DA VINCI DECODED IN LONDON AND EDINBURGH
Fans of The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown - now a film starring Tom Hanks, much of which was shot in Britain - have a choice of special tours and hotel breaks in London and Edinburgh.
A new Da Vinci Code walk and bus tour leads visitors to London into the mysterious world of Professor Robert Langdon. The Big Bus Company's walk takes two hours and leaves daily from Trafalgar Square (until September 30). It visits Temple Church, Westminster Abbey and St. James's Park, before returning to the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. An experienced guide highlights key sections of Dan Brown's book. The cost (including a Big Bus tour ticket) is £20 adult, £10 child, valid for 24 hours on three tour routes. Website: www.bigbustours.com

The Sheraton Grand Hotel and Spa in Edinburgh offers the chance to recreate the steps of Langdon and Neveu with a chauffeur-driven guided tour to historic Rosslyn Chapel, founded in 1446, which features in the book and film. The Da Vinci Code Experience costs £199 per person and includes accommodation, Scottish breakfast, chauffeur tour with a qualified guide and use of the ONE Spa.
Website: www.sheraton.com/grandedinburgh.

London's five-star Renaissance Chancery Court has the Decoding Da Vinci package. Costing £290 per room per night (two people sharing) it includes accommodation (Fri., Sat. or Sun.), breakfast, a two-hour tour led by experienced guide Simon Rodway, a copy of the Rough Guide to the Da Vinci Code, and a Virgin of the Rocks cocktail in the hotel bar.
Website: www.renaissancechancerycourt.com

GREENWICH HOME FOR NEW ENTERTAINMENT VENUE
The former Millennium Dome in Greenwich, London is to open in summer 2007 as the capital's first purpose-built musical concert venue since the Royal Albert Hall. Called The O2, it is at the centre of the Greenwich Peninsular, beside the River Thames, and is one of Britain's most important regeneration sites, part of which will be a major leisure and entertainment quarter. The O2 Arena, a 23,000 capacity entertainment and sports venue, will also host the 2009 World Gymnastics Championships and two 2012 Olympics events as well as world-class concert acts. Also planned by Anschutz Entertainment in this first phase of redevelopment, scheduled for 2007, are bars, cafés and restaurants, a live music club, a cinema, exhibition space and an attraction called the British Music Experience. The David Beckham football academy is already open on an adjacent site.

Longer term plans include a hotel complex and, subject to official permission, a regional casino, possibly as early as 2009. When complete it will be Europe's largest leisure and entertainment complex.



CARDIFF HOSTS ‘LARGEST FREE FESTIVAL'
The Welsh capital, Cardiff, is known for its fantastic Victorian castle, the state-of-the-art Millennium Stadium and superb shopping and nightlife. This summer it also hosts Britain's largest free outdoor festival, taking place over 40 days and nights from June 21. The Cardiff Festival features jazz, Latin and folk concerts, Shakespearean theatre, a food and drink festival, street celebrations, a Fringe, the Welsh classical Proms and lots more. Website: www.cardiff-festival.com

Summer entertainment in the capital continues with open-air theatre at Cardiff Castle (August 8-13) including Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and Edith Nesbit's The Railway Children. There is An Audience with Queen Victoria at the castle on August 29. Website: www.cardiffcastle.com

‘TASTE OF LONDON' EVENT IN REGENT'S PARK
Visitors to London's outdoor food and drink festival this summer will be able to enjoy exemplary cuisine from famous restaurants at a fraction of the normal price. Tom Aikens, Antonio Carluccio and Michel Roux Jr are just three of the chefs confirmed to attend Taste of London 2006 (June 15-18) in Regent's Park, sponsored by British Airways. Around 40 restaurants will take part, including Jamie Oliver's Fifteen, the Cinnamon Club, Gordon Ramsay's Boxwood Café and Inn the Park, winner of a Time Out eating and drinking award 2006. Sample-size signature dishes will be specially prepared for visitors to enjoy and a chefs' theatre, cookery school and wine, spirit and beer academies are planned at the event. Tickets from £15,
Website: www.tasteoflondon.co.uk

BRITAIN'S TOP TEA PLACES
A London hotel and a tea-shop in a Cumbrian seaside town have won accolades for their afternoon tea from Britain's Tea Guild. Claridges, the Mayfair hotel, has gained the Top London Afternoon Tea 2006 Award. Judges were impressed with the staff's knowledge of teas and the delicate selection of accompanying cakes, pastries and sandwiches. The hotel offers a huge choice of over 30 different teas from all over the world. These are accompanied by a selection of finger sandwiches, French pastries and freshly baked raisin and apple scones served with Claridge's own popular tea-infused jam and thick Devonshire clotted cream.

