The ultimate survival guide to the Edinburgh Festivals
As this weekend Edinburgh’s festivals draw to a close, there’s still time to join in the fun
This weekend Edinburgh’s festivals draw to a close, but there’s still time to join in the fun. With over 50,000 performances in a single month, the Edinburgh Fringe is the largest arts festival in the world, but add to that the Tattoo, Book, International and Art Festivals and the whole city becomes a stage. From tavern cellars to concert halls, gothic churches and contemporary museums, there’s a venue for every type of performance. What better excuse for a weekend-long pub-crawl? “I had a job drilling holes for water – it was well boring” – the top 10 jokes of the Edinburgh Fringe Derry Girls claims Radio Times Comedy Champion title after epic battle with Inside No 9 Too white for comedy? There must be a place at the BBC for future Monty Pythons Here's Ali Wood's guide to a weekend of activities during Edinburgh's festival season... Friday 8pm: Charlotte Square Gardens, Book Festival Off the plane and straight into the Book Festival where the chilled folksy vibe of the Speigeltent whips into a maelstrom of sobering poetry. Before you can say ‘Sylvia Plath’ I'm confronted with themes of loss and death. Three exceptional poets, three lives stripped bare. The show’s description? Literary Cabaret! Tip: Expect the unexpected… and just go with it Saturday 10am: Royal Mile walking tour Saturday morning, and it’s the Royal Mile, the beating heart of the Fringe. Jugglers are prepping their batons and buskers tuning their violins. The choirs have started already and the smell of roasted coffee wafts from grand gilded tearooms. Just for fun, I squeeze in a two-hour walking tour through the wynds and closes of medieval Edinburgh, in preparation for a decadent day ahead. Tip: Take a walking tour to get your bearings. Free 2-hour tours at 144 High Street. 1pm: Chaos of Delight, Fringe Robin Ince of Radio 4’s Infinite Monkey Cage is first on the list. His job, he explains, is to wait till Brian Cox is turning listeners’ brains to mush, then lure them back with comedy. In other words, he’s ‘a professional idiot.’ And if anyone tells you that’s not a real job, they’re wrong. The aptly named Chaos of Delight is a breathless, free-dive into everything from his father’s dead mouse to Dali and DNA. Ince flashes from one PowerPoint slide to the next like a toddler let loose with the controls. Each slide surpasses the last, offering a fleeting glimpse of comic genius, whilst Ince, wired and wonderful, is already narrating five slides ahead. No matter how fast he speaks (and believe me, he’s quick) he just can’t catch up with his brain. 3pm: Will Mars, Free Fringe The Free Fringe encompasses the events you can see without a ticket. Just turn up, listen and throw some money in the bucket. Outside every iconic venue are young promoters delivering Bafta award-winning pitches. Bit of song, bit of dance, a Lady Macbeth suicide… they’ll do anything to catch your attention. ‘You can’t miss this. It’s a masterwork of surrealism!’ ‘She really extrapolates the hypocrisy of human nature.’ It’s like Magaluf for grown-ups, only instead of adult games and free shots, you get free comedy and cheap shots (if you’re in the front row). I take a punt on Will Mars, whose show is in a cloakroom-come-sauna. Dumped by his producer girlfriend for a younger comedian, Smart’s self-effacing, loser brand of comedy has me spilling my pint with laughter. Actually, he’s pretty accomplished (he’s been on TV in America) and hearing about his mid-life crisis is really good fun. Tip: Leave 2-4 hours in your schedule for impromptu acts that just take your fancy. 5.30pm: Stories from History, Book Festival I dive back into the 16th century with Victoria Glendinning as she reads from her novel The Butcher’s Daughter. Next it’s Simon Mayo with his first book for adults Mad Blood Stirring. The show is chaired by the adorable Janet Ellis, who hasn’t aged a day since Blue Peter. Afterwards, it’s selfies and signings. I chat with Simon about his Radio 2 Book club favourites, and give Victoria entirely unqualified advice on which of her book covers looks best. Tip: Meet literary heroes face-to-face, and bring a rucksack for signed hardbacks. 8pm: Midsummer, International Festival I sprint through puddles to The Hub, a gothic revival church, and get a latecomer seat by the stage. Thank goodness it’s not stand-up. Like a slice of cheesecake on a rainy day, Midsummer is bursting with sweetness and joy. Helena has a secret – will it stop her finding love? Bob has £15k in a Tesco bag and a gangster hot on his heels. The whole venue becomes a set as the couple sing and dance their way through a comedy of errors, narrated by their charming older selves. Set in Edinburgh with many familiar references, Midsummer is like watching La La Land and Mamma Mia – it’s Prosecco for the soul. Tip: Highly acclaimed shows sell-out quick. Buy tickets in advance. 11pm: Street theatre, Royal Mile Still on a high, I stroll along the Royal Mile until my path is blocked by a silent disco flash-mob. Like the musical version of the Walking Dead they slide towards me, one group hollering ‘Bismillah! No we will not let you go’, the other singing ‘let him go’. Then just as I'm about to run away, they burst into laughter and twirl around, shopping bags swinging off their elbows. It’s almost 11pm and I remember I've not eaten. Only Bella Italia is still serving food. Tip: Whilst shows go on till 2am many of the restaurants stop serving at 10pm, so don’t forget to eat. 12pm: Best of the Fest, Fringe I queue in the rain for the night’s finale, a smorgasbord of Fringe comics. Compere Jarred Christmas does a sterling job of jollying me along – not a single loo-goer is spared. I meet a magic dragon with a performing chihuahua, a psychotic air-traveller, and an eccentric Etonian, who I peg for future shows. Tip: For a ‘taster’ look for shows with a mixed line-up then book your favourite act the following day. Sunday 1.30pm: Jon Culshaw and Bill Dare: The Great British Take Off, Fringe With shoes still soggy from the night before, I buy an umbrella on Princes Street and head to Edinburgh University Debating Hall to see Jon Culshaw. What a talent! The Dead Ringers star gets every impression spot-on, and he shares an extraordinary tip: to get into character, just put their words to music. Think Trump rapping to ‘Birdhouse in my Soul’ sounds weird? Wait till you hear Blair singing ‘the Wheels on the Bus’ (with actions). After a blazing start, Culshaw’s show has me on the edge of my seat. However, I gradually slip into the back-rest as the all-male cast of impressions becomes less and less relevant. When he gets to Spitting Image, I’m already thinking about the next show. Tip: Not all shows are contain new material, but if nostalgic political satire’s what you’re after, this one’s great. 3.10pm: Casus: You and I, Fringe I queue early and get the front-row for this highly acclaimed performance. As the fledging romance between two male dancers unfolds, tender choreography becomes dazzling derring-do. In gravity-defying madness, and Hulk-like feats of strength, they swing from trapezes and balance on each other’s heads. They climb a pile of chairs balanced two storeys high. ‘No, boys! Get down,’ my maternal instinct screams. I can’t clap. I can’t breathe. The air is tightrope tense… and when they finally leap back down to earth, the audience lets out a collective sigh of relief. Spectacular! 12pm: Various acts, Free Fringe It’s the witching hour and the promoters are off-duty, meaning the comedians are handing out flyers themselves. ‘It’s fine, I won’t be upset if you don’t come to my show... I’ll be REALLY upset.’ Faces I recognise from billboards and lampposts are hustling for an audience. It’s time to see what they’ve got… I'm herded into a creaking attic and squashed onto a velvet bench. In traipse four Canadian comedians, one after the other, from behind the twitching curtain. Two are fantastic, two are shattered, and the last looks longingly at the clock. He’s probably remortgaged his house to be here, and three weeks of shaking a bucket is bound to take its toll. Tip: Late night comedy can be unpredictable, but intimate venues and small audiences make it an unforgettable experience. Monday 10am: Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Art Festival Just 15 minutes from Princes Street, these huge neoclassical buildings feel a million miles away from the city. I explore vivid works by German impressionist Emil Nolde and contemporary artist Jenny Saville. After huddling in dozens of small spaces, the vast scale of the venues and Saville’s sumptuous larger-than-life nudes are just what I need after a jam-packed weekend. For more information on Edinburgh’s festivals see www.edinburghfestivalcity.com
10 TV faces to see at the Edinburgh Fringe 2018
BGT winner Lee Ridley, Humans' Katherine Parkinson and Julie Hesmondhalgh are performing this year
