Dickens Destinations Travellers Tour
1st - 10th September 2009
Secrets of Britain and the Romance of Paris
LONDON - PARIS - BATH - CHESTER - LIVERPOOL - WALES
A unique scheduled group-tour, never to be repeated
A message from Dr. Elliott Engle of Dickens Destinations group travel USA
“Leave it to Andrew to design a tour that is every bit as exciting and educational as any of our past fifty Dickens Destinations trips. With totally new locations of Chester, Liverpool, and even Paris and with new locals in London and Bath, this tour combines the best of Britain with its best tour manager and guide, our very own Mr. Stevens! I do not hesitate to give my highest and most enthusiastic endorsement for what will surely be a brilliant jaunt”
Dr. Elliot Engel.
Meet your guides and tour manager
Tour Manager and guide: Andrew Stevens MITG, Blue Badge Guide
Previous tours managed and co-designed by Andrew Stevens:
Cotswold’s to Cornwall, 2004. The Best of Thames and Southern England, 2007.
Welcome from Andrew
I have been working with LeRoy and Elliot for a number of years. I first met LeRoy in the winter of 2002 when preparing the Cotswold’s to Cornwall trip; this was shortly after I founded my company Luxury Vacations UK Ltd, which is dedicated to offering private tours of the UK for discerning visitors to Britain.
I have dearly loved touring with Dickens Destinations travellers, and I have especially enjoyed the Dickens group sense of humour, great knowledge, interest and kindness. So, I’m really looking forward to touring with you once again. We are pulling out all the stops on this 2009 tour with NEW lectures, NEW cities and specialist guides.
Specialist guide and lecturer: John Mercer
John is one of Britain's most knowledgeable guides and most experienced driver-guides. He tends to help plan and carryout our extended tours of North and South Wales, Scotland and the regions of England. John has a very broad knowledge base, but also specialises in cathedrals, castles and military history.
John was a cruise ship director during the 1970’s and has been on the lecture circuit for the past 10 years, along with his professional guiding duties. His guiding formal qualifications include: London Blue Badge Guide, Canterbury Cathedral guide, Lincoln Cathedral guide, York Minster Cathedral guide, Wells Cathedral guide and Windsor Castle authorised guide.
Specialist guide and lecturer: Robert Williamson
Rob has provided lecture services to the American Community in Surrey and Berkshire since 1996 and is a tutor on the prestigious London "Blue Badge" training course for guides. He graduated from the University of Kent at Canterbury in 1985 in English and History and has developed a particular interest in the relationship between literature, memory and sense of place in the novels of Charles Dickens and Thomas Hardy.
As a result of one such reconnaissance of the London Docks and East End 25 years ago, he has become a specialist in the redevelopment of Docklands since 1988 and its subsequent transformation into a 21st Century waterfront community around the business district of Canary Wharf. What interests him and his visitors is not only the replacement of the old environment with the new, but the co-existence of Dickens’ London and the old China town of Limehouse with astonishing modern architecture.
Working for the Government department responsible for this transformation of the East End, he has gained a unique view of the changes and is now taking his interest further in explaining the regeneration of the area through the staging of the 2012 Olympic Games. This will ensure East London continues to contribute a special flavour to the City's 2000 years of history, enriched as it has been by the extraordinary cultural diversity of the region. Rob seeks to impart this story with enthusiasm and humanity, balancing his lectures and tours with an enjoyable cocktail of information and entertainment.
Hotels
London: The Churchill, Portman Square
The Churchill Hotel is a classic luxury hotel situated in a superb location. Portland Square, has some splendid 18th century town houses which have survived time and remain real architectural gems. Sections of the square have re-built, the Churchill hotel was part of that re-construction. The hotel has been described in the London Encyclopaedia as ‘a luxury hotel, much favoured by well-to-do Americans’.
Chester: The Chester Grosvenor
The Chester Grosvenor dates back to 1865 and is owned by, and named after, the family of The Duke of Westminster. Located in the heart of the historic city of Chester, The Chester Grosvenor and Spa is one of the finest hotels in the north-west of England and one of a handful of hotels outside London to be awarded five AA Red Stars.
Bath: The Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel
The Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel is unquestionably one of the finest 5-star hotels in Bath. Recently accredited as one of the Leading Hotels of the World, the Bath Spa Hotel offers first-class accommodation and stylish function rooms, private landscaped gardens and a recently-upgraded luxury spa.
