phobucket Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 Hi all, My family and I are planning a trip to the UK in the summer. We'll be there for a couple of weeks and will most likely hit England, Wales, and Scotland. Tentatively our plans are to start in south (Brighton) and work our way north, with our time roughly divided between old stuff (castles, henges, etc), TV stuff (filming locations for Lovejoy, Poirot, Jeeves & Wooster), and eating. Somewhere in there I'd like to sandwich in a few music related events. It could be anything from the British Music Experience (worth it?) to a jazz club (only one I know is Ronnie Scott's, others?), to a bass store. We'll most likely get to do this in London or Edinburgh. Any recommendations? Thanks, Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 Hi Ben. The Jazz Cafe often has worthwhile acts and an 'intimate' atmosphere... [url="http://venues.meanfiddler.com/jazz-cafe/home"]http://venues.meanfiddler.com/jazz-cafe/home[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhysP Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 (edited) Lots of beautiful places in Wales but there's nothing I would say was a musical "must-see", historically or otherwise. Edited January 23, 2012 by RhysP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 (edited) What about all those male-voice choirs? And the Eisteddfod is in August... [url="http://www.eisteddfod.org.uk/english/"]http://www.eisteddfod.org.uk/english/[/url] Edited January 23, 2012 by discreet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbayne Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 (edited) Most overseas visitors like to have their photograph taken crossing the street a la Beatles, outside the famous recording studio in Abbey Road, North West London. I guess thats both musically and historically too!! Edited January 23, 2012 by Hobbayne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakenewmanbass Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 (edited) Brighton, London (Ronnies or the Pizza), Stonehenge, Salisbury or Winchester Cathedrals, Bath, Cardiff, Pembrokeshire coast, up through Wales road trip to Liverpool (Parr Jazz) via Snowdonia, Manchester (Band on the wall), The Yorkshire Dales, Ribblehead Viaduct, the M6 through the lakes, over the border into Scotland up the A82 past Loch Lomond to Glencoe, Loch Ness then back down through Edinburgh (the Tron? if still going), to the North east of England, Lindisfarne down to Lincoln Cathedral, and all the way down the Great North road (A1) to Cambridge and then then back into London. I will meet you in Cafe des Amis in covent Garden (just round the corner from the Opera house) and you can tell me how your trip was.... Fly back to Philly... In all seriousness because of being a traveling musician I know this country intimately, so if you want any tips on locations and traveling times between them I will be able to give you a few pointers Edited January 23, 2012 by jakenewmanbass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarah thomas Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 For your Wales experience: Sightsee Cardiff Castle and Cardiff Millenium Centre (plenty of music related events there) - you'll find plenty of good places to eat nearby. If you're in Cardiff on a Friday you could do worse jazzwise than going to the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama at 5.30 to listen free of charge to students on the jazz degree course. They are no slouches. And that leaves you the evening free to eat, see a play or whatever. Sleep, even. On a Tuesday in Cardiff, try Dempseys, opposite the Castle, on Sundays try Shot in the Dark on City Road. Both those places will give you that intimate jazz club experience. There's also Cafe Jazz on St Mary Street, which offers up jazz most nights of the week and has a reasonable restaurant so you can eat and listen at the same time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 You could fit in a lot more English sights by not visiting Wales. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 If you are a rolling stones fan then there's always Swarkestone Hall pavillion...if you are interested in TV locations I recall someone wrote a book listing where most of the main locations for Midsomer Murders have been shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdown Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 [quote name='phobucket' timestamp='1327320049' post='1509149'] Tentatively our plans are to start in south (Brighton) [/quote] I would be very tentative in Brighton. It's twinned with San Francisco. Garry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phobucket Posted January 23, 2012 Author Share Posted January 23, 2012 Cool! We love San Francisco. Jake - your post cracked me up. I know it was all in English, but after a certain point my eyes glazed over like I was reading Greek. I hear Wales has awesome castles, so we're looking forward to that. I had fish and chips in Edinburgh for the first time 15 years ago, fulfilling a boyhood dream - no really. I hope the shop is still there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime_BASS Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 be sure to pay Mark a visit a vist at Bass Direct in Warwick. Be ready to go home a grand or two out of pocket and someting to add to the herd though. There is nothing nice or musical in Nottingham, stay away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OliverBlackman Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 [quote name='Prime_BASS' timestamp='1327326166' post='1509295'] be sure to pay Mark a visit a vist at Bass Direct in Warwick. Be ready to go home a grand or two out of pocket and someting to add to the herd though. There is nothing nice or musical in Nottingham, stay away. [/quote] the midlands in general.... Birmingham, nottingham, Derby, Leicester... All very unmusical and very boring. Oh and Liverpool, scum capital of the UK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charic Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 For a bass shop in London head over to the Bass Gallery. Be prepared to stay a while though (the GF had to put up with me being in there approx. 