There’s nothing quite like getting up close and personal with your favourite TV stars, and nowhere is the atmosphere more electric than at the Edinburgh Fringe. The month-long performance-frenzy is the largest arts festival in the world, where fresh-faced newcomers tread the boards with the biggest names in entertainment. With over 3,500 shows to choose from at 317 venues, the hardest task is not deciding what to see, but how many flyers you can fit into your backpack, how many steps you can walk before being press-ganged into a pub cellar, and how many shows you can cram into 24 hours (whilst still finding time to eat, sleep and breathe). Here are some familiar faces to whet your appetite. Who's at the Edinburgh International Book Festival 2018 11 plays to see this summer, starring The Crown's Vanessa Kirby, Aidan Turner, Laura Linney, Orlando Bloom and more 1. Katherine Parkinson She may have been in a synth love-triangle in Humans and a receptionist in Doc Martin, but to many Bafta-winning actress Katherine Parkinson will always be Jen Barber, Relationship Manager. The star of the IT Crowd makes her debut at the Fringe with her play Sitting, the tale of three models who sit weekly for portraits and end up sharing stories of love, longing and loss. 2. Ruby Wax The US comedian returns with her one-woman sell-out show Frazzled. A poster girl for mental illness; once crazy, now less so, Ruby Wax gives a tour of the mind – how to use it and not lose it, based on her bestselling book, A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled. 3. Robert Bathurst Downton and Cold Feet actor Robert Bathurst teams up with Rebecca Johnson of The Trip in bittersweet tragicomedy The Song of Lunch. Set in a Soho Italian restaurant, the tale of a disastrous attempt to rekindle lost love is written by Costa Award-winning poet Christopher Reid. 4. Sue Pollard Hi-de-Hi! star Su Pollard goes solo in Harpy, a play commissioned especially for her. In her Edinburgh debut, Su portrays Birdie, a woman with an extreme disorder. Her neighbours call her a harpy and a harridan; they accuse her of lowering the value of their houses, but to Birdie hoarding is something she has to do. Find out why… 5. Jason Donovan From Neighbours heartthrob to actor and DJ, the Aussie export will share his highs and lows in the show Jason Donovan and His Amazing Midlife Crisis. Don’t worry – there’ll be a few songs thrown in, too... especially for you. Find cheap flights to Edinburgh Search hotels and B&Bs in Edinburgh 6. Esther Rantzen Dame Esther Rantzen teams up with daughter, journalist Rebecca Wilcox, to talk careers and family ties. Having spent over 50 years in broadcasting, the star of That's Life, Strictly Come Dancing and I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! has plenty of anecdotes to share in Esther Rantzen: That’s Life. 7. Julie Hesmondhalgh As Hayley Cropper in Coronation Street, Julie Hesmondhalgh had more than her fair share of drama, not only playing the first transgender character in a British serial, but bowing out after 15 years in a traumatic ‘right-to-die’ storyline. See her in a whole new getup (an oversized Bowie t-shirt to be precise) in the love story The Greatest Play in the History of the World… 8. Lee Ridley Britain’s Got Talent winner Lee Ridley might not be able to talk, but with the help of a speech synthesiser, he certainly has something to say. In his show Lost Voice Guy: Inspiration Porn, the star and writer of BBC Radio 4’s new comedy series Ability reveals how he’s become an unintentional porn star because of the inspirational memes that are everywhere these days. 9. Helen Lederer Naked Video and Absolutely Fabulous star Helen Lederer fesses up to what went on in the Big Brother house, as well as spilling the beans on being fat, wheezy and other secrets. But is she being honest? You’ll have to figure that one out for yourself in her solo stand-up show Helen Lederer: I might as well say it. 10. Thrones – a Musical Parody Ok, so the real Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) and Ygrette (Rose Leslie) might be busy planning their wedding, but GOT fans need not despair. A sell-out for three years running, Thrones – a Musical Parody, is updated with new deaths and sexcapades from series 7. With GOT season 8 not scheduled to air until 2019, this might be just the antidote to keep you going. And that’s not all folks… Don’t miss big names in comedy such as Rory Bremner, Paul Merton, Maureen Lipman, Reginald D. Hunter and Dylan Moran, who will all be performing at the Fringe. From the world of children’s entertainment, Once Seen on Blue Peter is a theatrical tribute to the world’s longest-running children’s TV show, starring former Blue Peter presenters Peter Purves, Janet Ellis, Peter Duncan, Mark Curry, Tim Vincent and surprise celebrity guests. Comedy double act Dick and Dom make their Fringe debut with an interactive show featuring games, song and mess, and the UK’s bestselling children’s author Julia Donaldson brings some of her favourite characters to life through songs and puppetry at Underbelly, George Square. Also announced this month was the line-up for the Edinburgh Film Festival, which runs from 20 June to 01 July. In attendance will be Welsh comedian Rob Brydon, English director and writer David Hare and actress Anna Paquin, amongst others. This year the festival will screen 121 new features, including 21 world premieres, from 48 countries across the globe, including the Disney Pixar animation Incredibles 2. Chelsea Clinton, #MeToo pioneer Rose McGowan and other famous faces at the Edinburgh International Book Festival 2018 For more information about Edinburgh's festivals, go to edinburghfestivalcity.com Compare flights to Edinburgh Find best value hotels and B&Bs in Edinburgh
Stay in Agatha Christie's Devonshire holiday home
The author described her holiday home on the River Dart as "the loveliest place in the world" - and turned it into a crime scene
It’s not often you get to stay in a house where a murder took place. Two murders in fact: one in the boathouse, the other on the battery, and both solved by the renowned Monsieur Poirot. So it’s with some trepidation that I arrive late at Greenway, the Devon holiday home of Agatha Christie, which is now owned by the National Trust. It’s dark, there’s no wifi or mobile reception, and mine is the only human heart beating within a mile radius... or so I think. My apartment is on the top floor of the Georgian mansion overlooking the River Dart, and though it’s pitch-black, I can still appreciate the tranquillity that Agatha must have felt when she arrived here for the summer. In the distance I can make out the orange glow of the Ferryboat Inn across the river at Dittisham. I can’t wait to see it all in daylight as it’s described in Dead Man’s Folly: "white and beautiful in its setting of dark trees... A gracious house, beautifully proportioned." Book Greenway Lodge, South Lodge, Greenway Apartment or Ferry Cottage Discover the secrets of the National Trust in a historic cottage The magnolias are in bloom, and I can smell their fragrance as I walk down the driveway, their petals ghostly-white in the moonlight. Bats dart back and forth and as I reach for the key-lock, an owl screeches, making me jumble the numbers. View oEmbed on the source website Eventually I master the code, and climb the winding staircase, past a life-size portrait of Agatha Christie, gracious like her house in a flapper dress, shawl and pearls. The main house is closed off, and the apartment has a separate entrance. Just as I reach the top I hear a cough, then footsteps behind me, followed by the creak of a door. I freeze, my heart racing. I force myself to turn around. At the bottom of the stairs is a young woman with a cat entwined around her ankles. Given that she smiles at me and is wearing a National Trust fleece, I decide she’s neither ghost nor murderer. I’m not, after all, alone on the property. She lives next door, and assures me that if I hear footsteps in the night it’s because Zebedee, her cat, just can’t decide whether to stay in or out. I don’t blame him; the next day I, too, am torn between exploring the house first or the gardens. I decide on the house, keen to get there before the crowds arrive. Agatha Christie’s home is pretty much how it was when she left it to her daughter Rosalind, who then passed it to her son, Matthew Prichard, who gifted it to the National Trust. From the portraits on top of the Steinway piano, to the Harry Potter scarf from Matthew’s grandson, Greenway is a family home filled with happy memories. In her 85 years Agatha Christie wrote more than 80 books, which to date have sold two billion copies worldwide. And it was in Greenway's drawing room that she used to read her latest manuscript to the family, whilst her husband Max dozed in a chair. In the sitting room there are Max’s journals and finds from archaeological digs, which Agatha accompanied him on; she wrote Come Tell Me How You Live in response to questions about their lives during these expeditions. Matthew’s favourite room, however, is the library, which would be unremarkable if it weren’t for the extraordinary frieze, which was painted during the Second World War when the house was requisitioned by the US Coastguard. The library at Greenway (images courtesy of the National Trust) His grandmother would sit in the corner to do her day’s reading (she never wrote at Greenway, only edited). Although the battle images gave Matthew nightmares, she didn’t want the frieze removed as it was a part of the house’s history. In the bedroom is a chest of drawers from Damascus, and Max’s own bed – an early fold-up design – that travelled the world with him, and eventually became Agatha’s bed, too. The house is fascinating, but it’s the grounds of Greenway that I really fall in love with. Once the visitors have gone home, I explore the gardens at dusk, listening to the concert of birdsong, and watching herons