Travel podcasts for city break fans. All the historical and cultural background you need to enjoy your visit.
Episodes
Wednesday Jun 23, 2021
Wednesday Jun 23, 2021
A review of moments of history which have taken place on the River Thames - think Henry VIII and his river pageants or the cranes dipping their heads for Winston Churchill's funeral - plus ideas for places to visit today if you want to enjoy, or learn more about, the great river which has been the lifeblood of the city of London for two millennia.
Useful links
https://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/en_GB/trails/thames-path
City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if only you had the time!
Check our website to find more episodes from our London series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk
We love to receive your comments and suggestions!
You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk
And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode. It helps others to find us.
Wednesday Jun 16, 2021
Wednesday Jun 16, 2021
A tour of the five Royal Parks in central London, each with its own history and particular atmosphere. Hear where Charles II got into trouble for picking flowers for one of his mistresses, why the name of London Zoo's Winnie the Bear lives on nearly a hundred years after her death and which British Prime Minister was once robbed in Green Park. Find out too where you can hire a pedalo, visit an Italian garden and see some pelicans whose ancestry dates back 350 years.
Useful links
https://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo
City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if only you had the time!
Check our website to find more episodes from our London series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk
We love to receive your comments and suggestions!
You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk
And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode. It helps others to find us.
Wednesday Jun 09, 2021
Wednesday Jun 09, 2021
Greenwich is real day out territory from central London, except that one day won't be enough for all there is to see! Hear about lots of Tudor exploits in the one-time Greenwich Palace, find out what makes the Queen's House such an architectural gem, and enjoy tales with a maritime flavour from the Cutty Sark, the National Maritime Museum and the Royal Observatory.
Useful links
https://www.rmg.co.uk/queens-house
https://www.rmg.co.uk/national-maritime-museum (also The Painted Hall)
https://www.rmg.co.uk/cutty-sark
https://www.rmg.co.uk/royal-observatory
City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if only you had the time!
Check our website to find more episodes from our London series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk
We love to receive your comments and suggestions!
You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk
And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode. It helps others to find us.
Tuesday Jun 01, 2021
Tuesday Jun 01, 2021
Lots of city break inspiration this month, as we feature three more guest websites and bring you ideas from four continents. Everything from an old City Breaks favourite, to a pink city on the Indian subcontinent and some of Canada's lesser known capitals. Whether you've been, are going, or just like to find out more, we hope you'll like what you hear!
Useful links
our website: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk
to find us on twitter: @citybreakscast
to e-mail us: citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk
This week's guest websites
Wednesday May 26, 2021
Wednesday May 26, 2021
A two-stop tour of north London. Firstly, pretty Hampstead, where Virginia Woolf thought 'it is always spring': lanes and cottages, cafes, antique shops and museums, including the house where John Keats spent his last 2 years in England. And not forgetting its spy connections. Then off to nearby Highgate Cemetery in search of gothic vibes and some famous tombs.
https://burghhouse.museumssites.com (Hampstead Museum)
https://www.freud.org.uk (Freud Museum)
https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/attractions-museums-entertainment/keats-house
https://www.walks.com (London Walks)
Recommended Reading
London Walks, London Stories by David Tucker
The Lawn Road Flats: Spies, Writers and Artists by David Burke
Guy Burgess: The Spy Who Knew Everyone by Stewart Purvis
City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if only you had the time!
Check our website to find more episodes from our London series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk
We love to receive your comments and suggestions!
You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk
And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode. It helps others to find us.
Wednesday May 19, 2021
Wednesday May 19, 2021
A tour of East London, in search of the Old East End and the area's Jewish and multi-ethnic roots. A little history, ideas for places to visit and some literary inspiration to inform your tour. Before leaving, we pop over to the docks and the London Docklands Museum.
https://www.raggedschoolmuseum.org.uk
https://sandysrowsynagogue.org
https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london-docklands
https://www.walks.com (London Walks)
Recommended Reading
Constance Street by Charlie Connolly
Brick Lane by Monica Ali
The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold
City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if only you had the time!
Check our website to find more episodes from our London series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk
We love to receive your comments and suggestions!
You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk
And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode. It helps others to find us.
Wednesday May 12, 2021
Wednesday May 12, 2021
Bloomsbury, London's literary and academic heartland, full of pretty garden squares and the place to find some of the country's top museums, bookshops and libraries. We wander through, pointing out some historical and literary connections and enjoying the very essence of Englishness on offer in this quietly elegant area of the capital.
https://www.bl.uk (British Library)
https://www.walks.com (London Walks)
City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time!
Check our website to find more episodes from our London series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk
We love to receive your comments and suggestions!
You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk
And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode. It helps others to find us.
Wednesday May 05, 2021
Wednesday May 05, 2021
We dissect three more great travel blogs and bring you a taster of each, picking out inspiration a-plenty for future city breaks and indeed lots of ideas for other types of travel. There are some city break classics - Milan, Singapore, Malaga - and some more niche ideas: London for the adventurous, 'boozy tastings' from across the world and a visit to a Maid Cafe in Tokyo.
Useful links
our website: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk
to find us on twitter: @citybreakscast
to e-mail us: citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk
This week's guest websites
https://www.berkeleysquarebarbarian.com
Wednesday Apr 28, 2021
Wednesday Apr 28, 2021
London certainly pops up frequently in the novels of England's best-known 19th century author, Charles Dickens, and traces of him can be found all over London. This episode investigates the links and takes in visits to two London museums which are closely connected to him: the Dickens Museum and the Foundling Museum
https://foundlingmuseum.org.uk
https://www.london-walking-tours.co.uk
City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time!
Check our website to find more episodes from our London series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk
We love to receive your comments and suggestions!
You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk
And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode. It helps others to find us.
Wednesday Apr 21, 2021
Wednesday Apr 21, 2021
Our two greatest authors, Chaucer and Shakespeare, both lived and worked in London for most of their lives. Hear about them and their work, discover the London they knew and find out where to 'see' them in the city today.
https://www.shakespearesglobe.com
https://www.westminster-abbey.org
City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time!
Check our website to find more episodes from our London series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk
We love to receive your comments and suggestions!
You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk
And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode. It helps others to find us.