Afternoon tea is available daily, from £28.50 per person, from 3pm to 5:30pm. Awards of excellence went to The Four Seasons, The Lanesborough, The Savoy and The Milestone.

A few miles south of England's Lake District, Hazelmere Café and Bakery in Grange-over-Sands has won the Top Tea Place 2006 award. The owners, Dorothy and Ian Stubley, impressed the inspectors by offering a wonderful range of top-quality teas, brewed and served "to perfection". Food, using mainly locally sourced ingredients, is produced in their own adjoining bakery. There is an open fire in winter and a Victorian verandah for use during the summer. There were 34 Award of Excellence winners, including Sir George Newnes Tea Rooms in Lynton, Devon and Betty's Café Tea Rooms in six Yorkshire locations including Harrogate and York.

Establishments were tested by mystery tea inspectors on 17 criteria, from décor and crockery to tea variety. A book, the AA and Tea Council's Britain's Best Afternoon Tea is available at bookshops.
Website: www.tea.co.uk

MORE MEGABUS SERVICES - FROM £1 A TICKET
The network run by a low-cost, long distance bus operator is expanding rapidly, making the cost of getting around Britain cheaper than ever. Megabus.com, part of the Stagecoach operation, which offers seats on all its services starting at just £1 (plus 50p booking fee) when booked on the Internet, has introduced new routes, bringing the number of cities served by its coach and double-decker vehicles to more than 40.The improvements include a new Edinburgh-Newcastle-Sheffield-London service; a new Cwmbran (South Wales) - Bristol-London service and increased daily journeys from Bournemouth, Portsmouth and Southampton to London.
Stagecoach has recently expanded the budget concept to its train services, South West Trains, offering Megatrain.com tickets on some off-peak Portsmouth and Southampton to London services for just £1.
Websites: www.megabus.com; www.megatrain.com

CORNWALL'S SURFING SPECTACULAR
The UK's premier lifestyle festival - and a highlight of the British surfing year - takes place in Cornwall this summer. The Rip Curl Boardmasters 2006 returns to Newquay's popular Fistral Beach (July 31 - August 6) when the highlight will be the Men's and Women's five-star World Qualifying series surfing championships. The highest ever level of entrants is expected, all competing for the $100,000 cash prize.

A music festival (last year featuring James Blunt and Razorlight) takes place at nearby Watergate Bay, plus there's skating, freestyle motocross, bikini competitions, a beach bar and trade village to complete the line-up.
Website: www.ripcurlboardmasters.com

ALNWICK GARDEN'S ‘TRANSPARENT' VISITOR CENTRE
The Duchess of Northumberland has opened The Pavilion and Visitor Centre at Alnwick Garden, the spectacular new garden for the 21st century that is taking shape in North-East England. The new building, by leading British architect Sir Michael Hopkins, appears almost entirely transparent, yet can hold up to 1,000 people. With its barrel-vaulted lattice roof, it provides a theatrical entrance for visitors to the gardens and provides space for exhibitions, conferences and other events. There are cafés, shops and an outdoor terrace overlooking the Grand Cascade, which along with one of the biggest tree-houses in Europe, is one of the highlights of Alnwick. The garden is still evolving and there are many more features yet to come. Open daily. Website: www.alnwickgarden.com

MOTOR THE MALVERNS IN A MORGAN
One of the best-loved names in British motoring, Morgan Motor Company, has joined forces with a hotel in Herefordshire to offer a short break with a difference. Guests can enjoy the thrill of driving through some of England's prettiest countryside while based at Colwall Park, a country house hotel in the Malvern Hills. The Morgan car was designed and constructed nearby, in Malvern, 142 miles north-west of London, by Henry Morgan nearly 100 years ago. The cost of the break, available all year, is £395 per couple, including two night's accommodation, one day's car rental, champagne and chocolates. Longer stays are available
. Website: www.colwall.com

REGAL SETTING FOR HAMPTON COURT FLOWER SHOW
Britain's biggest flower show takes place in the splendid setting of King Henry VIII's Hampton Court Palace grounds, on the outskirts of south-west London, this summer. The show (July 4-9 - members only on July 4-5), run by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), launches a new garden category this year, ‘Conceptual Gardens', showcasing the designers of tomorrow.