fly over the estuary towards Dartmouth and Kingsweir. The footpath down to the river is fringed with monkey puzzle trees, narcissi, camellias and the tallest rhododendrons I’ve ever seen. View of the Dart taken from the grounds at Greenway (photo by Ali Wood) I pass the battery, the site of the murder in Five Little Pigs, and eventually come to Raleigh’s Boathouse, so named because Walter Raleigh, who was half-brother to former owner Sir John Gilbert, was a frequent visitor to Greenway. The boathouse is known to millions of readers as the place where Marlene Tucker was strangled in Dead Man’s Folly. It also appeared in the 2013 film adaptation, which was David Suchet’s last appearance as Poirot. The interior of the boathouse Greenway was chosen as the backdrop for Dead Man's Folly because its rooms are evocative of the 1950s, in which the story is set. Apparently Suchet surprised National Trust staff and visitors by staying in character the whole week. He even popped into the shop, and had his photo taken with the volunteers. That night, as I retire to my apartment, I glance at the row of servants’ bells that I hope (my imagination running wild) don’t ring in the middle of the night. I avoid the stare of the austere woman in the oil painting (not the lovely Agatha), and snuggle up on the sofa watching back-to-back episodes of the Miss Marple DVD collection (Poirot is just a bit too scary). The theme tune whizzes me back to my 80s childhood when I was allowed to stay up late watching the grey-haired sleuth solve the village murder. Having now graduated to Dexter and True Detective, I find Murder in the Vicarage quite therapeutic; like watching an episode of In the Night Garden with my toddler. That said, I still can’t guess the murderer. After another visit to the house and garden, and spending a fortune in the shop on murder mystery memorabilia, it’s time for me to leave Greenway. On my way back home I stop in Torquay and explore the Agatha Christie Literary Trail. This author was born in this seaside resort and spent her honeymoon at the Grand Hotel with first husband Archie Christie. I pass the railway station where Joan Hickson’s Miss Marple and David Suchet’s Poirot met in 1990 for the Centenary Celebrations; and Princess Pier, where Agatha used to go rollerskating. Torquay Museum is home to an Agatha Christie Gallery, and Torre Abbey to her Potent Plants Garden. The Princess Gardens feature in the ABC Murders and the Strand hotel is also recognisable in some of her novels. It’s only a mile-long stretch of seafront, but so much of it played a role in the author’s life. Agatha’s father was a member of the Royal Torbay Yacht Club, and Beacon Cove in front is where Agatha went swimming and once nearly drowned. It’s here that I finish my tour, with a takeaway coffee from the Living Coasts Aquarium next door. I sit on the curved concrete steps and look out to sea, trying to imagine 13-year-old Agatha flailing in the surf as she attempted to keep afloat. What if she’d failed? No Mousetrap, Miss Marple, Poirot or film adaptations of her books (the latest – Murder on the Orient Express – is due out this November). It’s a bleak thought indeed, and I say a silent thank you to the local boatman who hauled her aboard his craft and flushed the water from her lungs with what she described in her autobiography as "a bit of punching". Essentials: The Greenway Apartment sleeps eight guests in four bedrooms on the first and second floors of Agatha Christie’s Greenway House. Prices start at £557 for a three-night stay off-season. Guests have access to the gardens at all times and the house during opening hours. Guests also get free entry to Coleton Fishacre, Compton Castle and Bradley Manor, as well as receiving a discount voucher to be redeemed at the National Trust gift shop. Book Greenway Apartment For more information on Agatha Christie and the area, see the South Devon and English Riviera websites. Alan Titchmarsh's top National Trust days out Discover the secrets of the National Trust in a historic holiday cottage
Discover Beatrix Potter's beloved Lake District - and how she protected it
As a denim-clad Peter Rabbit bounds into UK cinemas, Ali Wood learns that the children's author was a shrewd businesswoman and conservationist
Tucked deep into the folds of a Lakeland hamlet is a 17th century farmhouse that inspired some of the world’s best-loved children’s stories. Hill Top, once the home of Beatrix Potter, saw visitor numbers rocket after the release of Hollywood biopic Miss Potter. Now, over a decade later, the National Trust property is preparing for a new breed of Beatrix fans – the little and loud ones – following the release of Sony’s live-action animation Peter Rabbit. ‘The film is anarchic, and definitely a product of today," says Liz Hunter-MacFarlane of the National Trust. "Peter Rabbit wears a denim jacket and talks about things being 'awesome'. It’s not supposed to be an interpretation of the books, but if it brings people back to rediscover the originals, that’s fantastic." View oEmbed on the source website Sony’s wise-cracking bunny might be a departure from the mischievous rabbit penned in 1902, but the Cumbrian fells, lakes and sleepy slate villages that inspired Beatrix Potter have hardly changed at all. Arriving at Hill Top on a bitter February morning, snowflakes cling to the dormant wisteria, and a frost has gathered on the rhubarb. In the spring the garden will be a riot of lilac and yellow, but today it’s the house, with its low ceilings and crackling log fire, that beckons. Hill Top was Beatrix’s sanctuary; a place where she could grieve the death of her fiancée and escape the confines of her London life. She bought the farm with the royalties from The Tale of Peter Rabbit, and used it as a setting for five more adventures. Stepping inside Hill Top feels oddly familiar – like visiting the home of an eccentric great aunt. As your eyes adjust to the darkness heirlooms emerge from dimly lit corners, instantly recognisable from the books. There’s the stove where Tom Kitten hides, and a dresser which Anna Maria scurries past – a rat in a pinny carrying a wodge of stolen dough. Crouch down and you’ll spot a mousehole and an oak table leg gnawed by tiny teeth. In the first two years of living at Hill Top, Beatrix counted 96 rats. She often quarrelled with her neighbour, whom she immortalised in ink as Farmer Potatoes, and took literary revenge on by sending the rats to live in his barn. Upstairs there’s a dolls house full of items from The Tale of Two Bad Mice, and the landing is where Samuel Whiskers is seen pushing a rolling pin. Everything is just how Beatrix Potter left it; it’s as though she’s just popped out. "It was an old, old house, full of cupboards and passages," writes Beatrix in The Tale of Samuel Whiskers. "Some of the walls were four feet thick, and there used to be queer noises inside them." Alan Titchmarsh's top National Trust days out Discover the secrets of the National Trust in a historic holiday cottage Find a National Trust holiday cottage In 1913 Beatrix married local solicitor William Heelis, and set up home in Castle Cottage across the road. She still worked from Hill Top, but liked to be known by her married name. A clue to her later life lies in the trophies and photos of her prize-winning Herdwick sheep. "It’s almost as if Beatrix Potter and Mrs Heelis are two different people," says visitor experience manager Ioan Waight. "You’ve got a practical lady very deeply involved in farming and land management, yet she has such a strong imagination – the way that she engages with this house and populates it with interesting little characters." With her husband William, Beatrix once again found happiness and would often walk up to Moss Eccles Tarn, a small lake, where she’d go boating and plant waterlilies, which you can still see today. Hill Top and the village of Near Sawrey provided the backdrop for Beatrix’s stories. Anvil Cottage appears in The Tale of Samuel Whiskers, and Meadowcroft, the old village shop, is where Ginger and Pickles takes place. The Puddle-Ducks waddle past Buckle Yeat, and the Tower Bank Arms, now a pub, appears in The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck. In fact, scenes from the village became so recognisable that Beatrix wrote "they [the villagers] are all quite jealous of each other’s houses and cats getting into a book!" One of Beatrix’s old haunts didn't make it into the books: Wray Castle, a Victorian folly built in 1840 by retired surgeon James Dawson. He had it built for his wife, but she took one look at the neo-Gothic house – with its imposing turrets, portcullis and entrance hall – and refused to live there. Fortunately for the literary world, Wray Castle was let out as a holiday home, and it was during a stay here that 16-year-old Beatrix Potter discovered the Lakes. She struck up a friendship with the vicar, Hardwicke Rawnsley, who went on to be a founding member of the National Trust. Rawnsley’s ideas would influence Beatrix throughout her life, and she used her wealth to buy land earmarked for development. "Beatrix recognised that the only way to protect the Lake District was to own it," explains Liz Hunter-MacFarlane. "They didn’t have the protection laws we have today." On her death in 1943, Beatrix Potter bequeathed 4,000 acres, including farms, cottages and flocks of sheep to the National Trust. This lesser known side to Beatrix is explored in a new exhibition "The Right