Your Very Own Brexit

Brexit has certainly made a few headlines across the World and it seems to be the only thing anyone can discuss at the moment across the UK. Whatever the implications for the UK itself, the economy and foreign policy, there’s one immediate benefit to people across Europe and the World… With the pound dropping against the Euro and the Dollar, there’s never been a better time to holiday in the UK.

The 38 year low of the pound on Friday had the hidden benefit of making your Dollar and Euro go much further than it ever has! Where $500 on Thursday night would have given you £333.21, today you’ll get £379.41 for it. That’s a massive £46.21 extra which could be spent in the following ways…

·        Family tickets to the Tower of london

·        two adult tickets on the london eye

·        ten pints of lager

·        two tickets to an English Premier League match

Not only will currency be cheaper to exchange, but the relative cost for hotels, flights, food and drink will all drop against the previous cost of a UK holiday. Airfares from the US have dropped to below $500 for a round trip which should be incentive enough to visit the UK.

But it’s not just the price of flying that should entice you to the UK, connections on to Europe won’t always be as easy as they currently are. Right now, when you arrive in London and clear immigration you then don’t need to again if you decide to carry on to Europe afterwards. Although we love a queue in Britain, the rest of the World isn’t so keen so to avoid those long queues the next two years is when you need to be visiting the UK.

Luckily, if you’re connecting through the UK rather than staying, there’s a number of options if you have a few hours to spare. For a much cheaper price than ever before (cheers Brexit), you can take a Chirton Grange car and spend the day in Windsor – like the Queen would – or even head into London for a few hours. The car will, of course, have you back at Heathrow in enough time for your onwards flight.

Obviously, we’d rather you stayed and toured the City with us. The popular Chirton Grange Spy Tour which reveals the gruesome World that lurks beneath the surface in London will no doubt have some more stories added to it over the coming years and the family fun of the Football Tour will now give you a chance to see more English talent than ever before thanks to immigration laws changing.

So although there’s a lot to frown about with Brexit, maybe there’ll never be a better time to visit the UK…

Making it happen, whatever...

One of the greatest sights you will ever behold is that of the London Marathon. Thousands of runners, from top athletes through to people dressed as chickens, pound their way past the many familiar landmarks on route to completing many months of training.

It isn't so welcome in the chauffeur world though but only for the practical, obvious reason of all the roads being closed. So it is the one day in the calendar that we at Chirton Grange don't go looking for work in the Capital. That said, we do not ignore any client request but certainly look out for other companies wanting to generously pass on to us that 09:00 Greenwich to London City airport transfer.

Some client requests are helpful in that their route doesn't cross that of the Marathons so, in fact, they are easy jobs as most motorists refuse to drive in London on Marathon Sunday....not so simple this year though.

Our mission, should we choose to accept it, comes from one of our largest clients. To get 12 of their valued Travel Agents from Heathrow airport to the Cheval Three Quays Hotel at around 1pm on Sunday.....Marathon Day. The hotel sits beautifully on the River Thames practically underneath Tower Bridge and will be hemmed in by over 30000 runners, the route crosses past Tower Bridge twice, with roads closed from 0600-2000. The last thing anyone needs after an 8 hour flight is a further 8 hours sitting in Starbucks

At Chirton Grange we always look for solutions not problems, say yes then work out how, and here is how we are going to do it. 

First we pick up the group in 2 x Mercedes People carriers we would normally use a coach for 12 people but we might need to 'weave' the back streets and this will be quicker. Then, after some investigation we know we can get to the London Eye before meeting any road closure. The cars finish here and we  now escort our guests to the London Clipper Boat service placed right under the Eye. In around 20, uninterrupted, minutes we will step off at the Tower Pier not 50 metres from the hotel door.

The added bonus is that our guests will get an amazing view of the runners as they head down the Embankment and all this for only an extra £7 per head when using their pre-purchased Oyster cards. Our escort will assist with check in before jumping back on the Clipper and return to the waiting car. Tom Cruise eat your heart out.

Soccer Tours

We refer to it as 'Day 3 Syndrome'

Most parents reading this who have brought their family to tour the UK will know exactly what we are talking about. Day 3 is when the younger members hit the wall and are done with Henry VIII and Stonehenge. Well, we have the solution.

First, let's start as we mean to go on as in dear old Blighty we call the worlds must popular game 'football' and, while a huge chunk of the rest of the planet refer to it as 'soccer', we are going to pull rank on this because, well, we invented the sport so it's our ball and you don't get to play unless you agree.

The English Premier League is arguably the greatest football league in the world and, without question, the richest. England also has the oldest professional team (Notts County) and we are the only country to have 4 professional, full time leagues. In short, we live football.

