A delightful little place, Pots and Pieces Teashop & Gallery is a splendid place to take time out from your adventures.

While waiting for your coffee to roast or your tea to brew, it's worthwhile checking out the gallery, which contains a myriad of superb items that are irresistible.

Historic Houses galore

One thing Herefordshire is not short of are historic homes, vestiges of its rich and often tumultuous history.

There is Croft Castle, a hotchpotch of designs that document the changing styles that characterise certain periods of history; and there's Hampton Court Castle & Gardens, which encompasses 1,000 acres of eye-catching pasture and woodland.

Cruise the River Wye

Sure you can admire a beautiful river at its edge, but sometimes you want to "feel" its character. That is possible with a cruise.

Consider taking on the services of Kingfisher Cruises, which will not only take you along the river, but also provide snacks.

This document discusses, in detail, Dartmoor's intentions with regards to tourism, housing and traffic, all of which will work towards to assisting in the park's development.

Over the last three years, Dartmoor has been engaged in consultations with local communities and stakeholders, all in a bid to help develop a sound and focused policy framework.

"The low number of representations received during the last round of consultation is testament to the extensive public, stakeholder and member engagement in the earlier stages of preparing the plan," stated Bill Hitchins, chairman of the Dartmoor National Park Authority.

"The National Park Authority would like to thank those individuals and organisations for engaging so positively with the process."

Dartmoor, along with other national parks, exists, as stated by the Environment Act (1995), to "conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage" of the area it is responsible for.

After which, with much culture to discuss and critique, you can refresh yourself at Henley Street Tearooms, which again boasts of a quintessentially English air of geniality.

As such, in fitting with a trusted but well-loved cliché, do order a pot of tea. With over 80 to choose from, it's not an easy endeavour.

Now suitably nourished and still in the mood for a bit more Shakespeare after a chivalrous debate about the life and times of the famous playwright, wander on over to Nash's House and New Place, a former residence of the author.

It's beautiful, apt for more rumination on his body of work and their enduring hold on humanity's imagination. Now that, dear reader, is a day that exudes a certain brilliance about it that we are sure you would agree constitutes as a near-perfect day out.
 

We came across a new study suggests that a significant number of British holidaymakers who take a seven-day vacation are likely to run out of cash with two days to spare.

It got us thinking that this is a nightmare situation but sometimes, because we're over excited, we simply find ourselves unable to say no to fine food, fine attractions and oh so "fine times".

Therefore, it makes sense to have some sort of budget in place, and if that doesn't tickle your fancy, how about plan way ahead and have a reserve for when such a circumstance arises? Saving up "emergency money" might just make your holiday a memorable experience for all the right reasons.
 

3663, a leading food service wholesale distributor and good ole Heinz have decided to join forces in a bid to discover what is the UK's favourite burger. In a bid to stir up inspiration, the dynamic duo have signed up last year's MasterChef winner, Tim Anderson, to design some inspirational burgers to get the competition going.

"We're delighted to be partnering with Heinz and Tim Anderson on this campaign and couldn't have teamed with two partners that are more passionate about making burgers brilliant," Catherine Hinchcliff, head of customer marketing at 3663, told Eat Out Magazine.

"When we say 'brilliant', it's not just from a taste point of view; it's about being able to demonstrate the profit on a plate that they deliver."

When you're out and about on your holidays, be sure to give a burger a go and get involved in this celebration of British burgers.

According to the Writers' Centre Norwich (WCN), Norwich is notable for being the place in which the first book in English by a woman was published – landmark events that changed society's attitudes to many things, least of all the notion of the role of women.

"The UNESCO status and the International Centre for Writing will put the city on the world’s literary map for generations to come and enable us to continue Norwich’s proud literary tradition," commented Chris Gribble, chief executive of the WCN.

Speaking to the BBC, the celebrated author Ian McEwan, who was in fact on the UK's first ever creative writing course in the UK (University of East Anglia in Norwich), said that literature has "deep roots" in the city.

"I'm happy too for personal reasons – Norwich is where my own writing life began," he said. "Writers have known for centuries that Norwich is a dreamy city."
          
Norwich now joins an elite list cities known bestowed with such a status:  Edinburgh, Melbourne, Iowa City, Dublin and Reykjavik.

The national tourist board revealed that there was a five per cent increase in such breaks compared to January 2011, which also saw a hike in spending by 16 per cent (a total of £877 million).

"This positive start to 2012 follows on from the success of 2011, during which domestic overnight trips rose by 9 per cent for the whole year", said James Berresford, chief executive of VisitEngland.

"We are working very hard with tourism businesses across England to maintain this momentum, and to ensure that the industry can benefit from the opportunities presented by the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the Torch Relay and the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games."

He added that this is the year that a holiday at home should be taken. We totally agree – everyone is pepped up about the exciting things that have passed and the wonderful things to come. What a year to be in England for a holiday.

A National Trust property, Speck Hall, Garden & Estate, the construction of which was completed in 1598, is a evocative Tudor timber-framed manor house with as much character as the most gregarious and affable human being on the planet.

There's plenty to do here – potter about a garden maze, enjoy a Tudor-esque tour, check out the restored kitchen and wander about the lavish gardens.

Eat – Moon and Pea

An intrepidly named bistro if ever there was one – moon, pea, what's the connection?! – the establishment offers a variety of edible delights depending on what time you go and what you're after.

The brunch menu includes Eggs Brightside, which is comprised of scrambled eggs, salmon, and a grilled tomato on a toasted muffin, while the evening menu has, among other fine dishes, line caught fresh swordfish steak skewered with Mediterranean vegetables, served with rice and pitta bread.

Do – Spend time with the Beatles

Not literally, because that would be technically impossible unless you own a hot tub time machine.

By heading to the Beatles Story, you can pretty much transport yourself to the 60s and be in the embrace of the mania that surrounded the Fab Four during their heyday.

The tour charts the rise of the Liverpudlian lads from anonymity to global megastars and discusses how they changed music forever.

It will kick around in the home of the greatest sporting event the world has ever known for a week before leaving for the UK on May 18th.

"We promise to protect the flame, to cherish its traditions and to stage an uplifting torch relay of which we can all be proud and which can inspire a generation," said Sebastian Coe, chairman of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

"As torchbearers lift the Olympic flame in the days and months ahead, it is our hope that they will also lift the spirits and hopes of people across Britain and across world."

Lasting 70 days, the torch relay can be enjoyed by people all across the country as it will make its way around key areas, taking in a whopping 12,800 km in the meantime.

However, we do have some good news, the kind that makes you feel good about yourself. Rosie Murray-West, the Telegraph's deputy personal finance editor, noted recently that the pound is feeling pretty good about itself, like it has undergone a workout, and is against both the euro and dollar, feeling and looking strong.

Part of the reason – and a significant one at that too – is the ongoing topsy-turvy crisis in the eurozone. That the UK didn't join the euro has meant it is ever so slightly untarnished as those nations whose currency is shared.

"With that in mind we would advise those looking to exchange sterling to be wary of the recent pound strength and look to exchange as soon as possible," Stephen Hughes, director of currencies.co.uk, told the newspaper.

"It may also be worth considering a forward contract to fix the exchange rate at its current level."

We have to say that this is good advice, but of course, it all depends on what your financial situation is. With a bit of careful planning, Brits could enjoy a holiday that pays for itself in all sorts of ways.