Handel's Messiah - A UK Holiday Tradition
England's lofty cathedrals and ancient churches are superb settings for performances of the great oratorios and other choral works. The music of Handel ( a Londoner for much of his life - and death - he's buried in Westminster Abbey) has always been favored around the Christmas holiday season and no work more so than his Messiah. Traditionally, many of the UK's most beautiful churches and cathedrals host performances of the Messiah during the season of Adve

The Lake District is Still Open for Business
If you live in the UK or you are planning a visit to the Lake District soon, you may have heard about the heavy rainfall and severe flooding that has been going on there. But before you rush out and cancel plans, take a look at this report from our correspondent in the North, Valerie France. "...the weather/flooding/doom and gloom in the Lake District - bad as it is - is localised. We stayed with family in Kendal over the weekend - even though it was much featured on flood reports. "Although it was wet and gloomy (Lake District in November, what do you expect

Great Gift Ideas for Travelers
With the holiday season fast approaching, spare a thought for your traveling friends and family. Think of: Gifts that make traveling easier, more relaxed and more fun, like - Great Gadget Gifts for Travelers

Edinburgh Hogmanay Tickets Already Selling Fast
The full line-up for Edinburgh's rockin' Hogmanay Street Party has just been announced. If you're thinking of heading for Edinburgh for Hogmanay, the city's four day New Year's bash, you'll need a ticket for the New Year's Eve street party and all its concert stages - and they are already selling fast. Loads of local, UK national and international acts are planned for each of the party's stages. Each stage will have a different musical theme but one Street Party Pass is good for admission to all four: The Waverley Stage - The Enemy headlines, along with Frightened Rabbit, We Were Promised Jetpacks and Stanley Odd. The Party Stage - Guest DJ The Great Calvert

Watch The Winter Solstice As The Ancients Did
One of the very coolest UK webcams springs into life at the end of this month to capture the winter solstice. The Sun and its transit through the seasons seems to have been essential to ancient worship. On Orkney, several Neolithic monuments are aligned with sun and moon to suggest some ritual purpose. At Maeshowe, the island's awes