Sort of Woman" at the Beatrix Potter Gallery in Hawkshead. The 17th century building – previously her husband’s law office – contains original sketches, letters and keepsakes highlighting Beatrix’s role in the community. A shrewd businesswoman, she designed and patented the Peter Rabbit doll in 1903 – the world’s first ever licensed character, and by the 1940s had approved a Wedgwood and Royal Doulton range of pottery. "Though Beatrix wasn’t really a supporter of the suffrage movement, she did a lot to empower women, especially in rural communities,’ says Liz. "She supported midwifery services and helped set up the first district nurse association." Beatrix became absorbed in her simple rural life to the extent that by the 1920s she would spend whole days farming. Of her books, she wrote "I am utterly tired of doing them, and my eyes are wearing out." Since 1902 The Tale of Peter Rabbit has been reprinted 300 times, and sold over 40 million copies worldwide. It’s hard to reconcile the author Beatrix Potter with all these other personalities: naturalist (she produced over 500 natural history drawings), conservationist, farmer and social reformer. Yet once you see the landscape that inspired her, it becomes clear that drawing, showcasing and ultimately saving the Lake District was her greatest achievement of all. Where to stay Beatrix Potter, Walter Scott and William Wordsworth are just a few of the guests to have partied at Storrs Hall, a Grade II listed mansion on the shores of Lake Windermere. During the Golden Age of regattas, paddle steamers and lavish moonlit parties, Storrs Hall greeted American tourists carried from Windermere station in charabancs. These days the ambience is a little more relaxed – think afternoon tea in the drawing room by a roaring log fire. Gilded mirrors, oil paintings and imperious stag heads all add to its rural charm, whilst the Rosette-winning menu, Nespresso machines and TVs in the bathroom take decadence well into the 21st century. There are 30 rooms in the mansion house and a new one-bedroom converted Boathouse with steam room, hot tub, fire pit and alfresco dining. Rooms start from £140 per night on a bed and breakfast basis. Rates at The Boathouse start from £480 per night for two guests. Check availability at Storrs Hall To book a Beatrix Potter tour of the Lake District, visit Mountain Goat Tours A night in Agatha Christie’s Devonshire holiday home – Greenway Browse the National Trust's hundreds of holiday cottages
The Mercy: When Colin Firth and Rachel Weisz went to Teignmouth
Discover the delightful South Devon town with a starring role in a film about the ill-fated amateur sailor Donald Crowhurst
Teignmouth’s harbour store had never been so popular as during the filming of Donald Crowhurst biopic, The Mercy. The outbuilding, which doubled as a dressing room for Colin Firth and Rachel Weisz, is a jumble of coiled ropes, reflective clothing and algae-covered channel buoys – an image that’s hard to reconcile with the Hollywood A-listers emerging from a Mercedes with blacked-out windows. "It’s true," says harbour assistant Fred Pierce. "They walked straight out of the car and into the harbour shed. Didn’t even say hello." He points to the spot where Colin Firth left behind a plastic juice bottle. "My neighbour, Pam, three doors down, she’s mad on Mr Darcy. I gave her the bottle and she kept it on her mantelpiece for a fortnight before selling it on eBay." Each time Fred turned up for work there’d be a bunch of women outside cheering as Colin Firth, dressed in vintage oilskins, climbed down a rusty ladder to the pontoon. From there he’d be towed out to his onscreen yacht, the Teignmouth Electron, which was moored by the pier. Firth was playing amateur yachtsman Donald Crowhurst, who gambled everything to take part in the first non-stop round-the-world yacht race, the Sunday Times Golden Globe. Unbeknown to his wife Claire, played by Rachel Weisz, Crowhurst falsified his position reports and fooled the world into thinking he was going to win. It was only when Teignmouth council put up the bunting for his return that his boat was found abandoned in the middle of Atlantic. "It was a very sad story," says harbourmaster Commander David Vaughan. "Quite a lot of effort went into Crowhurst’s return. Everyone was excited. It was a big thing at the time." Crowhurst spent several weeks in Teignmouth preparing for his departure. He held press conferences in local hotels, and had repairs done to the Electron at Giles boatyard, which is now a block of flats. He left on the very last day competition rules allowed, in a boat that wasn’t ready. Local yachtsman Peter Blythe saw him go. "I was running along the beach with the lads and that. He suddenly said he had to go. They said 'go!' He wasn’t even ready. That’s what finished him." View oEmbed on the source website Almost 50 years later, Teignmouth is in the limelight again. The props, the places, even the extras that appear in The Mercy hail from the West Country, but the star of the show is the harbour itself, which is as charming today as when Crowhurst departed in 1969. The town’s narrow streets are bunched together on a peninsula, which is flanked by grand Regency apartments on the seaward side and fisherman’s cottages on the estuary. Unlike its swankier neighbours, Teignmouth remains a traditional fishing harbour where prime real estate is occupied by independents, such as Phyllis’s Seaside Barbers and the Laura Hart gallery, where the artist’s proud mum is happy to have a chat. The town is a quirky, colourful place, with ceramic tiles around guesthouse doorways, butterflies on the side of buildings and carved fish on the traffic-calming bollards. A mural of Donald Crowhurst smiles out from the side of the New Quay Inn, and on another building is a depiction of alternative rockers Muse, who grew up here and played their Seaside Rendezvous gigs by the pier in 2009. Whilst the pier has seen better days, the rest of the seafront is immaculate, with a huge children’s play area, Beachcomber cafe and the new Pavilions Art Centre, which locals hope will treat them to an advance showing of The Mercy. Find B&Bs and guesthouses in Teignmouth "Everyone’s looking forward to seeing the film," says the harbourmaster. "It was filmed within the harbour and all along the seafront. We had to clear all the modern boats out of the way and get classic boats moved in. They dressed things up, and spent a lot of time making the seafront look good." In the window of the local bookshop, a huge poster advertises the book The Last Strange Voyage of Donald Crowhurst. The shop’s owner, Rhona Wyatt, was an extra in the film. "I played a member of the yacht club. It was a great experience. The hair was great. I had it brushed back into a beehive. They said not to wash it, and it was right out here," she says, her arm outstretched. Even if it’s blowing a gale in Teignmouth, with white horses breaking over the promenade, and flecks of foam clinging to taut Union Jack flags, you can still find shelter at the River beach. The ferry to Shaldon (reputed to be the oldest passenger ferry in Britain) runs daily, come rain or shine, and cuts out the lengthy journey over the road bridge. Its owner, Greg Allen, is still trying to figure out how to cash in on the Mercy. "We want to plug the fact that the ferry was running in the days of Donald Crowhurst," he says. "It was actually here, but when I offered the film producers the big ferry they didn’t want it." The ferry lands on the sand in the sleepy village of Shaldon, which overlooks the Teign estuary. With a botanical garden, a quaint zoo, and a choice of beaches, there are options whichever way the wind’s blowing. Head up the hill and you’ll come across an eerie, dimly lit smugglers tunnel, which cuts through the cliff and emerges in a beautiful stony beach. After a bracing walk along the beach, Cafe ODE is the place to warm up with soup of the day or a pulled pork brioche. Waitress Karen explains that all the food is locally sourced: fruit from Riverfood, bread from Totnes and coffee from Helston in Cornwall. Even the meat comes from a local hunter. "We get deer from Holdon forest, and Tim, the owner butchers it. I’m a vegetarian so I stay well away from the kitchen when I know fresh deer is being delivered!" she says. Another dish she won’t be in a hurry to try is Tim’s latest invention, the Crowhurst pie. "It’s based on the Stargazy pie, and made with fish, sand eels and mussels from the Teign River. We’re going to put it on the menu to coincide with the release of The Mercy." For a small South Devon estuary, the Teign has a surprising amount of locally produced food and drink, which you can enjoy on the Taste of the Teign self-guided trail. As well as revealing the location of the mussel and oyster beds, the trail takes in the Red Rock Brewery, known for its craft ales, the Luscombe Farm Shop, where you can buy vegetables picked from the fields above the estuary, and Old Walls vineyard, which is the steepest in England. Here, you can buy wine and enjoy a cream tea at the foot of the slopes, whilst enjoying views of the valley. Where to stay The newly refurbished Cockhaven Arms is located in the quiet village of Bishopsteignton, at the foot of Haldon Moor and overlooking the Teign Estuary. Stylish en-suite rooms start at £90 with breakfast. Food is available all day in the bar and restaurant, much of it locally sourced. Book Cockhaven Arms Find B&Bs and guesthouses in Teignmouth For more information on South Devon, go to: visitsouthdevon.co.uk
