams at the Sole Bay Inn will also be on the Agenda.

It is not easy to ask a Thai lady what they would like to do. They may, or may not, look at travel guides but I don't think they really appreciate what they are looking for. The odd picture or article may prompt thinking about Stonehenge, etc. Also, in my experience, they are not great planners and find it difficult to project to something that is happening in 3 months time.

Feeding in options seemed to work for me, although I had a fairly clear idea on the geographical constraints and had to discount virtually anything south of London.

... also, agree about Thai restaurants in the UK being largely bland and expensive. Paying 250 Baht for small Chang did not put me in a good mood. For Thai food try something the covered market between Greenwich and Deptford. The one benefit of Thai establishments is that is gives your partner the opportunity to speak Thai - seriously, I think that is something that is important for them to be able to do on a holiday to a foreign country.

Edited March 17, 2015 by Jip99

[AyG]

a beer in the Prospect of Whitby (500 year old pub in Butlers Wharf).

Except it's not in Butler's Wharf. It's on Wapping Wall.

[theoldgit]

Funny people mention Covent Garden, when we went there a few years ago we sat in the Punch and Judy eating a simply awful sandwich, all the time my girlfriends eyes were honed in a stall serving yellow rice, it was actually paella, she hated the sandwich and would have flown home there and then given half a chance, I think the fact I'd made her walk from Buck House put her in the wrong frame of mind. On a subsequent visit there we stayed a nearby hotel, I had to go to a meeting and she made a beeline for the paella stall, and loved it.

We're actually going to UK for a couple of weeks over Songkran - result. We're stating off on the south coast, Eastbourne and Hastings before driving up to Stratford upon Avon. On our return we're stopping off for, another, photo-shoot at Stonehenge, and stopping off at Salisbury and Windsor on our way to stay with friends in Kent, they have a wonderful Oasthouse there.

On our way back to Thailand we're stopping off in Amsterdam, we both love it there, the tulips should be in full bloom.

[smokie36]

Rather than the London Eye....better to get a picnic together and wander up Parliament Hill.

[Jip99]

a beer in the Prospect of Whitby (500 year old pub in Butlers Wharf).

Except it's not in Butler's Wharf. It's on Wapping Wall.

Apologies, indeed it is.

(I still enjoyed the ambience around Butlers Wharf)

[smokie36]

My lass was over in the winter.....and loved the mulled wine!

Couldn't shift her from the steam room either....I can't imagine why....?

[firefox999uk]

The best thing we did was to book 2 coach trips with National holidays

http://www.nationalholidays.com/

one was 2 days in London, and the other 5 days in Scotland,

very cheap and no driving involved.

Accomadation on the tours was fairly good and the driver was always giving information

about various places we travelled through

The wife fell in love with Scotland and was happy to have a photo taken with a guy in a kilt

She was not impressed with the price of a take away Thai noodle in London..5 Quid.

Have a Nice Day.

[nontabury]

The best thing we did was to book 2 coach trips with National holidays

http://www.nationalholidays.com/

one was 2 days in London, and the other 5 days in Scotland,

very cheap and no driving involved.

Accomadation on the tours was fairly good and the driver was always giving information

about various places we travelled through

The wife fell in love with Scotland and was happy to have a photo taken with a guy in a kilt

She was not impressed with the price of a take away Thai noodle in London..5 Quid.

Have a Nice Day.

Next time take her to England,she'll probably enjoy it more.

[firefox999uk]

The best thing we did was to book 2 coach trips with National holidays

http://www.nationalholidays.com/

one was 2 days in London, and the other 5 days in Scotland,

very cheap and no driving involved.

Accomadation on the tours was fairly good and the driver was always giving information

about various places we travelled through

The wife fell in love with Scotland and was happy to have a photo taken with a guy in a kilt

She was not impressed with the price of a take away Thai noodle in London..5 Quid.

Have a Nice Day.

Next time take her to England,she'll probably enjoy it more.

When was London NOT in England......eeeeeee, i dunno some people.

[elliss]

Britain , the birth place of the industrial revolution , steam power turbines electricity,mechanical motion trains , iron and steel manufacture , etc.

The British Engineers , who made Britain great , the list is never ending .

There are many museums relating to the industrial age , and certainly well worth visiting , enjoy .

Our past is better , than our future .Kap

Edited March 25, 2015 by elliss

[Ricardo]

Britain , the birth place of the industrial revolution , steam power turbines electricity,mechanical motion trains , iron and steel manufacture , etc.

The British Engineers , who made Britain great , the list is never ending .

There are many museums relating to the industrial age , and certainly well worth visiting , enjoy .

Our past is better , than our future .Kap

Ironbridge Gorge is simply amazing, the birth-place of the Industrial Revolution and a World Heritage site is well worth seeing, I took both Mrs R (who loved the china museum) and the kids, on different trips !

http://www.ironbridge.org.uk/our-attractions/coalport-china-museum/

http://www.ironbridge.org.uk/

And York railway museum, the national railway-museum of the country which invented the trains which changed the world, also excellent !

http://www.nrm.org.uk/

[lungbing]

And while you're in York, The Shambles, the Minster and the Jorvik viking museum.