Travel Tips - Vacation in Britain.

To the British the weather is important. As a talking point it out-ranks most other subjects with few exceptions. This is the result of being a temperate zone, relatively cool in Summer and not too cold in Winter which brings with it unpredictable weather patterns.
Unless you're very lucky, you will possibly suffer rain at sometime during a two week vacation. But don't fret. The upside of this weather is that the Brits have developed an entertainment that can be relied upon to fill in those wet days.
In my opinion, British TV is world class. If you are marrooned in your hotel, then don't despair - turn on your TV. If you do then it will help to know what's available and best.

• BBC Channels One and Two: Blessed as a Public Broadcasting Service, both BBC's general entertainment channels are 'sans-ads'. Supported by licence fees, we can watch top-class programmes without the frustration of seemingly endless breaks for ads. Programs are too varied to itemise here in detail but a few pointers may help you to make a better choice of viewing.
  National and Regional news can be caught on BBC1 plus the Brits favourite soaps, Eastenders and Coronation Street. For a flavour of local life, catch Eastenders for London and Coronation Street for Manchester - both aired in the early evening.
  BBC2 tends towards sport, films and drama, though not exclusively. Much of the flagship sporting events, athletics, golf etc. is shown on this channel, together with some excellent people and places documentaries.
• ITV (Independent Television): Developed as the commercial opposition to the BBC and supported mainly by advertising. ITV1, the company's premier channel, shows a similar spread of items to BBC1, including news and variety. Again, an early evening soap, Emmerdale, will provide a look at ordinary folk going about their daily lives in the Yorkshire Dales.
• Sport can appear anywhere across these channels as the protagonists fight it out for the cream.
  The advent of digital broadcasting has spawned hundreds of channels, many specialising to niche markets like comedy or football. Channels Four and Five try to make their mark in the world of advertised TV by providing content sometimes decribed as 'out of the ordinary'. More news here too, but worth a look into the lists for the occasional gem.
• Satelite Television and Cable are provided in the main by SKY and Virgin. Some of their programmes are free but many others are scrambled and, depending on your hotel's policy on providing TV Services, these channels could be unavailable. Check out the facilities section of our hotels to see virtual or photographic shows of rooms and main function areas.

Okay, now where do you find programming lists? The simplest and most convenient way is to buy a daily newspaper. There are magazines on the stands that cover weekly programming, but almost without exception, the papers provide viewing lists.

So, if its wet outside and the kids have gone to bed, relax and turn on the box - you'll be pleasantly surprised at the range and quality of the entertainment at your fingertips. Good viewing!

Author: Brian Thomas, based in the U.K. is webmaster to BsureTravel.com - 'book your hotel with confidence' who also writes travel articles and novels. See also Brians Writings, Paintings, Novels and Greetings Cards.