Where is Broadchurch filmed? Our guide to the stunning Dorset locations in the ITV drama
Ali Wood went in search of DI Hardy's blue chalet and the cast's favourite ice cream kiosk in West Bay
The show's writer, Chris Chibnall, describes Broadchurch as a "love letter to the scenery of the Jurassic Coast". The cliffs, the sea and the beach all play key roles in the story. Here's how to relive the drama while exploring Dorset's dramatic scenery. Bridport – where the cast stayed Most of the cast stayed in the arty market town of Bridport in a 16th century hotel called The Bull while filming series two, including David Tenant, Olivia Colman and – as I discovered from housekeeping – Will Mellor, who stayed in my very room (203). Matthew Gravelle, who played Joe Miller, stayed elsewhere: he couldn’t be seen in the same hotel as the cast, as people would realise he’d be returning for series two. The hotel hosted wrap parties in the ballroom, laid on early breakfasts and late-night deli boards for the cast, and fended off fans who snuck into the courtyard. While all the cast were approachable, and happy to share a drink with staff and guests, it was Olivia Colman who seemed to win everyone over. “She was so friendly, and just like her on-screen character,” said receptionist Katy Laver. “Ditsy in a way, but clever, too.” “They were all really nice,” added waitress Katherine. “Olivia was friendly, and so was David, although he tended to wear a cap and keep himself to himself a bit more.” One of the highlights of Dorset's social calendar is Bridport Carnival in August. Local Di Thomas explained that when the mayor dropped out of the evening torchlit procession, Olivia Colman jumped in, together with James D’Arcy, who played villain Lee Ashworth. The actors led thousands of people down from Bridport to West Bay, where they lit a bonfire to mark the end of the Bridport Carnival. “She was just wonderful. She loved it,” said Di. “None of us could believe it when we saw who was leading it.” Although the historical market town doesn’t actually feature in Broadchurch, writer Chris Chibnall is from Bridport, and has gone from being a likeable ordinary guy to a local hero (I met his plumber and waitress, among others). His homage to the Dorset Coast includes subtle references to the county’s most famous author novelist and poet, Thomas Hardy. For example, Tennant’s character is called DI Hardy. I asked Di Thomas whether Chibnall took inspiration for the plot from the residents of Bridport. “Gosh, no. Not at all," she exclaimed. "We’re a really happy community. What the show did do for the town is illustrate just how beautiful this part of the coast is. We feel really proud.” West Bay – the beach scenes Half an hour's walk from Bridport is the fishing village of West Bay, where most of Broadchurch’s beach scenes were filmed. In series two, it's the location of Jocelyn Knight’s house, the beach where Jocelyn meets defence lawyer Sharon Bishop, and the blue chalet by the water where DI Hardy lives. In series one, it’s where Danny’s body is found and where Beth Latimer goes jogging. West Bay is tiny – just a handful of shops, cafés and hotels. It was mostly used for exteriors. The high street and many of the interior shots were actually filmed in Clevedon near Bristol. The newsagents and the Sea Brigade Hall West Bay's Harbour News doubles for the newsagents in series one and business has been booming ever since the show aired. Tim Attrill, whose father owns the shop, explained that they’d had customers from New Zealand, Germany, Holland and Denmark – quite a contrast from the newsagents in Broadchurch, which was run into the ground when he became a murder suspect. Seeing the nearby Old Methodist Church, which was dressed as the Sea Brigade Hall for the show, reminded me of the frightening mob scene in series one, where Jack would have been lynched were it not for Mark Latimer’s intervention. Jocelyn's clifftop home After taking a picture of the blue chalet where DI Hardy lives in series two, I climbed the coastal path to the home of lawyer Jocelyn, played by Charlotte Rampling and stopped at the bench where eccentric psychic Steve Connelly, played by Will Mellor, sat. The views were breathtaking. Why on earth did Jocelyn keep her curtains shut? Back down on the seafront, I stopped at this kiosk, which has run by the same lady for 43 years. Charlotte Rampling bought tea here and other cast and crew almost ate her out of ice cream. They’re made in the New Forest and appear in the first episode of series two. The seafront I passed the Ellipse Café, whose interior featured in series one, and stopped to look at the Folly, which provided the exterior for the police station. I then walked along the pretty East Pier, where, in the final episode of series one, Hardy and Miller discussed their future with the memorable "former detective club" line. From here, there is a superb view of Harbour Cliff Beach – but don't get too close to the cliff-edge, there's a stomach-churning drop and the grass grows right to the edge. I noticed two coastguards having a coffee at the kiosk. "Once you go over there, there’s no coming back,” one of them said. It turned out he was Chris Chibnall’s plumber, and the other was the son of the film producer who made the Nick Berry series Harbour Lights, also filmed in West Bay. “It’s just one of those parts of the coast that there’s so much natural beauty it lends itself to film." The beach where Danny’s body was found The carpark for Harbour Cliff Beach, where Danny Latimer’s body was found, was used as the production headquarters for Broadchurch, and the little café nearby, The Seagull, did a roaring trade serving the crew and onlookers. “We were running at capacity,” said the owner Christina. “We could only just cope. It wasn’t just the crew but all the tourists who kept coming down here to watch the filming!” Christina met quite a few of the cast and told me Pauline Quirke was lovely. She’d often meet her walking her dog, which was the actual dog in the show. Apparently Pauline fell in love with West Bay so much she’s bought a flat on the seafront. I can understand why: the beach is breathtaking, as are the spectacular burnt sienna-coloured cliffs. East along the beach sits the Freshwater Beach Holiday Park, the setting of the caravan owned by creepy Susan Wright (Pauline Quirke). For the latest news and expert tips on getting the best deals this year, take a look at our Black Friday 2021 and Cyber Monday 2021 Last, but not least… the murder hut. During my day spent pestering the good people of West Bay, I hadn’t once come across the murder hut. This was baffling, as it was surely just up on the clifftop where DI Hardy went walking, and Pauline did the cleaning? But when I reached the top (calves aching), the hut wasn’t there. I returned to my favourite ice cream kiosk and discovered its location was Eype, a mile to the west. As promised, there was the pretty blue hut where Danny spent his last moments in the company of evil Joe Miller. It’s also the backdrop of the final cast photo – everyone alive again and smiling. Go to visit-dorset.com for more information
As My Cousin Rachel arrives in cinemas, Ali Wood explores the charming little town where she lived and is entranced by the real Manderley
There’s a buzz of excitement in Fowey ahead of the release of My Cousin Rachel. The bookshop, run by du Maurier enthusiast Ann Willmore, is busier than normal, and its window is stacked with glossy new editions of the 1951 novel, featuring Rachel Weisz on the cover. "It’s been a very long time since anything of Daphne’s was made for the cinema," says Ann. "Some will be looking at the film with trepidation, but just think what it could do for her if people really love it." Sitting at the mouth of an estuary, Fowey is Daphne du Maurier’s hometown and has attracted her fans for years. Even Daphne’s husband, Major Frederick Browning, was drawn to the area after reading her debut novel, The Loving Spirit. He sailed the coast on his motorboat Ygdrasil until he found her, and three months later they were married at Lanteglos church. The countryside Daphne explored as a young woman features in many of her novels, at first with fictional names, like the boatyard in The Loving Spirit, but later with real names such as the farms in My Cousin Rachel. By the time Daphne wrote the House on the Strand – the book most people ask for in Fowey – the places are exactly as you find them today. Her world of mysterious creeks and wreckers’ coves, bleak moors and gothic mansions really exists, and has changed little over the years and makes south Cornwall an idyllic base for a family holiday. Fowey from above We visit with my three young children on the night of an electric storm so fierce it shakes our mobile home. We’re staying at Par Sands, a peaceful beach resort just west of Gribbin Head and the Menabilly estate, which appears as the Barton in My Cousin Rachel, and Manderley in Rebecca. By morning the storm’s blown away and when we head to Readymoney Cove, the sun’s shining and the water is calm enough for the kids to swim. During the Second World War, Daphne and her children spent a year here at Readymoney Cottage, the former coach house to Point Neptune, a grand 40-bed Italianate mansion across the road. When I look at Point Neptune’s gates, I catch my breath, for anyone who’s read the famous first paragraph of Rebecca