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Northumberland is the ‘Land of the Far Horizon’ and England’s most northerly county. It was once a place of industrial innovation and manufacturing, literally fuelled by the coal brought up from its depths. Now Northumberland is a quieter place, loved by residents and visitors alike for its rolling hills and long, sandy beaches, as well as its charming towns and villages.

With this book in hand, meet Grace Darling, a Victorian heroine who took to storm-tossed seas to help rescue survivors of a terrible shipwreck; visit Amble, the ‘Friendliest Port’, and discover its connection to the Mauretania, once the fastest passenger ship to sail the Atlantic; and take in Turner’s View, an atmospheric stretch of coastline that was a lifelong inspiration to Britain’s greatest landscape painter.

You can also take a walk to the top of Cheviot, the county’s highest mountain and what was once a massive and very active volcano; and then top it off in the tranquil setting of St Cuthbert’s Island, where the eponymous saint went to get away from the strangely hectic whirl of monastic life.

Written by a proud northerner, this book will help you discover the more offbeat corners of Northumberland, and appreciate its many treasures.

Manchester is far more than a grey provincial city preoccupied with the business of making money. The bales of cotton goods awaiting export have gone from the grand warehouses styled like palaces, and the cotton mills no longer hum with the sound of machinery. Yet the buildings remain in all their glory of tiles, terracotta and stained glass – converted to hotels, offices, chic apartments, hipster bars, fine eateries or gritty drinking dens. The textile trade may have disappeared, but you can find sustainable fashion in the old rag-trade district, and top quality coats and jackets are still being hand-sewn in the last remaining family-owned clothing factory. This book will also take you to alternative Manchester – Radical Manchester from Peterloo to the Pankhursts, Literary Manchester from Elizabeth Gaskell to Anthony Burgess, and of course to Madchester, the crazy music scene of Morrissey, Tony Wilson, the Hacienda and Factory Records.

Step away from the traditional highlights of the city of innovators, great benefactors, artists, presidents and hucksters to discover innumerable interesting and unknown sites, artifacts and other treats in Washington, DC. Visit places hiding in plain sight, that may go unnoticed or simply be unknown to long-time residents and visitors alike. Play a round of miniature golf among the cherry trees. Buy original art works out of a vintage cigarette machine. Catch a show at one of the refurbished theatres where Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington used to gig. Commune with the Godfather of Go-Go music in his memorial park. Get away from the tourists and peace out by walking a labyrinth alongside the Potomac River. Try a salad made of indigenous root vegetables at a Native American café.

Hollywood represents the glorious goddesses and gods of cinema. It’s also a real neighborhood in Los Angeles with a grit and greatness all its own. Scout out the hidden secrets and learn the surprising stories that give this fabled area its unique and wonderful character. Explore the places where Hollywood legends have left their traces, and also visit an abandoned zoo, a clown-themed, feminist strip club, and a century-old monastery that bakes mythical treats. Go on a romantic ride on horseback through the Hollywood Hills, and visit a natural oasis with an unsolved murder. Get a tattoo where A-listers get inked, and sip cocktails near the oldest structure in California. Meet the artists, musicians, entrepreneurs, chefs, and neighbors along the way as this book guides you through the places of cultural significance and also the unsung spots that make up this living, breathing neighborhood with deep roots in the entertainment industry and far beyond. 

Lancaster and Morecambe are like chalk and Lancashire cheese. So near, yet so far apart in what they offer. Morecambe, the traditional seaside resort, its ‘Bring me Sunshine’ favorite son Eric Morecambe and Victoria Wood’s ‘two soups’ cafe. Plus, its awesome 1930’s Art Deco Midland Hotel, haunt of Coco Chanel and Laurence Olivier.

Lancaster, with its Roman remains, its impregnable ‘John O’Gaunt’ castle and characterful Georgian buildings, built in part from slave-trade profits. Notorious Lancaster, known as the ‘Hanging Town’ for its use of the noose, with its fearsome castle cells that held Quaker maker George Fox.

Leave the crowds behind and embrace the true character of this story-filled region, one special place at a time.

Montreal is so much more than its old world architecture and love of wine and cheese. The Quebecois metropolis is bursting with enough joie de vivre to make just about anyone want to get out and explore its cobblestoned and pothole-ridden streets — and true Montrealers know that the city has its own unique identity and quirks that place it in a league all its own.

Spend a wine-fueled cinq à sept with a ghost at the city’s oldest bar. Get up close and personal with a life-like portrayal of Benito Mussolini. And go skating in the middle of the downtown core — any time of the year.

This guide comes as a love letter to Canada’s largest French-speaking city and everything it has to offer its residents and travelers. Visiting and full-time Montrealers alike will be pleasantly surprised by what can be discovered beyond the cobblestone and steeples if only you’re willing to take the side streets.

