Northern Ireland’s troubled history belies its beautiful scenery, cultural attractions and warm hospitality of the locals. After years of sectarian violence, this small country perching on the tip of the Republic of Ireland is finally getting the tourist recognition that it deserves.

With the troubles now fading into history, Northern Ireland is selling itself as a success story, building on the political stability and the lowest rate of unemployment in the UK. Like its neighbour, the Republic of Ireland which has experienced rapid economic growth over the last decade, Northern Ireland has now entered a similar period of development, and the country aims to tap into perhaps it’s most underused source of income: tourism.

And with incredible scenery, plenty of cultural attractions and warm local hospitality, it shouldn’t be too difficult for Northern Ireland to enter the mainstream as a tourist hotspot. Indeed, the world renowned guide book publishers, Lonely Planet, have this year named Northern Ireland as one if its top 10 “must see” destinations.

Rather than try to lock their troubled history into a time capsule never to be opened again, Northern Ireland is instead using it as a tourist attraction. Though many of the impressive sectarian murals are now being replaced with images of national sporting heroes, Belfast’s so called “Terror Trail” has several more permanent attractions in the form of the notorious Crumlin Road Gaol, and some of the sites where violence, such as on Blood Sunday, took place. The thinking behind the promotion of the terror trail is that such history should be remembered, to avoid ever making the same mistakes again.

One Northern Irish local commented:

“It’s all part of the living history of Northern Ireland and is every bit as valid as Giant’s Causeway or other symbols of our country. You can’t just brush all that history under the carpet and I think visitors will gain a valuable insight into Northern Ireland by experiencing these tours that explain our troubled periods. Visiting sites of previous conflict helps people understand history – and understanding history hopefully helps us to avoid repeating it.”

The terror trail is expected to help fuel the steadily growing tourist industry, which has reported high hotel occupancy rates last year (64% annual average), but there’s still plenty of growth to capitalise on; Northern Ireland’s tourist industry currently contributes the lowest direct gross value (a governmental measure of the contribution the economy) of all the counties in the UK, and considerably less than the Republics of Ireland’s contribution (3.4%).

Travel to Northern Ireland is getting increasingly easier, with several budget airlines setting up bases there, and also travel by ferry is an option for those who prefer to support the greener choice. It’s possible to get a ferry to Larne from Fleetwood, or to Belfast from Stranraer, Douglas, Troon or Liverpool.

The time of troubles has passed and the time of tourism has arrived, but Northern Ireland’s violent history is not being forgotten and the terror trail is likely to attract even more visitors from around the world.

Drinking and socialising is a large part of the culture of England and a tour of the various historic pubs and breweries is the perfect way to sample this culture. Many may think that beer in England is purely warm flat liquid that only the locals would be mad enough to sample. This however is a common misconception; while on your tour it would be criminal to miss out on the fine ales, stouts and bitters. They may taste flat to the uneducated, but the acquiring of the taste for the beers of England will definitely add an aspect to your tour.
A pint of good beer is a thing to enjoy and savour, thankfully for those who appreciate the tipple there is such a wide and diverse base of beer types that the drinker is thrown in a ‘Willy Wonka’s Factory’ of delight. On your tour you will see bitters and milds, porters and stouts whilst not forgetting the cider that makes the West Country so appealing. The drinks however should only form a small part of your pub tour of England, after all it is the location as much as the pint that makes a good drink.
The pubs of England are some of the oldest in the world and this history is evident as you sup on your tipple. The ale houses of England that you will see on your tour let the traveller step back in time to a simpler period where the roar of an open fire and the clink of glasses is one of the greatest delights in life and a must for the weary traveller. While chain pubs may be encroaching on the traditional pub market, do not fear; there are still plenty of historic pubs to quench your thirst.
All regions of England have a wealth of historic establishments that will amaze the tourist. While you are on your tour you will see names such as the Royal Oak, The Black Bull and Ye Olde Fighting Cocks; all giving some indication of the pub’s heritage. It must be noted that these pubs have been at the heart of their communities for centuries and are still play a major part in modern communities. Nearly all villages will have a pub and stopping off while on your tour for a quick drink or even a spot of lunch can make the journey all the more enjoyable.
In terms of the beers you will see on your tour of England, they generally fall into five categories. The most numerous are the bitters or ales, this are generally very ‘hoppy’ and low in carbonation, an adjunct of the bitters are the ‘mild beers’ which are generally sweeter and usually darker in colour.
Dark colour however is dominated by the stouts; of course most have tried Guinness but there are ranges of stout that vary immensely from the taste of Ireland. Porter can be seen as a happy medium between stout and mild and has experienced resurgence in recent years. Cider is becoming evermore popular but for the true ‘scrumpy’, the West Country is the place to head, this apple based drink can be extremely strong so remember to drink responsibly
While the inhabitants of England are famed for their love of drink try not to match them, they drink at a fast pace and those on tour often fall foul to the odd hangover when overindulgence occurs. For a true slice of English culture however, there is no better way than to visit the local pub and sample the unique regional tipple.