will know exactly what I’m looking at: "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again. It seemed to me I stood by the iron gate leading to the drive, and for a while I could not enter..." Point Neptune's gates Sadly, what lies behind is not actually Manderley, but Dawn French’s house. The real mansion that inspired the setting of Rebecca is three miles away. I don’t get long to admire the gates as the kids are already stripping off and sprinting down to the cove, which is where I leave them with their dad while I sneak off for a walk in the footsteps of Daphne du Maurier. The temperature drops as I enter the woods, which are still damp from last night’s storm. The moss-fringed path is slippery underfoot and the sun is blotted out by ferns and vines. It’s not until I emerge on the cliff by St Catherine’s Castle that the bay reappears, glistening turquoise below. There must be 50 yachts out racing, their spinnakers a blaze of colour as they gybe downwind towards the harbour. Like the heroine in Rebecca, Daphne loved sailing. She had a boat of her own and was never happier than on the water. She wasn’t always a countrywoman, though. Born in London in 1907, Daphne was privately educated and attended finishing school in Paris. It wasn’t until her family bought a holiday home in Boddinick, overlooking the River Fowey, that she discovered Cornwall. The house, known as Ferryside, is where she first began writing, and is still the home of her son Kits Browning (see main picture). The coastal path, which didn’t exist in Daphne’s day, lies at the bottom of the Menabilly estate. As I chat with a dog-walker in a field of wildflowers and gorse, I imagine her doing the same, and gleaning some historical nugget that she’d later immortalise in print. It was on one of these hikes, with her sister Angela, that Daphne ventured inland and discovered the empty, neglected house at Menabilly. It was owned by the Rashleigh family and for the next 15 years she pleaded with them to lease it to her, which they eventually did in 1942. Still privately owned, Menabilly is impossible to see from the land, which perhaps adds to its near-mythical status. Helen Luther, the curator of Fowey Museum, is one of the lucky few to have visited the house. "I remember going to Menabilly as a very small child and playing on Tommy’s boat, Iggy, which was at the bottom of the garden. The house was lovely – though we did hear stories about it being haunted by a blue lady." Helen’s father was friendly with Daphne Du Maurier and helped with her medical research. In the museum there's a copy of the House on the Strand, in which he appears as the doctor. Daphne signed the book to him: "with much love from your schizophrenic and devoted friend". Fowey's waterfront The fascinating Fowey Museum is a must-see for du Maurier fans, as are several other sites in Fowey, which I discover with Blue Badge tour guide Lynn Gould, who does walks at the annual Daphne du Maurier festival. "As a guide, I feel I’m not interpreting Daphne du Maurier’s books, but interpreting the countryside to make people aware of what she’s writing about," says Lynn. She stops from time to time to read passages from Daphne’s books, and tells me of one occasion when the scene actually came to life. "I was reading a piece from the King’s General," she recalls. "There was a buoy out to sea and a smudge of a sail just as she wrote it. I’m looking at the people and saying 'the swans thrash their way out to sea', and just as I did the swans on the lake took off. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. What is Daphne trying to tell me? I wondered. It was quite eerie!" We have no ghostly experiences today, but I really do feel closer to the author with every landmark Lynn points out. There’s the Fowey Hotel, where she met with writer and academic Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch, and his home, the Haven, where he lived with his daughter Foy, a friend of Daphne’s. We continue along the Esplanade, passing the former private school where her daughters went, and walk towards the centre of the village. Fowey is picture-book Cornwall. Its narrow, winding streets are lined with white fisherman’s cottages with daisies bursting out of stone walls. There are palm-trees and monkey-puzzles in the gardens, and echiums that grow 10ft high in the verges. They’re self-seeded, Lynn tells me. If you try to grow them you’ll fail; but if you don’t want them, you’ll have a whole cluster of them in your garden. Fowey’s streets were clearly designed before the motorcar, as on more than one occasion I’m forced to leap for safety into someone’s doorway as a Landrover Discovery trundles by. Thankfully, there’s not too much traffic because there’s a large car park on the outskirts of town. We stop at St Fimbarrus Church, which is featured in the novel My Cousin Rachel. "Can you imagine: Philip is worshipping here, while Rachel is having her secret assignation with Rainaldi in the back room of the pub next door," says Lynn. "You can imagine all the dark wood panelling and red furnishings lit by candlelight." I look around, baffled because there’s no sign of any pub – just a war memorial. Lynn smiles, and explains that there used to be a pub here called the Rose and Crown, but it was knocked down in 1810 after its owner was hanged for murder. "Daphne du Maurier was really very good at historical research. She obviously worked out what was here at the time and used it," she says. View oEmbed on the source website Leaving the church, we head down to the Ship Inn, a former merchant's house owned by the Rashleigh family. In Frenchman’s Creek, the heroine Dona, dressed as a cabin boy, knocks on the front door to summon Rashleigh to his ship in Fowey Haven. The main setting for Frenchman’s Creek is 50 miles to the west on the Helford River, where Daphne spent her honeymoon on the motorboat Ygdrasil. I don’t make it as far as Frenchman’s Creek, but the following day I experience a similar landscape, "hidden from the eye’s of men", while kayaking with Encounter Cornwall in Golant. Here, just a few miles north of Fowey, the estuary is tranquil and perfectly still, except for the ripples from my paddle as we row past miles of ancient woodland, once used for shipbuilding. We stop for a coffee at the pretty village of Lerryn then head back, spotting herons, kingfishers and an abandoned settlement from the days when Cornwall was built for passage by sea. As I reluctantly pull my kayak ashore, I learn that it was this stretch of river that inspired Kenneth Grahame to write Wind in the Willows. "Believe me young friend," says Ratty to Mole, "there is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats." I have to agree, and I’m sure Daphne du Maurier did, too. Later, I join the family for afternoon tea at the Fowey Hotel, where Grahame’s letters are on display. Written to his young son on the hotel’s headed paper, they tell the riverbank tales that would later develop into his much-loved books. A table is laid for us with the most beautiful china and a view overlooking the estuary. But the kids are restless, so we take tea in the garden instead where they run wild while we enjoy the Cornish sunshine. A seagull eyes my scone, and the moment we leave he snatches it from the table, reminding me of du Maurier’s story The Birds, which Alfred Hitchcock adapted into film, only he used crows instead of gulls. We spend the remainder of our holiday exploring the beaches at Polkerris (which is Poldrea in Rule Britannia) and Polridmouth, where Daphne stood on the beach for the last time before she died in 1989. Both are tantalisingly close to Menabilly, but the nearest you can get to the house is by renting Polridmouth Cottage, which was the inspiration for the boathouse in Rebecca. From here, I’m told by a Daphne du Maurier fan who stays there, you can "knock on the door of the big house for the keys". On our last day in Cornwall, there’s just one more place to visit, though I have misgivings when we pull off the busy A30 and arrive at the same time as a coach tour. Jamaica Inn, a 45-minute drive from Fowey, is the setting of Daphne’s fourth novel, a sinister tale of murder, shipwrecks and smuggling. Daphne discovered it while out riding with Foy on Bodmin Moor. Lost in fog, they let their horses run freely, and found themselves at the 18th-century coaching inn. Jamaica Inn These days it’s a tourist attraction with hotel rooms, a gift shop, museum, and "photo opportunity" with wax figures of Mary Yellan and the albino vicar of Altarnum. We have coffee and the kids play in the pirate ship outside, and then we head home, box ticked. Though I’m glad to have finally seen Jamaica Inn, it’s Menabilly – or Manderley – that I’m in love with. The stunning coves, the cliff-top walks, the wildflowers and the fields... even Dawn French’s front gate has cast a spell on me. And though I’ve never actually seen the house, it was without doubt the most exciting place of all. I guess some things are just best left to the imagination. Essentials: A week in a Par Sands static home starts at £225. On-site facilities include an indoor swimming pool, adventure playground and Italian restaurant. For details see parholidays.co.uk. For more information on holidays in Cornwall see visitcornwall.com. For kayaking tours visit encountercornwall.com. My Cousin Rachel is in cinemas on 9 June Radio Times Travel: Find a cottage in Cornwall Whether you want to stay in a romantic hideaway or invite the extended family and their dogs, our properties offer something special for everyone. To book a holiday or for more information, please call 0345 268 9424 or visit radiotimes.com/cottages
