London’s food scene is heating up. Jane Eggington reports…

A Welsh village is hoping to woo cash rich Chinese tourists by building a £50 million purpose built holiday resort, where signs will be in Mandarin and staff will be familiar with Chinese customs.

We understand that many of you will be struggling to find things to do with your kids today, as a result of the strikes in many schools across the country. Here’s a few fab ideas…

Lonely Planet, the travel guide publisher, lets us in on the world’s most romantic spots

I kid you not!

A few weeks ago, I took a trip back in time: 330 million years ago, during the Lower Carboniferous – Britain was located just south of the equator and Derbyshire was a series of tropical seas, crisscrossed by deep water gulfs, shallow lagoons with fringing and patch reefs.

On sale today go tickets for the 2012 London Olympics. And you have only 499 days to wait for the events. Or you could opt for the true Olympics, those held in the Shropshire village of Much Wenlock. It is 160 years this year since the first games were held there so beating those other ones to be held in London next year by at least 40 years. So important are these games that London Olympics has called one of their mascots ‘Wenlock’ in honour of the village.

Today is the start of British Tourism Week. There are hundreds of events over the coming week, most starting on Monday but today is the big launch day with the follow up top last year’s very successful lighted beacons which stretched the length of Hadrian’s Wall. This year it is the party on the pier and it all begins in Weston-super-Mare.

About 30 minutes outside Newcastle as you drive west towards Carlisle, you come across Hexham. It’s more than just a market town, Here is one of the most significant Christian sites in English history. It was here that Wilfred founded his abbey just a few miles south of Hadrian’s Wall. Why he picked such a place I don’t know. Why you should pick the town for a days’ visit is easier to explain.

[ September 24, 2011; ]
Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcestershire

[ June 18, 2011 to June 19, 2011. ] http://www.threecounties.co.uk/threecounties/index.html
Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcs, WR13 6NW Adult £15.30; on the day £18.00
Senior Citizen (65+) £13.60; on the day £16.00
Child (5-15 years) £4.80; on the day £6.00
Family (2 Adults & 3 Children) £35.70; on the day £42.00

[ April 21, 2011; 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. ]
The Malvern Showground, Worcestershire, WR13 6NW
Tickets: £5; free parking

[ May 14, 2011 to May 15, 2011. ]
Three Counties Showground, MALVERN, Worcestershire. WR13 6NW.
adults £29.50; members £27. advance transactions have a £1.50 booking fee

[ July 24, 2011; 10:00 am to 6:30 pm. ]
Tatton Park, Knutsford, Cheshire
non members only 21st-24th July
In advance, members £19.50 (apart from opening day) non members:
£23
On the day: £28

[ July 10, 2011; 10:00 am to 7:30 pm. ]
Hampton Court Palace, Hampton, Surrey
Non-members can only visit from 7-10th May
prices vary based on members/non-members and time of day

[ May 28, 2011; 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. ]
Royal Hospital, Chelsea, London
entry prices vary depending on day and time: see website for details

In just six short years, Format has established itself as one of the most appealing international photography festivals. Is it in some exotic photoshoot destination replete with natural wonders of staggering beauty and jaw-dropping sites? No, its based in Derby.

According to the new Lonely Planet edition of its guide to the South west, this region has overtaken the rest of the UK for its culinary appeal. Only London can rival it the guide says. Those of us who have been regular visitors to Cornwall, Devon and Somerset have long known that good food was there to be found in abundance. And not just in Michelin starred restaurants either although the guide tends to highlight these.

You have until September to visit the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth where you can see what might be the oldest birch bark canoe in existence.. After then it will be going back to Canada where further research can be done on its origins.

When Visit Stoke, the tourism body for the city sent us a press release calling Stoke the ceramics capital wonder of the world, the first thought was how they had one this award. Had ceramicists across the world nominated the town? Had collectors of fine china voted in huge numbers so that other centres around the world were defeated? No, it was none of these. They had decided to christen themselves with the title. The first thought was this was a tad arrogant. The second was more thoughtful. Stoke has an extraordinary good case to the title.

The menus from outer space

Vanessa Collingridge has travelled the world from the frozen Antarctic to Tahiti. Here, the renowned geographer, explorer, author and presenter shares her experiences with CD Traveller and reveals why Scotland will always hold a special place in her heart

We’ve teamed up with Alastair Sawday to bring you Britain’s best boozers

CD Traveller has teamed up with Alastair Sawday to pick the pubs that offer not only flavoursome beer but fine – locally sourced –food, handsome accommodation and the warmest of welcomes. Is there a better way to while away an afternoon?

With Holocaust Memorial Day on the horizon (January 27), CD-traveller spoke to Holocaust survivor Hermann Hirschberger – now in his 80s – about the reality of life in Nazi Germany, the persecution of the Jewish community and the desperation to escape to a new life in England