2 hours ) Also if in london there's the london dungeons etc to find out just how nice we Brits really are Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime_BASS Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 [quote name='blackmn90' timestamp='1327326716' post='1509306'] the midlands in general.... Birmingham, nottingham, Derby, Leicester... All very unmusical and very boring. Oh and Liverpool, scum capital of the UK [/quote] Nottingham's city centre is rather small, and the surrounding area provides little (known) places for those musically inclined. It doesn't help that a large portion of the youths are more into the generic hippyhop and pop stuff than more diverse tastes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakenewmanbass Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 (edited) [quote name='phobucket' timestamp='1327325864' post='1509289'] Cool! We love San Francisco. Jake - your post cracked me up. I know it was all in English, but after a certain point my eyes glazed over like I was reading Greek. I hear Wales has awesome castles, so we're looking forward to that. I had fish and chips in Edinburgh for the first time 15 years ago, fulfilling a boyhood dream - no really. I hope the shop is still there. [/quote] I am in fact Welsh and admit to the trait of, the moment i find myself atop a little rise in the land, I experience an irresistible urge to build a castle!! Edited January 23, 2012 by jakenewmanbass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjohn Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 [quote name='blackmn90' timestamp='1327326716' post='1509306'] Oh and Liverpool, scum capital of the UK [/quote] Know it well then do you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OliverBlackman Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 [quote name='bigjohn' timestamp='1327331201' post='1509412'] Know it well then do you? [/quote] went once for the day... never again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derrenleepoole Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 If you get to Manchester, Band On The Wall as someone has said already, but look at Matt and Phred's too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveK Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1327320516' post='1509161'] Hi Ben. The Jazz Cafe often has worthwhile acts and an 'intimate' atmosphere... [url="http://venues.meanfiddler.com/jazz-cafe/home"]http://venues.meanfi.../jazz-cafe/home[/url] [/quote]Or, more specifically [url="http://venues.meanfiddler.com/jazz-cafe/full-listings/featured-gigs/5464"]http://venues.meanfi...tured-gigs/5464[/url] Although,possibly a little too soon for you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartelby Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 (edited) [quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1327321229' post='1509184'] Lots of beautiful places in Wales but there's nothing I would say was a musical "must-see", historically or otherwise. [/quote] How about the knackered closed up Legendary TJs in Newport! Where Kurt proposed to Cortney... once he'd paid the £5 to get in.. Oh and the Cherub on Newport bridge, as featured on the Stone Roses' Second Coming album cover! Edited January 23, 2012 by bartelby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackduran Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 [quote name='blackmn90' timestamp='1327326716' post='1509306'] the midlands in general.... Birmingham, nottingham, Derby, Leicester... All very unmusical and very boring. Oh and Liverpool, scum capital of the UK [/quote] Jesus wept Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjohn Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 [quote name='jackduran' timestamp='1327343101' post='1509667'] Jesus wept [/quote] I know. I'm from Liverpool and I live in Nottingham... I went to Guildford once... can't say I remember much about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OliverBlackman Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 [quote name='bigjohn' timestamp='1327343483' post='1509677'] I know. I'm from Liverpool and I live in Nottingham... I went to Guildford once... can't say I remember much about it. [/quote] sorry big john, i was born in nottingham and its ok if you want to get a nice Paul Smith Suit but liverpool.... and yes Guildford is for old people, if it wasn't for the ACM being here there isn't a chance in hell i would choose to live here! Because of ACM it has got a great music scene though. Nearly every pub has live music and there are jam nights every night somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 [quote name='bigjohn' timestamp='1327343483' post='1509677'] I went to Guildford once... can't say I remember much about it. [/quote] It was probably closed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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