ITINERARY
Day 1. Tuesday, 1st September 2009
Once you arrive at London Heathrow or London Gatwick airport, you will be met inside the arrivals hall. Transportation will be provided to the Churchill hotel in central London. Please take advantage of the transportation provided and arrive at either Gatwick or Heathrow before 11.30 AM.
Evening lecture: The London Olympics and the City of London, By Robert Williamson. This will be followed by dinner at the hotel. Overnight: London.
Day 2. Wednesday, 2nd September 2009
The Olympic site - the City of London
The City of London: The coach will leave at 09.15. 2000 years of history are contained within the one square mile occupied by the ‘City of London’. We will see hidden gardens and atmospheric alleys and see the City in a different way from the average visitor’s view. From the devastation of the Great Fire and the Blitz , the City’s famous financial institutions have risen again. Medieval buildings jostle with modern architecture, Charles Dickens speaks across the centuries to Harry Potter. The ‘City’is an extraordinary place!
The Olympic sites: London hosted the Olympics in 1948, the first Games after the Second World War. London will host the next Olympics in 2012. After years of neglect, parts of the East End of London will be totally transformed from the dark and grimy streets of Charles Dickens’ tales to a bright modern neighbourhood complete with gleaming Olympic village, state-of-the-art athletics stadium, aquatics centre, hockey centre and more.
Afternoon: Free time.
Early evening lecture: Dickensian London, by Robert Williamson. Dinner is on our own in the theatre district of Covent Garden.
Evening theatre: A new production of Lionel Bart’s hit musical adaptation of Oliver Twist, ‘Oliver!’ Overnight: London.
Day 3. Thursday, 3rd September 2009
The Wallace Collection, John Soane’s Museum & the Hunterian Museum
We have arranged a private tour of the Wallace Collection, a national museum which displays superb works of art and artefacts collected in the 18th and 19th centuries by the Marquesses of Hertford and Sir Richard Wallace, son of the 4th Marquess. It was bequeathed to the British nation by Sir Richard's widow, Lady Wallace, in 1897.
Afternoon: Your guide will offer an introduction to the John Soane and Hunterian Museum, these two museums are best explored in your own time and visits to both will be optional.
John Soane Museum: John Soane was born in 1753, the son of a bricklayer, and died after a long and distinguished career, in 1837. Soane designed this house to live in, but also as a setting to display his antiquities and artworks. He was constantly adding to and rearranging his collections. The Museum today remains one of London’s little gems.
Hunterian Museum: John Hunter came to London in 1748 and worked as an assistant in the anatomy school of his brother William. Under William’s direction, John learnt human anatomy and showed great aptitude in the dissection and preparation of specimens. The museum houses John Hunter’s surviving collection of specimens and tools of the trade!
Evening lecture: Paris, followed by dinner at the hotel. Overnight: London.
Day 4. Friday, 4th September 2009
Paris day trip - Hemingway and more...
We take the Eurostar train from London St. Pancras Station to Paris, Gare du Nord. Our journey time will be 2 hours 15 minutes, reduced in recent years from 3 hours, making Paris a viable day trip from London by means of the “Chunnel”.
We will take a guided panoramic tour of Paris including all the major monuments.
Lunch will be taken at the famous brasserie "Closerie des Lilas" where writers would meet during the last century. This place is full of memories of Apollinaire and Victor Hugo. Hemingway wrote his book, "Le Soleil se Lève Aussi" (The Sun Also Rises) here and lunched with Francis Scott Fitzgerald.
Option to visit the Auguste Rodin Museum or to enjoy free time: “The Kiss” and “The Thinker” are two of the most well-crafted sculptures of the 20th Century, both coming from the hands of Rodin, the poor French boy, who, inspired by Michelangelo. A large number of public commissions brought Rodin to the world’s attention, and he is now credited with bringing sculpture – then a dying art – back into focus.
Dinner will be served on the return train journey to London. Overnight: London.
Day 5. Saturday, 5th September 2009
Chatsworth House & Peak District National Park
Chatsworth House: The home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire is one of the country's greatest treasure houses, renowned for the quality of its art, landscaped grounds and gardens. Chatsworth has evolved through the centuries to reflect the tastes, passions and interests of many generations and contains works of art that span 4000 years. Discover the story of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, recently the subject of the film 'The Duchess'.
