When you think of a UK or England destination to visit, London is the first that come to mind! We've got that covered HERE! Loughborough is relatively unknown to most but it is definitely a gem! Most people get scared by its 12 letter name when they first see it. It is simply pronounced as LUFF-BRUH :) This tiny university town is about 3 hours to London via the M1 motorway. It is only 1hr 35 mins via East Midlands Trains from London St Pancras station. What is so special about this small town? This quiet university town was where I had one of the best times of my life. Studying at Loughborough university was an amazing time of growth, learning and healing. Loughborough is a simple town with amazing quiet spaces where I was able to reflect and feel at peace. The slower pace meant I often sat in Queen's Park and read for hours. I learnt to appreciate beauty of a duck, snowflake and the autumn colours. I even had time to build a snowman! If you are looking for a quiet getaway where you can be away from crowds but still enjoy the comforts of civilisation, this is a great place! Relax at the Queen's Park and visit the Town Hall for some theatre, art and music! Check their site for the schedule and booking details! www.loughboroughtownhall.co.uk Don't miss awesome produce at the Farmer's Market held every second Wednesday of each month between 9am and 3pm at the town centre. Another key event is the historic Loughborough fair that is held early November every year! You get some exciting fair-rides and food! My favourite Fish & Chips in the whole wide world can be found in Loughborough! Visit: Trawlers Catch at 92 Ashby Rd, Loughborough LE11 3AE, UK Must order: COD FISH AND CHIPS! They are open only 2 hours for lunch from 12-2pm (Tues to Thurs). They open mostly in the evenings from 5-10pm (Mon to Sat). The most therapeutic part of Loughborough has to be the Great Central Railway. If you love trains, steam engines and everything antique, you MUST visit this place. This mainline heritage railway offers historical steam/diesel train rides all the way to Leicester North and back. You get special events such as steam galas, Peppa Pig, Bonfire Night, Wartime Weekend and Santa Specials! Train geeks (like me) can even get to drive a locomotive, dine in the train and bring your whole family on an excursion. You get to enjoy views of Charnwood waters and the beautiful countryside! Check out their website for train and event schedules/ticketing details: http://www.gcrailway.co.uk Next time you need a quiet, relaxing, therapeutic place to visit in England, head to Loughborough!
London is a wonderful place to fall in love. There is always something you can do as a couple or family. If you are looking for a list of amazing things to do together, do check out our first part that covers some of the most romantic and fun activities/locations. Couples and family that eat together, travel together and make memories together will stay together! In this post, we talk about 3 of the most enchanting experiences you can have together as couple or family. #1 Most enchanting experience - Watch a Musical together! Check out London's West End for some of the longest running musicals in the most beautiful London's enchanting Mamma Mia, The Lion King and Phantom of the Opera. You can watch a musical every single night you spend in London as long as you have the budget and plan your ticket bookings before hand. If you can, book online before hand from well-reviewed sources. Try not to entertain the street touts who sell you tickets (usually at exorbitant prices). Get to the Theatre early and enjoy the atmosphere of the beautiful buildings. The experience of watching a live play is most magical and emotional! #2 Most enchanting experience - Spend a relaxing day at Hyde Park! I would rank Hyde Park among the BEST parks in the world. You would think, "Hey! you guys have Gardens by the Bay in Singapore don't you?". Yes we do. The problem is, you cannot walk for 15 minutes without soaking your shirt with perspiration in the year-round tropical heat/humidity. I hear Brits complaining about how miserable their weather is all the time while studying in Loughborough. I do admit my ears do hurt when it gets bitterly cold but I love it that you don't need to perspire or feel miserably sticky most times of the year. Okay I need to stop rambling about the weather (a habit I've picked up in the UK!) Walk along The Serpentine (Lake) and watch the swans, ducks and geese! If you are visiting between March to October, you can get into a paddle boat and soak in the views from the calm waters. Find a shady spot and have a picnic! The juxtaposition of a green, peaceful and quiet place right in the middle of busy London makes it such an enchanting experience. Debra and I LOVE this park to bits. We basically just sat on a park bench together, stared into the stunning open space and lost track of time. #3 Most enchanting experience - Spend a day at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland Debra and I have such fond memories of enjoying this amazing winter/Christmas spectacle together. You can enjoy rides, games and amazing food at this fair! Best part: FREE ENTRY! When we brought Matthias to Winter Wonderland in Singapore last December, we showed him our London photos and wanted to give him an idea of what we were visiting. Sadly, he was utterly disappointed and called it 'Winter RuinLand'. The scale of the London Winter Wonderland is just humongous. You get full scale roller coaster rides and countless little huts and family friendly rides We enjoyed some amazing hot chips, sausages and mulled wine while strolling along in the winter cold. It was a comforting feeling that is beyond description. It may be a little difficult to stay away from all the very attractive candies! It is certainly somewhere a couple or family can do together and make wonderful memories together. The weather may be cold but the festivities and being with your loved ones warms the heart and soul. Coming soon: Posts on our trip to Nottingham,Loughborough Manchester, Cambridge and Wales! Enjoyed this post?You can read about our New Zealand adventures HERE! The great lure of London took us 10,841km (6736 miles) across the globe from Singapore. It is a trip that we often look back (with a little heart ache) with the hope of returning soon. London is a beautiful city. I would even argue that London is a city of love. (Paris is wonderful but just not my cup of tea). I became acquainted with London while studying at Loughborough University. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the quietness of a small town, a city boy with itchy feet couldn't sit by the fire all through the long, wet and cold winters in England. That resulted in dozens of train trips down to London. This time however, we were visiting London the first time together as a married couple. Singapore is well connected to London and flight prices are pretty competitive. You can get Sale tickets for as low as S$800++ for a 13.5hr flight. Flights from SIN to LHR worth considering: Direct flights: Singapore Airlines, British Airways, Qantas 1 stopover: Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia Airlines Most of the time, I fly Qantas (QF) and British airways (BA) because I avoid connecting flights as much as I can. You can get economy tickets on QF and BA at between S$1390++ and S$1800++ depending on when you book the tickets. Singapore Airlines (SQ) START at S$2100++. I don't think the better service from Singapore Airlines justify paying an average of S$500 more. Business class is at least $3000 more on SQ compared to BA. We caught the British Airways 11pm flight which is in my opinion the best timing to get over jet lag. You board the plane, have your dinner, watch a movie, sip your wine, wake up and its morning in London! |
AuthorsVincent & Debra Kwan, Founders of Hiro & Jack and stay-at-home parents with the odd life. Categories
All
CollabSDrop us an email at contact@hirojack.com Archives
August 2022
|