Craig and Charlotte's 100 things to do in Britain - #21 The London Eye

Howdy, doody! Haven't been keeping on top of these for a while but your in for a treat (well... maybe if you like big wheels!) as me and Chappers headed down to "The Hub" of Britain for the weekend aka. London.

First up on our trip was the gargantuan London Eye, and it truly is a huge beast! Besides from putting Charlotte off just from the height she also wasn't feeling too hot which probably is not the best combination. I was impressed with the wait time being only 20 minutes as the last thing we wanted to do on a cold winters night was spend 3 hours queuing!

Once on and moving you get some great views of the city which are only bettered when viewing it at night, London lights up amazingly well and is definitely a must do in the capital, if not for the ride but also for being the only place where you can really see all the main sites from one spot. Parliament, Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Westminster, Canary Wharf... You name it and you can see it.

A good 20 minutes passes and we gradually come down to ground level (to Charlottes relief). All in all what appears to be a rather lacklustre post is actually one of the best experiences I have had in London. Make sure you try it.

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Craig and Charlotte's 100 things to do in Britain - #13 Shakespeare's Home, Stratford on Avon

Well, well, well... Stratford on Avon is a quaint little place with more mimes, street artists and musicians than you can shake a swan at. The whole area lives and breathes Shakespeare, and why not. From the variety of gift shops, boutiques and stalls you can pretty much deck your home with anything Shakespeare, but a must do is getting your mug shot in front of good old William's home complete with authentic electrical lighting...

Well some of the 'realism' has definitely been lost along the way but this shouldn't deter anybody as the vibe in the area is great. Some of the restaurants here are also little gems in themselves but those who have travelled to Stratford on Avon before will be distraught to find that the 'Teddy Bear Museum' has up and ran off to London. No fear we managed to find 'another' with human sized teddy waiting for us just outside the door which more than made up for it :D.

The highlight of this brief visit was the awesome Christmas shop opposite old Shakespeare's crib. It is decked out a mighty 365 days a year and again you can find anything with a Santa Claus on it. I'm not really a Christmas fan but its worth a delve for the laugh.

Overall Stratford on Avon does what it says on the tin, its a fun little area packed with things to see, eat and see some more. Parking and travelling were a breeze and was a great relaxing day out. Be prepared to meet the Chinese though, they love old Shakey's house.

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Craig and Charlotte's 100 things to do in Britain - #63 The Rows, Chester

A Roman-Norman-Saxon-Victorian charm of a city, closely knit shopping streets and some great architecture both historical and modern make Chester a great place to visit. We found ourselves almost lost in the hundreds and hundreds of shops ranging from high street brands to small independant's tucked away in "The Rows". You can spend hours perusing what Chester has to offer and with most things to see and do literally 10 minutes walk away we loved every minute of it. After shops, milkshakes, afternoon tea, a brass band on the promenade, some truly weird people dressed as medieval characters and the Roman amphitheatre we were plum tuckered out. Again the evening was great with a mixture of loud venues and bars for the young and hearty or the not so loud but no less enjoyable restaurants that add a touch of class. We happened upon the "Sian" a Thai restaurant on the canal which is a definite recommendation.

As an extra, the following day we spent at the absolutely huge Chester Zoo which should not be missed at all costs if your in Chester. By far the best in the UK.

The only down side would be the parking, there was very little and what we found of it seemed to be a hell of a way away from the centre. Tip of the day, park at the train station, plenty of spaces and relatively cheap but it is literally 5 minutes walk to the shops.

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Craig and Charlotte's 100 things to do in Britain - #90 Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve, Nottingham

First place visited on our list, the mighty Sherwood Forest, home of the heroic outlaw Robin Hood. I had high hopes for Robin and his band of Merry Men and they did not disapoint. Arriving on the 9th August 2009 we happend upon the "The Robin Hood Festival" which takes place yearly, being free apart from parking we had a brilliant time with falconry, jousting and live music aplenty as well as a lot of activities for kids including archery, face painting and jesters (which to be fair we enjoyed just as much :D). And if all that is not enough there is miles and miles and yes... more miles of walks through the scenic forest to enjoy. The day was great and the visitor centre is pretty good value for money considering that would be nothing. One tip though, turn up early as people were being turned away who came later than mid day.

Being the first place to visit on our adventure were going to set the score at 5 out of 10 and this will be used as the benchmark for future expeditions.

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