Author Archive
Introducing Harry’s Hotel And Bistro, Aberystwyth
April 12, 2010
Wales is a small country with epic scenery, beautiful coastlines, lush valleys and green hills. The seaside town of Aberystwyth nestles between three of these hills on one side and the harbour, fed by the confluence of the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol, to the other. Although the town may be described as being small it certainly has a disproportionate number of excellent facilities making it a truly superb place in which to take a vacation.
While the two beaches of Aberystwyth do not benefit from the soft golden sand usually found along the Welsh coast this does not make it any the less popular. There are basically two reasons for this popularity, water sports, such as surfing, and the elegant wide promenade and splendid Victorian and Edwardian architecture.
In’72 Aberystwyth University, now known as the University of Wales, was established. Today the university attracts around 8,000 students which increase the towns population (of about 16,000) by a half during the University term time.
With such a large student population you will find plenty of pubs, bars and cafes dotted around the small town but few compare with Harry’s Hotel And Bistro for atmosphere.
Harry’s Hotel And Bistro is situated right in the centre of town and features a wonderful Irish Bar which often features live music. The recently refurbished Bistro has an open plan kitchen and a Modern Bistro style menu.
Aberystwyth’s one way system can make things a little confusing at times so to get to Harry’s Hotel you need to be aware that it is found on North Parade on the left hand side of the road on the one-way system.
All of the rooms available at Harry’s Hotel are more spacious than you would expect in this price bracket. Most rooms have a seating area with soft furnishings and a flat screen television with satellite TV. Other facilities include the usual array of implements such as a hairdryer and tea/coffee making facilities but other services include such things as a laundry/valet Service and other services more associated with luxury hotels.
Aberystwyth benefits from being between two and three hours from such conurbations as Liverpool, Manchester, Cardiff, Birmingham and Bristol. If you will be visiting one of these cities on business one of the best ways in which to unwind after a hard week is to spend the weekend enjoying yourself at Harry’s Hotel & Bistro.
Aberystwyth is a great place to visit, why not stop by Karl Fraser’s site where you will be able to book a room at Harry’s Hotel And Bistro.
Charles Rennie Mackintosh And Glasgow Vacations
April 10, 2010
Scotland is an incredibly popular place to visit and one of the most exciting cities to visit is Glasgow. Glasgow has a vast array of visitor attractions covering an enormous diversity in tastes. While there are many modern attractions many people visit the city to take in the sights of the city’s spectacular architecture including the many works of the famous Art Nouveau architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
Charles Rennie Mackintosh was born in Glasgow in 1868. He worked as an architect from the age of 16 and in 1890 he was a winner of the Alexander Thomson Travelling Studentship which allowed him to take a tour of Italy. After he returned, in 1893, he gained his first big project, the Glasgow Herald Building.
In Glasgow you do not need to travel very far to find a Charles Rennie Mackintosh masterpiece. His finest work can be seen in the building of the Glasgow School of Art. Many consider Hill House his second finest work and while this is in Helensburgh it is well worth the small amount of effort required to visit it. You may also wish to visit House for an Art Lover. Two other Mackintosh buildings are looked at below, Queens Cross Church and the Lighthouse.
The Lighthouse
The Lighthouse is actually the Glasgow Herald Building mentioned above. It is Scotland’s Centre for Architecture, Design and the City, and features an ever changing programme of superb exhibitions and events. The Mackintosh Centre is found here and where you will find a wealth of information on the life and works of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. From the Mackintosh Tower it is possible to get the finest views across the city of Glasgow, to get there you need to go to the third floor and then climb a helical staircase but it is well worth the effort I assure you. However, if you do not fancy expending that sort of energy you could always take the lift to the viewing platform on the sixth floor instead.
Queens Cross Church
Glasgow’s Queens Cross Church, though no longer an active church, is famous for being the only church ever designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh that was completed. Many people know it as the Mackintosh church and it first came into use in 1899 and was decommissioned in the 1970′s. It is now open to the public and home to the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society.
If you have an interest in architecture and you are visiting Glasgow you should take the opportunity to visit some of the other amazing buildings in this fascinating city. Top of my list is the incredible medieval Glasgow Cathedral (the only one to survive the Scottish Reformation complete).
Want to find out more about Glasgow hotel accommodation? then visit Karl Fraser’s site which has the most comprehensive listings of Glasgow hotels.