• Added: 3rd of September 2008
• Area: Leicester Square
• Category: Arts and Culture

London WC2H 0HE
020 7306 0055

aybb60 said
Interesting place with free admission
This is exactly what it says, the national portrait gallery of Great Britain housing some of the best portraits to be seen.

It is located next to Trafalgar square in London and it is free entry for all which makes it particularly attractive for visitors and it is an ideal place to go if the weather is bad and you want to while away the afternoon.

It is also very interesting because the collections cover characters from almost 300 years of history covering many famous people through history up to the modern day.

They also do some every interesting exhibitions within the gallery but you may have to pay a small fee to enter those.

But often they are worth while.

• Added: 3rd of September 2008
• Area: Aylesbury
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Aylesbury HP22 5HP

aybb60 said
Nice gastro type pub
Another very good gastro type pub out in the country, but in reality next to a main road into Aston Clinton.

The outside is very pretty and appealing and the interior is very quirky.

Very low ceilings with loads of old oak beams exposed everywhere, both horizontally across the roof and vertically dividing the various rooms up into smaller alcoves.

Food is a speciality where you place your order and then get one of their funny little numbered wooden spoons to display prominently on your table so they know where to bring your order to, or eat your dinner with as we tried to tell my kids.

They wouldn’t believe us.

Portions are large and I was merrily defeated by their beef burger in a bun with a mountain of chips and salad garnish.

• Added: 3rd of September 2008
• Area: Aylesbury
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Aylesbury HP17 0XS

aybb60 said
Free internet access
I’ve been taken here quite a few times by friends in the area and it is a bit of a meeting place for walkers and ramblers who wander around the area along the Rideway.

It is also just around the corner from the prime ministers county residence of Chequers and apparently he, or whoever is in number 10 at the time visits this place for the odd glass of tipple.

It is quite a quaint old world styled type pub net to the old church in Great Kimble and also has a good reputation for doing good pub food.

They also seem to be one of the few pubs in the area that I’ve been to that does have free wireless internet access in the bar, although you do have to ask for a code at the bar before you can gain access.

• Added: 3rd of September 2008
• Area: Huntingdon
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Huntingdon PE28 0TD

aybb60 said
Good food
This pub/hotel is located in the centre of Huntingdon with a large car park at the back and perhaps was an old coaching house with it’s large tunnel type access.

Parking can be a little difficult during the day because many people will use it to park in when they go shopping in town.

I haven’t used the hotel side of it but I have been told it is good, comfortable and well equipped.

I have had a few lunches and dinner here though and their meals were always top notch.

Presentationally they finish them well with the little garnishes and things that they put on them and they do taste good.

Service is fast and portions were large and their speciality burger was quite filling.

They also do kids meals which went down really well with my kids.

• Added: 3rd of September 2008
• Area: Aylesbury
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Aylesbury HP17 0TS

aybb60 said
Popular country pub with good food
This place is quite out in the country in a quiet little village called Butlers Cross and is quite a meeting place for ramblers and walkers roaming the area along the Ridgeway.

It used to be called The Russell Arms which referred to the Russells who were the family that once own nearby Chequers, now the country retreat of the prime minister.

More recently it is now simply known as The Russell.

They serve a great selection of real ales and good pub grub type bar food, also having a sort of restaurant area on the side if anyone wants a more formal meal.

Often better to book for the restaurant because it can becaome quite busy.

Place is also very popular in the summer with families because it also has a beer garden suitable for kids.

• Added: 3rd of September 2008
• Area: Oxford
• Category: Restaurants

Oxford OX1 2BQ
01865 790089

aybb60 said
Look out for the lunchtime deals
Pizza Hut’s are great because you always know what you are going to get.

The same menu applies to all of there branches and you get the same quality and standard of food in every branch.

So if you have a particular favourite (I’m a sucker for their Hawaiian!) then you can go into any Pizza Hut and order it and get the same in any branch.

A really good offer they also do is their weekday lunchtime buffet where you basically get all you can eat for either £4.99 for pizza alone or £5.99 to include the salad and pasta as well.

It does get comical watching people at lunchtime as they bring out a new pizza for the buffet because everyone rushes forward and grabs every last bit.

Everyone then sits down ready to pounce again as the next pizza comes out.

They never seem to be able to cook enough at once so this really is first come first served.

• Added: 3rd of September 2008
• Area: Lisson Grove
• Category: Sightseeing and Attractions

London NW1 5HT
0870 400 3000

aybb60 said
Mingle with the "celebs"
I have been here 3 times over the years and I enjoy it because there are different characters each time I visit depending on who is topical at the time.

What I really enjoy is the fact that you can get up close to the figures which you would probably never be able to do in public and see how tall they are and what they really look like close up.

Some are really surprising.

I knew Kylie Minogue was small but I never realised how small until I saw her waxwork here.

Then you get the countless opportunities to have your photo taken next to a celeb.

Great to show the kids later who you “met” in London.

The queues to get into this place can look horrendous, but they do seem to move quite fast and once inside you can browse at your leisure.

The models themselves are really good and the way they have the whole place laid out makes it have a more “homely” feel about it with models scattered around in alcoves and corners rather than being just set in big long lines for you to see as you walk by.

• Added: 3rd of September 2008
• Area: Milton Keynes
• Category: Home and Garden

Milton Keynes MK1 1RN

aybb60 said
Quality cheap items
This place is relatively newly opened, well in the last couple of years at least.

It is a massive place and you could easily spend an entire afternoon here just wandering along with the flow looking at the various displays that they have tempting you to buy more things.

In a way I really like Ikea.

Their items are good quality and really cheap.

Almost all of their furniture is flat pack in some way or other which has to be assembled at home.

What makes it really good is that when you do assemble it it is solid and does last unlike some other cheap furniture stores where once assembled you dare not move the item in case it falls apart again.

Even their small items like extension leads and especially lighting are also really cheap.

The lighting itself is really well made considering how cheap it is.

Have I told you how cheap their items really are enough?

You can’t go wrong.

• Added: 3rd of September 2008
• Area: London
• Category: Shops and Amenities

London

aybb60 said
Shopping in your own home
The ideology behind Argos is really great.

You can shop in the comfort of your own home and make your selection.

You can then go on the internet and check whether or not your local Argos store has the item in stock.

If not you can also search using their website to find which other Argos stores near you might also have it in stock.

You can then reserve it so that they hold it for you for up to 48 hours for you to collect in store.

And all that before you even leave the comfort of your own home.

Prices are also very good and almost comparable to some internet prices for some items.

• Added: 3rd of September 2008
• Area: Tower Hill
• Category: Sightseeing and Attractions

London EC3N 4AB
020 7709 0765

aybb60 said
Histoically beautiful
When you walk around the stone walls of the Tower of London and look inwards towards the historic buildings you really begin to appreciate how much history is wrapped up in this place and how beautiful it all is.

I have been here twice now.

The first time we guided ourselves around and thought we had seen everything there was to see using a sort of map and a written guide.

The second time we went we took the plunge and tagged onto one of the guided tours around the tower by one of the guards and it was brilliant.

We seemed to have missed so many things when we originally went around alone that the guard now pointed out for us and he also told us many stories behind the history of the tower and little incidents that happened in various places along the tour that we had.

A definite highlight was seeing the crown jewels, although you can’t stay there too long looking at them because you stand on a conveyer belt to be taken along in front of them.

At least it allows everyone to have a look.