On their visit to the UK it is on most sports fans 'tick list' is to watch a game of football. With the majority going on to break the bank by committing to the Holy Temples of the football powerhouses and the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United.

While we totally understand that, and you should do this if you can, we want to introduce you and your family to a football experience that aims to blow away the jet-lag and burn some energy off those who are now twitching for their iPad again.

Every week is different and dependant on the fixtures etc but it should go something like this:

Eat breakfast like a professional and meet us in the hotel lobby for a private chauffeur transfer to the:

Wembley Stadium Tour- the home of football

Don't be fooled by the state of the art stadium you'll see today; this place is haunted by the only England World Cup win and over a century of Glorious FA Finals, internationals and concerts. With time for photos by the pitch and in the dressing rooms, this really is football heaven.

Then onto

Foot Golf 

Always had a problem getting the golf club to do as you tell it? Well now let your feet do the talking, as the name suggests,  you are going to play a round of golf by kicking a  football around the fairway and into the hole. A fantastic and fun day part of our day but who will get the boasting rights and come out on top?

Next up, it's lunch. This is always flexible and dependant on time but you call the shots. Let us know what you fancy and we will book it in advance so we are not late for the BIG 3pm kick off.

Gillingham, Brentford, Leyton Orient are teams we would be very surprised you'd heard of but that is where we are heading next to watch professional football at a high level if not the exactly the top level. Stopping briefly at the club shop (not compulsory) for a memento of your new found passion it's then into the ground to watch the match.

There is a wealth of quality football (subject to alteration) being played every weekend away from the big wages and high ticket priced top teams. Football watched by 'ordinary' people, in places the corporate giants shy away from sponsoring, where you can still stand on the terraces and drink your Bovril* watching tackles fly in that 'they wouldn't get away with in the Premier league. Football player as we all watched growing up here in the UK.

After the match, you will of course then be whisked back to your hotel to get the kids into bed and enjoy a few glasses of wine!

You will need suitable clothing, footwear and a sense of fun. The love of soccer (we'll give you that one) is helpful but not the determining factor in the whole family enjoying the day together.

Email is to find out more contact@chirtongrange.co.uk and pleased do so in advance of your traveling so we can work out the best day/game possible to make it a day to remember. 

 

*Other meat flavoured drinks are available... Actually I don't think they are, but alcohol is...

Beat the January Blues with Chirton Grange

So Christmas has been and gone. New Year came and went. I guess now you're all back to the grind and but not quite with it enough to be writing 2016 when you write the date? Thought so.

It's an odd time of year this, people are all getting over Christmas and that seems like an excuse for many not to get out and do things ("Oh I would, but you know, it's January..."). Well fear not because Chirton Grange has a comprehensive list of January and February goings on around the capital that we're sure will get you out there.

London Art Fair - Business Design Centre, Islington
This one probably ticks that New Year's Resolution box to be more cultured. The event takes place at the Business Design Centre in Islington from 20th January until the 24th January. The even better news is that with Time Out London, you can get 40% off a ticket...

London International Mime Festival
The mime festival takes place from 9th January until 6th February at various venues and in various events over the time period. There is a full list available here but as mime isn't really our cup of tea, we haven't got a lot else to say about it........

Henry IV - Barbican
Again, if you're after filling your culture commitments, January in London can help you out. The RSC (Royal Shakespeare Company) returns to the Barbican for parts one and two of the Henry IV between 14th January and 23rd January. We understand that Richard II will be making an appearance later in the year. Probably best to book a car for this one and enjoy with a lovely evening meal. You can contact Chirton Grange about these bookings...

Lumiere London
This is fantastic, this. 30 artists have been asked to fill London with light between the 14th and 17th January. There's anything from neon dogs to light up stick men climbing buildings going on. There's a full list of 30 attractions here, alternatively, you can book an evening tour with Chirton Grange and we'll show you them all!

Chinese New Year
So you thought New Year was over, right? Well it isn't. Relive the celebrations with the Chinese New Year parade in London on 14th February with the morning parade through Charing Cross Road and Shaftesbury Avenue. You can follow this up with an evening in Chinatown for the celebrations. Why not treat that special someone since this year Chinese New Year coincides with Valentine's Day.