Get beyond the gates of the Castle to see a side of Windsor you never knew. This thriving, bustling town may have been the home of the Royal Family for almost 1,000 years, but it is generations of local residents who have made Windsor a truly special place to be. In this book, locals and travelers alike will delight in tales that explore the mysterious, mythological and also mortal side of Windsor, weaving through tales of deceit and scandal, heroism and genius, to paint a picture of a town that is breaking away from its Royal connections and emerging as a world-class destination in its own right.

Learn how an emerging craft beer scene is bringing brewing back to Windsor. Discover local characters who have created museums and art galleries in the most unlikely ways. Explore the hidden histories of everything from a pub with a tombstone in the saloon, to a café in an old ticket office, to the world’s first augmented reality mural. If you thought Windsor was just the Castle, the Great Park, Eton College and Legoland, you’re in for a surprise.

Mixing Roman and medieval roots, Chichester sits at the heart of a storied landscape where South Down hills dotted with idyllic hamlets ripple back from a shoreline mixing wild dune-backed beaches with old-school seaside resorts. Reminders of smuggling and war add spice.

But a thrilling thread of modernity runs through this slice of West Sussex too. Chichester’s modernist Festival Theatre provided the foundation for London’s National Theatre, while masterpieces of contemporary architecture that draw admirers from around the world include Sea Lane House in East Preston and The White Tower in Bognor Regis.

Evocative ancient memorials abound. Chichester is blessed with the only English cathedral visible from the sea, while England’s largest castle rises above the ravishing – and cosmopolitan – riverside town of Arundel. Ancient yew trees mark the burial spots of Viking warriors in an idyllic Downland spot. And it’s a land vibrant with creative imprints: poets, painters, composers, from Blake and Keats to Joyce and Chagall.

This guidebook takes you exploring Chichester and its surroundings to find incomparable natural beauty, hidden secrets, astonishing history, art of all kinds, and much more. 

Cornwall is known for its spectacular scenery, tiny fishing harbors, sandy beaches and surfing. Outside the tourist hotspots it has an intricate landscape full of life, where the ancient meets the modern. This guide takes you deep into this landscape, to old forgotten places and new exciting venues, from Land’s End to the Rame Peninsula, from Lizard Point to Bude.

Come with us from the old – to where Excalibur was thrown into the lake hundreds of years ago – to the modern – to the settings for the Poldark TV series. Come with us from the tiny – the tombstone of Alfred Wallis – to the huge – the intricate folded rocks on Millook beach. Join us from the noisy – Trevithick’s Puffing Devil – to the quiet – the tranquil Japanese garden.

Cornwall has changed. It is an intriguing mix of modern gastronomy, mining heritage, ancient ruins, literary festivals, traditional dances and brand-new technology. This guide is a personal selection of the best places, a mix to cover all tastes; please join us on our journey.

Manchester is far more than a grey provincial city preoccupied with the business of making money. The bales of cotton goods awaiting export have gone from the grand warehouses styled like palaces, and the cotton mills no longer hum with the sound of machinery. Yet the buildings remain in all their glory of tiles, terracotta and stained glass – converted to hotels, offices, chic apartments, hipster bars, fine eateries or gritty drinking dens. The textile trade may have disappeared, but you can find sustainable fashion in the old rag-trade district, and top quality coats and jackets are still being hand-sewn in the last remaining family-owned clothing factory. This book will also take you to alternative Manchester – Radical Manchester from Peterloo to the Pankhursts, Literary Manchester from Elizabeth Gaskell to Anthony Burgess, and of course to Madchester, the crazy music scene of Morrissey, Tony Wilson, the Hacienda and Factory Records.

Welcome to Birmingham, a super-diverse city with an ever-shifting identity. This is the quiet medieval market town that overnight became the center of the industrial revolution, over the centuries rolling out leather wares, jewelry, steam engines, motor cars, fountain pens, gun smithery, toys, chocolate, heavy metal music and nanotechnology. The city’s drive to successively reinvent itself as motor city, conference capital and shopping destination reflects that initial burst of energy. The result is a city of many layers, bold planning experiments, overlapping fragments and pockets of creative endeavor which can be tough to navigate without a guide. However, its many treasures coruscate more brilliantly for being lost. This book tells the story many would miss through the art, places, buildings, people and the dynamic mix of cultures that reveal the Birmingham identity, from the smallest architectural details to epic civic structures. Only here can you chill on a bench with local heroes Black Sabbath, will you be greeted at the museum by the fallen angel Lucifer, chance upon a golden Burmese peace pagoda, time travel in the Shakespeare Library and find the world’s oldest surviving instance of railway architecture.

