Welcome to the August edition of the Britain Club eNewsletter, bringing you the latest information of what's going on in Britain.

In this issue move to the rhythm and salsa beats of the Notting Hill Carnival, we also take a look at the Queen's 80th Birthday exhibition currently being held at Buckingham Palace.

Food and drink trails may give your trip a new focus, or if gardens are more your cup of tea, we have plenty of ideas for you too.

If your name is Jones you may like to be involved in the Welsh world record attempt while in the north tossing the caber and tug of war are all part of the Braemar Gathering, the largest Highland Games in Scotland.

Finally, if you have suggestions about what you would like to read in the Britain Club eNewsletter we would love to hear from you!

Best wishes,

Mark Haynes

Marketing Manager
VisitBritain Australasia

Edition: August 2006 Food and Drink Trails Notting Hill Carnival Buckingham Palace Summer Opening Calling All Joneses....... Highland games Madame Tussauds Garden Itineraries Send us your suggestions VisitBritain.com.au Welcome to VisitBritain's eNewsletter The Britain Club, Australia Welcome to the August edition of the Britain Club eNewsletter, bringing you the latest information of what's going on in Britain. In this issue move to the rhythm and salsa beats of the Notting Hill Carnival, we also take a look at the Queen's 80th Birthday exhibition currently being held at Buckingham Palace. Food and drink trails may give your trip a new focus, or if gardens are more your cup of tea, we have plenty of ideas for you too. If your name is Jones you may like to be involved in the Welsh world record attempt while in the north tossing the caber and tug of war are all part of the Braemar Gathering, the largest Highland Games in Scotland. Finally, if you have suggestions about what you would like to read in the Britain Club eNewsletter we would love to hear from you! Best wishes, Mark Haynes Marketing Manager VisitBritain Australasia Food and Drink Trails Back to top Don't just see Britain, taste it! Why not take your taste buds on tour and experience the variety and quality of British foods by following one of Britain's many food and drink trails. Take a trip through Aberdeen and the Grampians and discover the ‘Whisky Trail' or perhaps Somerset and Hertfordshire to enjoy the regions' ciders. Lincolnshire sausages, freshly picked strawberries, smoked Atlantic salmon, Red Leicester and Stilton are just some of Britain's fine regional fare. You can visit a producer at his place of work or try his food and drink at a farmers' market, country fair, pub, hotel, teashop or food festival. Click here for more information on Britian's Food and Drink Trails Notting Hill Carnival Back to top Don't miss out on the world famous carnival 27-28 August 2006 The Notting Hill Carnival has been taking place in London every August since 1964. This great festival sprung from the energies of immigrants from the Caribbean, particularly from Trinidad, where carnival tradition is very strong. The event has become a multi cultural festival and attracts people of all nationalities. So, sway and bop to the beats of hip hop, house, calypso and salsa music with West African drummers, steelbands, sound systems, live music stages and colourfully-costumed processions, there's something for everyone. Click here to read more about the carnival Notting Hill Carnival website Buckingham Palace Summer Opening Back to top Buckingham Palace opens its doors to the public each year for two months only. 26 July -24 September 2006 Whilst the Queen enjoys her annual trip to Balmoral in Scotland, visitors can take a peek inside one of the world's last remaining working palaces. Visitors can view 19 magnificent state rooms containing some of the greatest treasures from the Royal Collection. When the state Rooms aren't open to the public, they form an essential working part of the palace for official and state entertaining. To Celebrate the Queen's 80th Birthday, a special exhibition of Her Majesty's evening dresses and personal jewellery forms part of the tour. 80 gowns from the 1940s to the present day will be on show. Tickets can be purchased in advance online at www.royalcollection.org.uk Adults £14 Click here to purchase tickets Calling All Joneses....... Back to top Can you help Wales beat this record? 3rd November 2006 Welsh TV channel S4C has announced plans to take on a Guinness Book of Records challenge by bringing together the biggest group of people with the same surname. Understandably, when in Wales, what else would it be but Jones! Sweden holds the current record by gathering 583 Norbergs but organisers in Wales are so confident, they believe they can fill the new 1,600 seat Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff. A variety show will take place staring famous Joneses. Jones audience members will need to bring a passport or driver's licence as proof of identity on the night. Maiden names or hyphenated names do not count. Click here for more information and ticket details Highland games Back to top Braemar Gathering 2nd September 2006 For nine hundred years the village of Braemar in Upper Deeside in Scotland's North East has been best know for its highland gathering. The gathering is held each year on the first Saturday in September. The first gathering was said to have occurred as early as the eleventh century and was attended by King Malcolm Canmore (Malcolm the Great Chief). Today, members of the Royal Family attend the games along with 18,000 spectators. Traditional highland activities such as the tossing the caber, throwing the hammer as well as track events, highland dancing, and pipers are all part of the fun. Not to be missed, the Braemar Gathering is a treat for anyone visiting the highlands in September. Click here for more information on Braemar Braemar Gathering website Madame Tussauds Back to top <;td valign="top" colspan="2"> Experience a wondrous galaxy filled with stars and colour at the newest Tussauds attraction Stardome. Madame Tussauds has joined forces with Aardman Animations, Oscar winning creators of Wallace and Gromit. A totally unique undertaking, the film has been engineered especially for projection on a domed ceiling, with the audience totally immersed above and 360 degrees around. Entry to Stardome is included in the price of the Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. So once you've met the famous faces and been to the frighteningly eerie chamber of horrors you can relax in the dome and be taken away to a new world. You can jump the queue by purchasing tickets with VisitBritain before you leave Australia. New Stardome at Madame Tussauds Click here to purchase tickets Madame Tussauds Homepage Garden Itineraries Back to top Discover Britain's Gardens From herb gardens to mazes, water gardens to gardens of glass, Britain is in bloom all year round. Uncover the intimacy of hidden gardens or relive the grandeur of yesteryear in the grounds of stately homes. Britain has a garden for everyone. If you enjoy gardening or simply enjoy walking in beautiful grounds you will love the the VisitBritain garden itineraries guide. We have put together a selection of itineraries which give you great places to start, great places to visit and interesting scenery along the way. Come and see us at the International Pavillion at Floriade, Canberra. We will exhibiting alongside the British High Commission on the following dates 9-15 October 2006. View our gardens picture gallery Explore our garden itineraries Learn more about Floriade Send us your suggestions Back to top We would love to hear from you Have you already discovered a great place or experience in Britain that you would like others to know about? Or do you want to know more about something to enhance your upcoming trip? Please email us your suggestions; myguide@visitbritain.org Let us know if you have any questions © British Tourist Authority 2003, All rights reserved