The T2 Trainspotting guide to Edinburgh - a nightclub, a car park and Harvey Nichols
As the sequel to Trainspotting is released on DVD, Ali Wood takes a tour of the Scottish capital's lesser known sights
The dance floor is like a Rubik’s Cube: all flashing coloured squares arranged around a silver DJ booth. I imagine it’s changed a bit since the Queen danced here in the 40s, though I wonder if her heels stuck to the floor, too. I feel far too old to be in a nightclub, but this isn’t just any club. This is the Cav; Edinburgh’s largest nightclub, which stars in T2 Trainspotting. I’m here for an alternative tour of the city that inspired Irvine Welsh. T2 is an adaptation of his book Porno and the follow-up to Trainspotting. Edinburgh features in both films, but plays a much bigger role in T2, with over 50 locations filmed over a three-month period. Of all the locations, it was the Cav that attracted the most attention. The club was used for the dance floor flashback to the Trainspotting cast in their youth. Thousands of people queued in the rain to be extras, and those that made it were coached by the director himself, Danny Boyle. "He was like a big, friendly headmaster", says the Cav’s general manager Mark Cameron. "They couldn’t get the second verse of Radio Gaga, even though we had the words on the screen. Danny got on the microphone and said 'Is this really the best you can do? Come on guys, this is forever. You’ll be showing this to your grandkids.'” My hotel beckons, but before I go there’s one more location to visit – one that made it to cinema billboards across the globe... the toilets! The inspiration for the official T2 Trainspotting poster, and the scene where Begbie recognises Renton’s voice. They’re possibly the most famous toilets in cinema. Begbie and Renton enjoy a reunion in the Cav's toilets As I leave the Cav, I think back to the original Trainspotting where Renton gets a cab home with Diane. Imagine my surprise when I return to the literary-themed Hotel Indigo to find that very scene printed on the wallpaper above my bed. "Where are you going, Diane?" asks Renton. "I’m going home," she replies. "Where’s that?" "It’s where I live." These are the last words I read before I drift off to sleep. Who needs a Kindle? The next morning I wake to a view of Edinburgh Castle and rows of grand Georgian buildings that spill down the hillside into Princess Street Gardens. I meet with tour guide Onya Attridge, who takes me to the location at the very top of Danny Boyle’s wish list; the first place he asked Film Scotland to find. Not the Royal Mile or Holyrood Palace. No, somewhere far more important – it’s Castle Terrace car park, where Begbie chases Renton after leaving the nightclub in T2. "Danny Boyle looked at every car park in the city, but he said it absolutely had to be this one," says Rosie Ellison of Film Edinburgh. "He loved the stairs and the shape of it." Rosie liaised with Danny and his team of location scouts for several months. He already knew what Edinburgh looked like, so it was the more unusual places that required her assistance, including "the worst pub in the world" to play Sick Boy’s bar the Port Sunshine. "I got quite competitive with that one because I knew they were also talking to Glasgow film office," she says. "I was going, 'this is ours, this is ours. Come on, we can do it!'. In the end it was a composite, but they did use one out near Edinburgh prison and a little bit of the Central Bar down in Leith." Throughout filming, Danny Boyle tried to keep everything as natural as possible, though there was one scene – where Spud is almost hit by a car on Calton Road – when he asked a crane to stop work for an hour. None of Edinburgh’s streets were closed, and the locals became accustomed to Ewan et al sprinting through their city. Onya was one of the many locals to watch Robert Carlyle negotiate the circular staircase of Castle Terrace car park. She lost use of her resident’s parking permit during filming and not for the first time. Castle Terrace isn't on most tourist itineraries "I used to live in the Old Town, which is used a lot for filming as it’s so bonny," she says. "One Valentine's Day I remember them filming Filth – another Irvine Welsh. My boyfriend woke me up with a bottle of champagne and I sat by the window watching James McAvoy running up the street. It was a lovely day for me!" With so many narrow side streets branching off the Royal Mile, Edinburgh is great for filming chase scenes. Begbie and Renton split at one of these, then meet again at Cockburn Street, where filming also took place recently for the new Avengers movie. But perhaps the most memorable running scene in T2 Trainspotting is when Spud and Renton jog up the dramatic basalt cliffs of Salisbury Crags towards Arthur’s Seat, the highest point in Edinburgh. "It was the most beautiful day," recalls Rosie. "They were slapping the suncream on Ewan Bremner and Ewan McGregor and all the crew got sunburnt. Everyone was out running that day, I thought: do they realise they’re running into a film set – they’re running right past Danny Boyle!" Arthur's Seat seen from Salisbury Crags After a walk up Arthur’s Seat to admire the city views, it’s time for some refreshment. When I find out that Harvey Nicks makes it onto the T2 itinerary, I say a silent thank you to Danny Boyle. My clubbing days might be over, but there’s always room for cocktails. We head for the fourth floor and take a table with views overlooking St Andrew’s Square. I learn from the waiter that the cartoon crime spree sequence featuring Renton and the gang is actually repurposed from a Harvey Nichol’s ad campaign. The store’s 2015 advert used security footage of real-life thieves with cartoon heads under the slogan “Love Freebies? Get them legally.” But that’s not why we’re here. Harvey Nichols’ Forth Floor restaurant is where Renton delivers his "Choose Life" monologue, a scene that apparently took 18 takes and lots of discussion. "You’re an addict, so be addicted. Just be addicted to something else," says Renton in the scene, a reminder of where Trainspotting began all those years ago – in the dark, drug-fuelled tenement buildings of Leith. The port town of Leith has undergone the biggest transformation since Trainspotting was released in 1996. As well as being the hometown of Irvine Welsh (he wrote his first book there whilst working for the council), Leith is where tour guide Onya grew up. "I’ll never forgive my parents for making me live here," she says the following day as we walk down Great Junction street. "You could count the drops of blood on the pavement between pubs." Leith is enjoying a revival. Harbourside penthouses are shooting up near tenement blocks and Michelin-starred restaurants near working men’s pubs. The old whisky storage warehouses have been converted into flats, and new-builds are made to look like warehouses. Nowadays Onya prefers it to Edinburgh’s Old Town and considers herself a "Leither" through and through. We stop at the modern apartment building where Sick Boy lives with Veronica in T2. I’m surprised to see the scrapyard really exists and a crane is busy crushing cars outside, the only noise in an eerily quiet part of town. From there we pass the Tesco that used to be Leith Central Station, the lifeblood of the town. "It was just a four-minute train journey into the city centre," says Onya. "When they closed it down they ripped the heart out of Leith." Nearby is the Central Bar, whose cellar is used as the location for Begbie and Sick Boy’s reunion in the Port Sunshine. Onya looks concerned when I pop my head in. I gather this isn’t a pub for outsiders, but I can’t help but admire the red bricks, long mirrors and tiled artwork that are virtually unchanged from the late 19th century. It’s 11am on a Tuesday morning and it’s busier than my local on a Friday night. Enough said. The exterior of the Port Sunshine in T2 is actually a pub in Glasgow, but the name is a nod to another nearby Leith drinking institution, the Port O’Leith, which recently closed down, breaking many a local’s heart. "It was a very rough pub. You’d have to be extremely drunk to enjoy yourself and not feel terrified," says Onya fondly. "It’s the kind of place where you’d find Begbie." All is calm at upmarket Leith Shore We finish our tour of Leith on the cobbled streets of the Shore, which is home to a creative community, independent galleries, shops and cafes. Lunch is at Cafe Tartine, a chic brasserie with wingback chairs, screen-printed cushions and fairy lights hanging from green steel joists. The restaurant was used to film an argument outside between Renton and Sick Boy, which attracted the attention of passersby. The customers are perfectly behaved today – there’s a business lunch, a couple of guys with laptops and us eating baked fillet of ling. It’s hard to imagine that the tenements just 10 minutes away were heroin shooting galleries, their users the victims of an HIV epidemic, and the inspiration for one of Britain's biggest cult movies. This is one city tour I’ll never forget. T2 Trainspotting is released on DVD, Blu-Ray and 4K Ultra HD is available now. Visit Sony at sony.co.uk and facebook.com/T2Trainspotting For more on Edinburgh film tours, see edinburgh.org and visitscotland.com Radio Times Travel Edinburgh Christmas markets and shopping, 2 nights from £179pp. Join us in fabulous Edinburgh this Christmastime, and get your Christmas shopping off to a flying start. With fantastic shops along world-famous Princes Street and in nearby Ocean Terminal, Christmas Markets packed with seasonal gifts and entertainment, and wonderful sights all within easy reach, the 'Athens of the North' makes the perfect festive break. What's included: A city sightseeing tour Coach transfers to the Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre Two nights' bed and Scottish breakfast accommodation in a good hotel in the Edinburgh area Click here for more details and to book