‘Conceptual Gardens' will challenge students to push the boundaries of garden design and express a high level of innovation and creativity to ‘wow' visitors at the show. Four new designers are being selected to build their garden at the show and will be judged for a RHS medal. Other highlights include marquees full of prize blooms, trees and other plants; trade stands and a variety of drinking and dining options. It is an enjoyable day out, even for those who aren't particularly green-fingered.
Website: www.rhs.org.uk/flowershows.

MAGNA CARTA WEEK IN LINCOLNSHIRE
The English county of Lincolnshire is to hold a Magna Carta USA Week this summer, with 20 events celebrating the connections between the county and North America. One of only four copies of Magna Carta, which was used in the drafting of the U.S. constitution, can be seen in Lincoln Cathedral on the city's hill-top. The events take place from June 9-17. Magna Carta, issued by King John's chancery in 1215, is considered as the corner-stone of liberty in English law.
Website: www.lincolncathedral.com

CRUISING FROM THAMES-SIDE CLIVEDEN
The historic Cliveden Hotel, former home of the Astor family, in Berkshire is offering guests luxury cruises along the River Thames this summer in its restored vintage launches Suzy Ann, Belmont and Liddesdale. Cliveden's Summer Vintage Cruises include the opportunity to have lunch at the hotel followed by petit fours on the river (from £50) or a Champagne Cruise leaving daily at 6pm (from £48). Cliveden is situated above the River Thames, 29 miles west of central London and has a rich history. Previous guests include Charlie Chaplin and Winston Churchill.
Website: www.vonessenhotels.com.

SEE NORTH-EAST ENGLAND WITH ICE-CREAM
Visitors to North-East England are being encouraged to visit the region's attractions by a local ice-cream manufacturer. The Doddington Dairy Ice Cream Trail includes attractions along the Roman Hadrian's Wall such as Birdsowald Roman Fort; plus Beamish - The North of England Open Air Museum in County Durham; and Ingram Valley National Park Visitor Centre near Alnwick. No purchase of ice cream is necessary but visitors who get a trail map stamped at 10 of the 29 different locations and send it back to the dairy by September 30 can receive a prize. Those who have visited the most attractions will enter a special prize draw. Doddington Dairy is a small family business situated near Wooler and is famous for its Newcastle Brown Ale flavoured ice-cream. W
Website www.doddingtondairy.co.uk.

UNUSUAL ACCOMMODATION FROM DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT
A night in a Victorian, gothic style Chapel of Rest in a graveyard may be just your idea of a relaxing break. It is just one of the unusual accommodations offered by a grouping called Distinctly Different. The Chapel of Rest is a pretty building in the Derbyshire Peak District and guests can enjoy breakfast served in an antique wooden bed. Distinctly Different seek out novel accommodation in small properties where the hosts provide an individual welcome and these include guesthouses, hotels and self catering accommodation (from £35 per person per night). New to the group this year are Ethie Castle near Dundee in Scotland, a gypsy caravan in Somerset and a converted oast house (where hops were stored) in Kent. Other examples of accommodation available include lighthouses, post offices and prison cells.
Website: www.distinctlydifferent.co.uk.

MUSICAL EVENINGS FROM ENGLISH HERITAGE
Art Garfunkel, Westlife and Bryn Terfel are three of the performers who will be entertaining visitors to four of England's historic locations this summer in a series of outdoor concerts organised by English Heritage. Kenwood House at Hampstead in North London celebrates its 55th year of picnic concerts with a new ‘floating' stage on its lake (June 24- Aug. 27) and, for the first time, Battle Abbey in East Sussex - site of the Battle of Hastings in 1066 - will host concerts featuring Van Morrison and Russell Watson (Aug. 26-27).

The other venues are Marble Hill in Twickenham (Aug.12-27) and Audley End in Saffron Walden, Essex (July 22-Aug. 6). Tickets from £18. Website: www.picnicconcerts.com.