New Yorkers love their museums. It’s an obsession. From Gauguin to gangsters, finance to food, New York City has the richest museum culture in the world. Only here, can a former run down tenement, be transformed to one of the most beloved museums in the city. And for New Yorkers, simply finding the best museums is an urban sport itself; a personal quest to seek out the cool, the curious and the uncanny.
Consider this book your little cheat sheet. A treasure guide to the secret corners of the iconic museums, a field guide to the little museums you never dreamed existed. Dive in. Press pause from the world and discover a curated reality. We learn, we grow, we are amused and inspired. And when we leave, we feel a little more connected to the city around us, and to ourselves. And that’s what being a New Yorker is all about.

London offers a plethora of fun, interesting things for locals and visitors to do. Aside from the obvious tourist attractions, did you know there’s a man stuck in a clock? Or that dancing on a certain grave can make a beautiful tune? Do you know the best place for making sandcastles along the Thames? Or where to have breakfast with real London bus drivers? Have you ever seen the talking cat?

Covering all 32 boroughs of inner and outer London, this book offers an eclectic mix of fun facts with unique things to do; leading you to rediscover London. You may have walked down the same street a hundred times and never noticed a certain something. This book will tell you why it’s there and that just around the corner there is something great for kids! The book will introduce children to art, history, science and much more, which will inspire them and create great family talking points all whilst making invaluable memories. So, whether you are an ‘inny’ or an ‘outy’ Londoner, or visitor to this great city, grab the kids and get exploring!

What does Swansea and Gower mean to you? Is it a place of learning? A hub of industry? A city of sporting excellence? Or perhaps, a gateway to exploration and adventure? Do you picture endless days on pristine beaches, leisurely walks along rugged clifftops or a vibrant cultural tapestry? Swansea and Gower in Wales weave all these facets together, offering a captivating mosaic of experiences.

Meet sporting legends and trailblazing women who defied societal norms in an era dominated by men. Venture into the world of Ancient Egyptians, unraveling their lives – and deaths. Marvel at the grandeur of Norman lords’ ambitious creations and the fripperies of Victorian industrialists. Indulge your palate with the savory allure of lamb raised on Atlantic salt meadows. Feel the adrenaline rush as you hurtle downhill on a mountain board, crocodiles snap food from your grip, or you ride a wave.

Stroll around the coast and lakes, and meander through fields of fragrant lavender or golden sunflowers. Immerse yourself in nature’s symphony, from pounding waterfalls to the serene serenades of insects. Unearth a world brimming with wonder, right on your doorstep, here in Swansea and Gower.

The Scottish Highlands are at the most northerly extreme of mainland Britain. The region was once a place of turmoil and bloodshed, of clan warfare and royal misadventure. Now the Highlands are somewhere to explore at leisure. It is a place rich in history, a land of hills and craggy mountains, of secluded coves and sandy beaches, and appealing towns and villages.

With this book as your guide, meet Felicity, a large and friendly puma; learn the rules of Shinty, a unique and popular Highland sport; sit in the shade of Europe’s oldest living tree; take a turn around the Devil’s Elbow, if you dare; find yourself at the very center of Scotland; visit a fairy village; take a stroll around an impossible garden; and shake it all about at the Earthquake House.

Written by someone who loves the Scottish Highlands whatever the weather, this book will help you explore this wonderfully beautiful region.

Sheffield is yet to be discovered. Were you aware that football’s first professional rule book was written in Sheffield, and that it is home to the oldest ground in professional use? Did you know that climbers the world over come to Stanage Edge for the challenges offered by one of the world’s most fearsome millstone grit escarpments? Did you know that the Arctic Monkeys grew up in Sheffield, and that you can see the room at Yellow Arch Studios where they rehearsed as schoolboys and cut their first album? Did you know that the steepest hill in the entire 2012 Tour de France is in Sheffield? Did you know that Sheffield’s craft breweries produce some of the finest beers in the world? Did you know that you can walk out of the center of Sheffield, through parkland, and directly into open countryside? You need this book fast then, don’t you, you soft ‘aporth!

What do movable dolls’ eyes have to do with a Catholic church? Where could you meet Plain Bob Maximus and Surprise Major? Why does just one person know where Oliver Cromwell’s head is buried? And where is a dog a very large cat?

The answers to all these questions lie in Cambridge, which combines the magnificence of a medieval university with the dynamism of a high-technology hub. Tens of thousands of visitors flock to Cambridge every year to see the colleges, go punting on the river, and shop. But there is much more to Cambridge than its university and Silicon Fen. Over the centuries, town and gown together have transformed this city, which was an inland port until the 17th century. Eccentricity is something of a Cambridge tradition, and the town seems to delight in taking its visitors by surprise, whether that’s with a huge metal time-eating grasshopper, May Balls held in June, sculptures that dive into the ground feet first, or a museum that makes a feature of broken pottery. You will find these and many more curiosities in this book.