Imagine Children's Festival
The Southbank Centre will once again put children in charge as it celebrates the annual children's festival. This year there's a Roald Dahl theme to proceedings and various readings by other authors, as well as Music, Film and comedy for appropriate ages. This runs from 10th Feb until the 21st so check out the website for more information

Grimaldi Service
This is a must see, it really is. You won't think so when I tell you what it is, but it's a must see... On 7th Feb, clowns will gather at the All Saint's Church in Haggerston to honour the king of clowning, Joseph Grimaldi. Obviously. Well worth a look, you can book a car for the occasion with Chirton Grange

Craft Beer Rising
Definitely book a car for this one, you won't want to be driving or negotiating public transport... The Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane will be hosting 150 exhibitors of finest ale, craft beer and lager with over 380 beers to be sampled. Although there's no token system anymore, the beers are still much cheaper than you'll get them for in pubs across the country so get down to take advantage. This festival runs over the last weekend in February, 26th-28th.

So there you have it, try and get out and do just a few of them and I'm sure the January/February blues won't strike this year. It'll also get 2015, sorry I mean 2016 off to a cracking start and tick a few of those resolution boxes.

Of course, better than trying one or two is to contact Chirton Grange and incorporate them into a London tour with a dedicated car and driver for the day, meaning you can concentrate on just enjoying yourself

Christmas Skating Rinks in London

Christmas is a time when people tend to eat and drink a bit more than they should. They also splash out on gifts that they'd never normally purchase. They also, for some reason, combine this with taking up an Olympic sport. As you can probably tell already, I'm not a big skater myself but many people in the UK and the capital are. I'm not down on skating personally, I can see the attraction and romance in it, I just can't do it... So with that in mind, please understand this list of skating rinks in London is graded by the whole experience, not the quality of the skate!

Eye Skate - London Eye

This rink is situated directly underneath the London Eye making it a really rather magical experience. In the dark evenings when the Eye is lit up and the Christmas lights around the rink come on, you couldn't wish for a nicer setting to fall and break your ankle... I mean skate! You can combine with a flight on the London Eye for a small break in the price or just solo skate. Prices are £9.45 for adults and children go free (except on the weekend).

Hampton Court Palace

This has been going on for some years but is a reasonably well kept secret... The magnificent palace of Henry VIII sets the backdrop for one of London's more spectacular skates. Luckily, it's separate from the maze - could you imagine getting out of there on skates? What's more, this year the palace celebrates 500 years of existence so combine it with a look round the palace, it's well worth it! Not to mention of course, the Ice Bar and Café for refreshments. Tickets are £11.50 for adults and £8.00 for children.

Wembley Park

Imagine skating around with a Christmas fair, food market and vintage fairground rides in the background. Now add in the spectacular archway of the home of English football and you've got skating heaven... The designer outlet at Wembley is to thank and for just £12 (adults) or £10.50 (kids) you can be a part of it!

Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum, designed by Alfred Waterhouse, is a pretty spectacular sight most of the time. However, now there's a skating rink and Christmas fairy lights adorning the imposing building, it's worth of its own adjective. They've even been considerate enough to add a smaller children's rink so the little ones can practice before they take the plunge on the main rink. Tickets are £15.40 for adults and £10.45 for children.

Skate at Somerset House

There's a Fortnum's Lodge selling champagne and afternoon tea. Do you need another reason? Ok, this is traditionally the most well known of London's winter skate rinks but with the rise of the rink, it's been creative to stay ahead. This year there will also be club nights provided by Ministry of Sound and Island Records. I can't believe you want more reason than that? Prices are £14.60 for adults and £10.10 for children.

Tower of London

The rink, creatively is in the dry moat. In my head this is harping back to a great tradition of when the moats froze over and the poor people were invited to skate on it at Christmas. That probably isn't it at all but it's a nice romantic image to end on... Just don't misbehave here, they've got ready made cells!

Well that's our favourite rinks in London. An honourable mention goes to the one at Canary Wharf that just didn't make the cut. Purely on the fact that you'd have to be hanging around all those finance people... Do you want that at Christmas?

Christmas Markets and Fairs in London

Next up in our series about Christmas in London, the markets and fairs!!! Now, there's hundreds of them and to be honest, they're all pretty good so we're not going to tell you about them all. However, if you want to know about them all, check out Time Out London.

No, we'll just be telling you about our favourite 5 Christmas markets and fairs in London, the most central ones! The ones that Chirton Grange can whisk you about to and from...

Barbican Market - 4th December to 20th December - Barbican Centre

The Barbican Christmas market has over 35 independent designers, brands and artisans showcasing their goods and crafts for you. Choose from vintage clothes and designer clothes, arts and crafts, jewellery, books and toys. Of course, no Christmas market is complete without plenty of mince pies and mulled wine. Thankfully they won't be in short supply at the Barbican market.