The Spanish city of Girona had some spectacular cameos in season six of the hit HBO drama
Girona has become one of Spain’s hottest destinations since appearing in season six of Game of Thrones. This historic walled city of cathedrals, churches, winding alleyways, and towering arches has changed little over the centuries, and proved the perfect backdrop for Braavos. With regular budget flights from the UK, Girona is also an easy weekend getaway if you'd like to follow in Arya Stark's footsteps. Girona Cathedral – Jaime Lannister braved its staircase on horseback Girona is now in negotiations with HBO about the possibility of filming season seven in the city, though Councillor for Culture, Carles Ribas, says nothing has been agreed yet. The Girona Film Office has already attracted other offers since the city's Game of Thrones debut and you can certainly see why. Below is our guide to Arya's new home. Be warned: there are spoilers! Episode 1 In episode one, we see Arya Stark, now blind, begging in the streets of Braavos and being attacked by the Waif. She's in the Medieval Quarter, behind Girona Cathedral, on a street called Bisbe Cartaña, near the atmospheric Jardins de la Francesa. During filming, Arya’s stunt-double was reported to be seen running away from a knife-wielding waif on the Sant Marti Steps, so it looks like her persecution is set to continue. What to do in Girona (after you've found all the Game of Thrones locations) Episode 2 In this episode, the Waif returns to attack Arya, then Jaquen H'gar appears to test her. "If a girl says her name the man will give her her eyes back," he says. "A girl has no name," replies Arya. It seems this is the right answer as Arya follows him through an archway and when she reaches for her bowl he tells her "A girl is not a beggar anymore." Again, Arya is in Calle del Bisbe Cartaña. Local tour guide Carles Pongiluppi explains: "When you see Arya fighting with sticks, you see clearly the cathedral in the background, or the frame of a door leading into a garden, or some steps with a few market stalls and a net over the street to provide some shade. It depends on the position of the camera, but it's always the same spot." Watch the scene again Map of the zone affected by filming; Calle del Bisbe Cartaña is in orange next to Jardins de la Francesa Episode 5 Girona’s festival square Plaça dels Jurats makes an appearance in episode five, as an outdoor theatre in Braavos. Amidst a huge crowd, Arya looks on in amusement as actors portray the rise and fall of the Lannister family, but this quickly turns to heartache as she sees a parody of her own father, Ned Stark, being beheaded. In real life this plaza close to Sant Pere de Galligants is also used for theatre and concerts. When it was advertised that Game of Thrones was looking for extras, thousands of fans turned up to audition, both in Girona and the Spanish city of Tudela. One of these was a friend of museum worker, David Gonzales. “Everybody wanted to be a part of it, but they were quite strict: no tattoos, no glasses, no crazy hair, so a lot of people in Girona couldn’t do it,” he told us. Those that did make it through will no doubt be replaying last night's episode to see if they made the final cut! Episode 6 Girona Cathedral steals the show in episode six when Jaime Lannister has a showdown with the High Sparrow. This time Girona stands in for King’s Landing, having earlier been the setting for the outdoor theatre in Braavos. A crowd of commoners waits eagerly for Queen Margaery to do the walk of atonement, when Jaime, backed by Tyrell soldiers, thunders up the cathedral steps on horseback. “Every last Sparrow will die before Margaery Tyrell walks down that street,” Jaime threatens, but it’s too late; the High Sparrow reveals Margaery has already paid for her sins because she persuaded her husband, the king, to join the faithful. Already the most photographed building in Girona, the cathedral’s new celebrity status is well deserved. A mix of styles from Romanesque to Neo-classical, it has a 23m Gothic nave and the widest rib-vaulted space in the world. Apparently, it took Jaime’s stunt-double several days to train the horse to climb the 91 cathedral steps. After filming, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, the actor who plays Jaime, thanked the people of Girona in a tweet. He said the city was great and the cast were made to feel welcome. “Great local crew, great extras, great food,” he said. Episode 7 Are we to say farewell to Girona? The city that mainly stands in for Braavos (except for a brief stint last week as King’s Landing) appears again in episode seven, but we see Arya booking her passage to leave. She is almost thwarted by a sweet old lady who turns out to be the Waif in disguise, and stabs her three times. Fortunately, Arya manages to fling herself over the bridge into the canal below. Let’s hope she survives! The turquoise sea in the distance would technically be the Costa Brava, but in reality the nearest beach is a 20-minute drive away. Needless to say the enormous statue of Titan guarding Braavos harbour doesn’t exist in Girona either, but there is a famous lioness statue in Plaça de Sant Feliu. It’s traditional to kiss its bottom! 10 best Game of Thrones filming locations in Croatia Episode 8 Girona’s Arab Baths are brought back to life in steamy splendour this episode during an explosive fight sequence between Arya and the Waif. In her toughest battle yet, Arya bursts through the Romanesque columns fleeing the Waif, whilst around her, disrobed men look on in astonishment. Girona's Arab Baths Built in the 12th century to imitate medieval Muslim baths, this series of cold, warm and hot rooms was once the meeting place of Girona’s wealthiest socialites. In the 15th century, it became part of the adjoining Capuchin convent. No spa days for the devout nuns, though; it became their kitchen and pantry until it was restored in the early 20th century. You can no longer bathe at the Arab Baths like the men of Braavos, but they are open to the public and well worth a visit. Another familiar Girona landmark is the Sant Marti and Sant Domenec steps, which Arya takes a tumble down, among an upended basket of oranges. According to residents, this was a top-secret area during filming and was closed off entirely, which wasn't popular with the university students who had to take a detour to get to their campus. “Not everyone was happy about Game of Thrones filming,” says student Anna Bayo. “I know people who needed ID cards to get into their own homes, and had the view outside their window obscured by boards.” In general though, Girona residents were thrilled about hosting such a popular franchise on their home turf. “People were very excited, “ museum worker David Gonzales told me. “We have seen all the seasons. Yes, for sure we have watched from the beginning. A lot of fans have been visiting, people were in the casting for extras, and Game of Thrones merchandising has appeared in many of the shops.” Episode 10 Talk about going out with a bang; Girona’s 900-year-old cathedral literally explodes onto the screen in the breathtaking finale of season six. Doubling as the Great Sept, the cathedral is blown to pieces in a vengeful plot concocted by Cersei, killing everyone inside, including the High Sparrow and Margaery Tyrell. There’s more to come. Having already stood in for Braavos and King’s Landing, Girona now lends its ancient bricks to Oldtown in the shape of the Benedictine monastery Sant Pere de Galligants. In GoT, it doubles as the citadel where the Maesters are trained. The elegant 11th century Romanesque building appears as vast and empty on screen as it does in reality – the tiny desk at which the Maester greets Sam and Gilly only accentuates this. Just as Sam is spellbound by the immense library attached to the citadel, visitors to Girona can gape at the amazing exhibits of the monastery’s adjoining Archaeology Museum. Dating from Paleolithic to Roman times, these include tools, textiles, pottery, and even a replica hominid skull. This little city has worked hard to get itself on the map and there are many more buildings, streets and historic sights that are yet to have their day in Hollywood. Here’s hoping we’ll see some more in season seven. Radio Times Travel Barcelona, Girona and the highlights of Catalonia, 6 nights from £649pp. What's included: Return flights Six nights bed and breakfast in excellent quality four-star hotels Visit to Tarragona, the ancient Roman capital Visit to the world famous monastery at Montserrat Visit to a Cava vineyard and discover the ancient art of wine making Visit to the beautiful medieval city of Girona Guided tour of Barcelona - Spain's most happening city! Extra: pre-book a hot air balloon ride in Barcelona Click here for more details to book