London is full of strange and beautiful sights. It is a place for traditions and rebels, for the establishment and every alternative subculture. This book celebrates the diversity of the city. It invites you to see Little Ben or the fake 10 Downing Street, and answers both conventional and unusual questions. What, apart from Rolling Scones, will you see at God’s Own Junkyard? Where does an old-school gentleman buy his wine and umbrellas? Why did Robbie Williams feud with his next-door neighbor? How has the city commemorated the Queen Mother and Princess Diana? In which park do 100-year-old naked ladies cavort on the banks of the Thames? Where did Lenin and Julian Assange campaign for their beliefs? And which bridge rolls itself up?

Step away from the traditional highlights of the city of innovators, great benefactors, artists, presidents and hucksters to discover innumerable interesting and unknown sites, artifacts and other treats in Washington, DC. Visit places hiding in plain sight, that may go unnoticed or simply be unknown to long-time residents and visitors alike. Play a round of miniature golf among the cherry trees. Buy original art works out of a vintage cigarette machine. Catch a show at one of the refurbished theatres where Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington used to gig. Commune with the Godfather of Go-Go music in his memorial park. Get away from the tourists and peace out by walking a labyrinth alongside the Potomac River. Try a salad made of indigenous root vegetables at a Native American café.

Chicago is the City of the Big Shoulders. What started off as a small, fur-trading settlement is today a bustling metropolis. Chicago’s colorful past remains hidden in the nooks and crannies across this wonderful, modern city.

This fully updated edition reveals compelling secrets in places that even native Chicagoans may not know. It invites locals and experienced travelers to explore the Windy City through its people, its history, and its stories.

Adventures await you, from the glamorous to the gritty. Sip cocktails atop an iconic building with sweeping city views, or paddle a kayak down the infamous Bubbly Creek of Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle. Snorkel a 32-acre, limestone sheet shoal, one of the most bio-diverse ecosystems in the Midwest. Or purchase a ten-gallon cowboy hat and take a ride a mechanical pony on your way out of the shop.

Whether you’re an out-of-towner or a diehard Chicago dweller who thinks you’ve seen it all, these 111 hidden places are waiting for you to seek out and enjoy.

Dorset doesn’t have any motorways. Or cities. Or major industries. We do have railways – but don’t expect high speed intercity connections. But these are the reasons why the county is so appealing: The pace of life is slower, the people friendlier, the views more unspoiled. The county is a magnet for creative types: artisan food producers, eco-preneurs, artists and craftspeople who are quietly building businesses in small towns and villages, tucked away in back lanes and converted farm buildings.

Whether you’re a local, a seasoned traveler or first-time visitor, beautiful, quirky Dorset will surprise and delight you. This guide will introduce you to 111 off-the-beaten track (and sometimes off-the-wall) locations that make this slice of the West Country a wonderful place to live and a great place to visit.

Pick flowers in the grounds of a ruined abbey. Watch the summer solstice at a mini Stonehenge. Spot badgers in fancy dress. Buy wobbly bread from a post office. Moon-bathe in a beach-side sauna. Or fill your boots at a dry dock.

Make the most of Norwich with this new guide to the sights and secrets of East Anglia’s premier city, from the unknown treasures of its magnificent cathedral to the legends and stories behind its historic pubs. It’s a place of numerous historical layers, with intrigue and interest lurking on every corner, from the black circus proprietor who inspired one of The Beatles’ most famous songs to remnants of England’s most notorious red-light districts. It’s eminently walkable, too, but you can also bike or even canoe your way around the center, maybe even heading out to explore the natural beauty of Broads National Park which lies just beyond.

What came first – the Porsche or the Beetle? Which Porsche racing car set every world record in the very year it was first presented in racing at Monza? And who is “Sascha”?

Immerse yourself in the unique and visionary world of Porsche: in tales of secret prototypes, fascinating photos from the Porsche archives, magic words such as “Carrera” and inside stories that have never yet been told in this way.

Our memories define our lives. So we owe it ourselves to create as many wonderful memories as we can. Travel is great at creating memories and travel adventures create the most ‘memorable’ of memories. As they say: ‘travel is the only thing we pay for that makes us richer’. The world is a big and fascinating place and affordable airfares have made it accessible for all of us. But what will you do when you get there?  Will you sit on a beach or will you embark on an adventure that will enrich your life?  If you prefer the latter then this book is for you. It took more than 20 years to assemble these adventures. They are not the result of online search; they were discovered the old fashioned way: by trial and error and by luck and happenstance. The one thing they all have in common is that the author has personally experienced each adventure so there is a reliable consistency to these 111 adventures as much as there is an exotic variety.