UK holidays
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Take the kids to … RSPB Minsmere nature reserve, SuffolkWild drama abounds at this RSPB reserve being used as the base for BBC Springwatch 2016, a place where children can get involved in fun activities
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10 of the best British wildlife walksFrom a stroll in Dorset to see butterflies to a Cairngorm hike in search of ptarmigan, this pick of UK wildlife walks from a new book has plenty to fauna over -
A Geek's Guide to the UK's best science and technology attractionsFrom classic computers and code-breaking centres to stargazing stations and Victorian sewage works, the Geek’s Guide uncovers 10 tech visits to sate your inner nerd -
Margate hipsters beware: the Daily Margz has lattes and laptops in its sightsTracey Emin, Wayne Hemingway et al, take note, satirical blog the Daily Margz is on a mission to ridicule all that is supposedly ‘retro’ and ‘quirky’ about Margate. Here are some of its acerbic blogposts …
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Making a splash: Penzance's Jubilee Pool reopensBathers enjoyed a bracing swim in one of Europe’s few remaining saltwater lidos when Cornwall’s Jubilee Pool reopened at the weekend following a £3m restoration
accommodation
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10 of the best community-run cottages, hostels and guesthouses in the UKGet into the heart and soul of Britain at these places to stay – from a lighthouse to a bunkhouse – run by local groups and charities
top 10s
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10 of the best community-run pubs, restaurants and museums in the UKWho better than passionate locals to run pubs, restaurants and museums?
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Top 10 secret gardens in the UKAll eyes may be on Chelsea for the flower show next week, but for a more peaceful day out, check out our selection of lesser-known oases around the UK
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Top 10 budget cafes and restaurants in BelfastBelfast is bursting with options for good, affordable food – from fish and chips and Tex-Mex to southern Indian and modern British. Updating our 2011 guide, here are great places to eat for under £10 a head
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Top 10 hotels in the Highlands, ScotlandActivities, both adventurous and relaxing, abound in the Highlands and with these hotel suggestions from a new book, Scotland the Best, great food, hospitality and a good rest are also easy to find
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Take the kids to … National Marine Aquarium, PlymouthTour the tanks at twilight with a sleepover in front of shark-infested waters
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Off to Cleethorpes, for sea, sand and styleLike many British seaside towns, the Lincolnshire resort is witnessing a revival, swapping its kiss-me-quick image for stylish bars and boutiques
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Take the kids to … Seaton Jurassic, east DevonAn interactive time travel journey through the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods at a seaside attraction that’s ‘educational entertainment at its best’
budget holidays
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Celebrating 50 years of mountain bothiesIn more than 100 wild corners of the UK are free shelters – bothies – for use by walkers. As the charity that runs them turns 50, Phoebe Smith, author of Book of Bothy, picks eight favourites
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Igloo Hybrid ho[s]tel, Nottingham: hotel reviewOur reviewer usually shuns youth hostels, but he finds this new Nottingham pad a much better budget option than many big hotel chains
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Let’s go to … PontypriddThe town’s fabulous 1927 lido is reopening after a multimillion pound refurb – but that’s not the only reason to drop in on this Taff valley town
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Let's go to … WindermereA trip to the Lakes to join the celebrations for Beatrix Potter’s 150th birthday will make for family fun – and provide a chance to tuck in to some fine food and drink
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Let’s go to ... BuxtonMusic lovers are in for a fine time with an eclectic array of concerts on offer in the Derbyshire spa town – and you’ll find plenty of great ales and cocktails for pre- or post-show drinks
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Let’s go to … Pendle Hill for HalloweenFew places are as ghostly and ghoulish as the Lancashire beauty spot where the notorious coven was rounded up 400 years ago for the Pendle witch trials
sport holidays
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Penzance and Pontypridd get their lidos back – in picturesIt’s a happy day for outdoor swimmers as Cornwall’s glorious art deco Jubilee pool and Wales’ only remaining open-air lido reopen on Saturday after multi-million pound refurbishments
restaurants
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The Ship Inn, Elie, Fife, Scotland: hotel reviewNew owners have smartened up this seaside pub and added six bedrooms, but it still offers a local welcome, freshly caught seafood and, at low tide, a cricket pitch on the beach
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Edinburgh city guide: what to see plus the best hotels, bars and restaurantsDodge the tartan and tour groups with Vonny Moyes’s guide to Edinburgh’s contemporary culture, bars brimming with personality, and great-value places to eat and stay
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countries
coast & country
The Huntsman of Brockenhurst, Hampshire: hotel review