Christmas Market at the Tate Modern - Until 23rd December - Tate Modern

The Tate Modern has this great space between the gallery and the Thames and over the Christmas period it's put to excellent use as a Christmas market. Wooden chalets fill the space selling everything from handmade wooden toys to unique jewellery and fabulous Christmas decorations. Once again (you may see a theme here) the day out can be accompanies by glorious Bratwurst, crepes, roasted nuts and plenty of mulled wine. There's also a traditional Christmas carousel, probably have the wine after that though...

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland - Until 3rd January - Hyde Park (obviously)

This is huge and everyone probably knows all about it! One of the biggest Christmas fairs in the country, the huge Christmas market is accompanied by a fun fair and, of course, Santa lurks in a grotto! Don't come here if you're on the fence about Christmas though, the constant Christmas music (you know the ones) and plethora of Christmas is great for kids and big kids.

London Bridge Christmas Market - Until 3rd January - London Bridge

A personal favourite area of London so a personal favourite Christmas market. Probably better know as More London Market, the London Bridge do has over 100 independent traders selling homemade gifts and food from German style chalets. Yet again, alcohol is the order of the day with Christmas cocktails, mulled wine, hot cider and craft beers in abundance.

Bavarian Christmas - 12th and 13th December - The Crystal, Canning Town

Be quick, this one is only around for the weekend and ticks the boxes where fairytale Christmas is concerned. I'm not sure why, but we Brits have a very Bavarian style view of the perfect Christmas. There is, of course, an indoor market to be enjoyed by all and chalets that serve - you guessed it - Bavarian food (sausage) and drink (beer and wine). Then, the family friendly stand up from the Comedy Club should hit the spot.

So there you have it, our favourite Christmas markets and fairs in London. As mentioned, there's hundreds more where that came from so don't feel limited to this list! Next up in our Christmas series is favourite ice skating venues so look out for that this week!

Christmas Trees in London

So, as it's Christmas now in the UK (I'm sorry people who went before now, but no decorations until 1st!!!) we were going to do a blog on the best Christmas bits in London. However, in researching we found absolutely thousands of things to be done in London... So welcome to part one in our Christmas series of blogs for things to do in London. We begin, traditionally with the tree. Now, London has hundreds of tree displays, from the main Trafalgar Square tree to the individual hotel displays, some of which are spectacular.

Chirton Grange has helpfully picked out the best and our favourites for you, to make the day in London seamless.

St Pancras Station Disney Display

Not strictly speaking a tree, this one, but it is in the shape of a tree. Over 2000 Disney stuffed toys have gone into making this tree, all of which will be donated to kids charities in the new year so nobly it makes an entry this year. Also handy as if you're travelling into London from Kent or Essex or Yorkshire, you'll end up here and your Chirton Grange car will pick you up here.

Norwegian Spruce - Trafalgar Square

This one gets switched on on Thursday December 3rd so still time to get down to see it! The tree is donated by the Norwegian government every year (since 1947) as a thank you to Britain for our help and support in World War 2. Often the tree is over 20m tall and is automatically associated with Christmas in the capital.

Damien Hirst Tree at the Connaught

Now, one might not normally associate Damien Hirst with a traditionalist idea of Christmas. And you'd be right. This large tree displayed by the Connaught is decorated by Damien with surgical instruments. Sound odd? Wait until you see the snowmen made from pills! However, the meaning behind the decorations is very Christmas, the surgical instruments represent hope. Hope brought about by medicine and science. So still quite Christmassy...

Nordic Pine and the Ritz

Now the Ritz is definitely more traditionally Christmassy. This old school display of Nordic pine isn't set around one large tree but many smaller ones. As with the Ritz, this one is one for those with a more old school ideology of Christmas.

Duke of York Square

As always, Chelsea bring their A Game to Christmas (perhaps someone could tell Jose and his boys about this) with what can only be described as more of a forest of trees. Two tall 28ft trees dominate this display but a further 46 seven foot trees and 6 fourteen foot trees give you the impression of being in an Alpine forest, decorated beautifully, of course.

Dickensian Christmas - Borough Market

You can rely on Borough to bring a more traditional and Victorian vibe to the whole idea of Christmas. And of course, if there's one Victorian who encapsulates Christmas, it's Dickens. His Christmas Carol isn't necessarily referenced in the market, but you certainly feel every bit in the tale with Scrooge and Tiny Tim. A 28 foot tree is joined by 22 Victorian wreaths suspended from the iron roof to bring Christmas to the market,

Coming next, we'll be discussing Christmas Markets and Fairs in London. Yet again in this cosmopolitan and multi-cultural city, there's something for everyone to get involved in. Chirton Grange cars are available in London for day and evening hires to see the trees, markets and shops. Just get in touch or visit the website