Evening lecture: Liverpool and Chester, followed by dinner at the hotel. Overnight: Chester.
Day 6. Sunday, 6th September 2009
Day trip to Liverpool – European City of culture 08
Guided Tour of Liverpool. Our local guide will enlighten us on Liverpool’s history, the Beatles’ story and Liverpool as it is today. “The Beatles Story” exhibition at the regenerated Albert Dock is good place to start. This exhibition tells the story of the Fab Four from beginning to end. Enjoy a casual lunch at one of the many bars or restaurants at the Albert Dock. Afternoon: We explore the venues connected to the Beatles but also discover the city’s great industrial past and the history of the slave trade. Overnight: Chester
Dinner: At leisure in Chester.
Day 7. Monday, 7th September 2009
North Wales, Conwy & Penryn Castle
Conwy town is the best-preserved medieval town in Britain. With fortified walls featuring 21 towers and 3 huge gateways, the walls form an almost unbroken shield around the town. Guided Tour of Conwy Castle. This well-preserved 13th century structure is one of Britain's great medieval castles, built by the English King Edward I to secure the coast and the Conwy Valley shortly after his successful invasion of Wales. Conwy town is our lunch stop.
Private access and guided tour of Penrhyn Castle. Penrhyn Castle, the creation of a rich businessman, may be viewed as a 19th-century ‘sham’, but its roots are authentically historic. The grounds reflect a long and fascinating past, with glimpses of unexpected features. These include the ruined chapel folly and remains of the old cobbled drive, re-routed during the early 19th century to take advantage of new vistas and planting. The interior is carved with fascinating faces and stylish patterns. Penrhyn is a real British secret!
We drive through the majestic Snowdonia National Park, a World Heritage Site and once the centre of the world's slate industry. Dinner at the hotel. Overnight: Chester.
Day 8. Tuesday, 8th September 2009
Discover Chester
Guided Tour of Chester: First settled by the Romans who established a camp in AD 79. See the Roman walls and enjoy a guided walk through the main streets of Chester which are lined with two tiered timber buildings known as rows. ‘The Rows’ are now a series of shopping arcades but they have lost none of their charm for all that.
The story of Chester Cathedral can be traced back to Saxon times when, in 907, it housed the remains of St Werburgh. During the period from 1092 to 1540, the Benedictine Abbey of St Werburgh flourished on the same ground. The story continues with the foundation of a Cathedral for Chester Diocese by Henry VIII in 1541 and on to the present day. As a result, the present building contains materials belonging to every Christian century since the tenth. This great Cathedral will certainly be a highlight of our tour.
Afternoon: You will have plenty of time to explore the city at leisure. Overnight: Chester.
Day 9. Wednesday, 9th September 2009
Powis Castle - Ludlow - Bath
Visit to Powis Castle & Gardens: Most of the great Welsh castles were allowed to decay when the medieval wars ended but Powis survives as a captivating example of a military stronghold which was preserved and renewed by continual occupation. The gardens at Powis Castle are some of the best-known in Britain, featuring a series of Italianate terraces, hanging gardens and enormous clipped yews.
Lunch: Luncheon will be arranged at Powis Castle.
Ludlow is a handsome town with half-timbered Tudor buildings, a magnificent parish church and a splendid castle. This is the perfect place to stop for afternoon tea.
Evening lecture: Bath and Stonehenge, followed by dinner at the hotel. Overnight: Bath.
Day 10. Thursday, 10th September 2009
Stonehenge & Transfers to Heathrow, Gatwick and central London
Guided tour of Stonehenge. The henge is a time-piece and temple to the sun, moon and stars. The huge stones, transported hundreds of miles some 5000 years ago, have fascinating visitors for centuries and form Europe's most famous ancient monument.
After our visit to Stonehenge the coach will stop at Gatwick airport first at about 12.30 PM. The coach will continue on to Heathrow and will arrive at around 1.45 PM. The coach will then make its final stop in central London and will arrive around 3.30 PM.
For further information please email: info@luxuryvacationsuk.com or telephone 011 44 208 669 3666, office hours: 07.30 AM to 10.30 PM London GMT. Please find booking form attached.
Cost per person: £3,290.00. GBP.
$4,869.20 USD, based on an exchange rate of $1.48 USD to £1.00 GBP.
Minimum number 20, maximum number 35.
Call us FREE from Canada or the USA: 888-472-1799 (7:30 am to 10:30 pm London time)