Hi, my name is Linda Shute from New Jersey and I’d like to tell you about my exciting trip to Scotland and “The Highlands”. My hunger to travel to far away places has not diminished as I have grow older I still enjoy far away places and like to meet the folks who live there. Being an avid horse enthusiast, and riding since childhood, I like to combine these two pleasures whenever I can.

One day while browsing my new travel catalogue from Equitours, (they offer worldwide riding holidays), I found a trip to Scotland that I just couldn’t pass up. I phoned them and booked the horseback trip and extended the trip to include a week of traveling via rental car and stay at Bed-and-Breakfast homes.

This would ensure I would get off the beaten path to meet the local people and just maybe get a glimpse of the Loch Ness Monster.

Unlike the trip I took to Ireland, first I did the horseback trip and then traveled on my own in a rental car.

This time I drove around first, then did the horseback trip.

Off to the travel agent I went with checkbook in hand. I paid for the airline tickets and booked the rental car and picked up the Bed-and-Breakfast information. I flew into Glasgow, rented a car and headed east towards Edinburgh.

After getting lost and found several times in this city, I finally found my destination castle.

I took a tour of Edinburgh Castle. This was a breath-taking experience in two ways: the shear beauty of the place and It was a huge, very steep hill, I had to walk up to get to the castle.

Once at the entrance, I asked the guard who was the big bronze statue of and he replied “William Wallace, he is similar to your George Washington in the Americans fight for freedom”.

After the tour of the castle and a peek at the crown jewels it was a much easier trek downhill to the car.

I headed northwest towards Stirling then on to Fort William and Loch Ness. I spent a day and a night in Fort William browsing old museums, enjoying a lovely dinner, complete with local folk musicians and dancers.

In the morning I was off to Loch Ness and in search of the mystery monster.

Loch Ness is a really huge lake 22 miles long with waters as black as pitch, in its deepest parts it’s said to be about 700 feet.

I learned that the legend of ‘Nessie’ the monster dates back to 565 AD. I visited the Loch Ness museum and found some very interesting information. Sonar surveys of the loch using the latest equipment have failed to find any conclusive evidence of Nessie existence, but neither have they proved that she doesn’t exist.

Loch Ness has many moods from the sultry to the serene. Strange currents move across and below the surface and even sturgeon have been known to swim across the loch.

The waters are so black from the depth and pitch it’s hard find anything even on sonar, so who knows what people have seen or not seen. You have to make up your own mind whether Nessie swims freely through those dark waters or not.

Next it was onward to Aberdeen to return the car and go to the stables for my horseback part of the trip which was stationed out of a small town called Tomintoul in the Highlands.

I stayed at the same hotel for the week and the horseback tours headed out in a different direction each day and lasted about 5 to 6 hours. I found Tomintoul to be a sleepy little town with not much action you could say they rolled up the sidewalks at dusk.

On this trip there were three other riders from England and one other lady from the US.

For the week we were all suppose to ride the Highland ponies. This I did not like at all. I found them to be slow and pokey with not much get up a go spirit.

At the end of the day my legs were so tired from the constant urging on of this animal I was miserable. I complained so much they finally let me go out into the pasture and pick another mount.

I chose a high-spirited half Arabian mare for the rest of the week and I was very happy with her.

One of our day trips was to the Glenlivet Distillery where we tied our mounts to the fence and wet inside for the tour and taste test.

I’m not usually much of a straight whiskey drinker but on this day I made an exception. Needless to say the ride home was very interesting. Most days where spent on trails through the hills and crossing streams or forest.

The Heather was not in bloom when I was there and this was a bit disappointing, I could see that the hillsides would be blazing with color just a few weeks after my departure. On our last day in Tomintoul were taken to a nearby town and to watch the one and only Highland Games I have ever seen.

They started out with a parade of horse drawn carriages, bagpipers and all the competitors walking behind them all were dressed in Kilts.

They had dancing, log throwing, tossing the caber, tug of war, and other contest I have know idea what the name of it would be it was not like anything I had ever seen before. Everything was more of a Medieval type atmosphere.

At last much to my dismay, my vacation has come to an end and I must return to New Jersey.

With a smile,

Linda Shute

Helsinki has been the capital city of Finland since the early 1800s when the Russian tsars rebuilt the city.  Although Helsinki is now a popular destination, it has never lost its small-town appeal, which the tourists and its visitors find very appealing.  Among the cities of Finland, Helsinki is thought to be the most cosmopolitan, meaning it is Finland’s most modern and sophisticated city.  But aside from its cosmopolitan nature, it still has many old and historical places to visit.

You needn’t spend a lot of money in order to get to Helsinki as there are cheap flights from London to Helsinki available – as long as if you are willing to book in advance.

Airline Companies Offering Flights from London to Helsinki

British Airways is the flag carrier of the United Kingdom.  It is also regarded as the country’s national airline, having flights within Europe as well as international flights like the United Sates of America and the Caribbean.  This major airline company is one of the largest airline companies on the planet and is an affiliate of the Oneworld Airline Alliance, having been one of its founding members.  Its base is at the new terminal 5 building at London Heathrow Airport.

Scandinavian Airlines System is jointly owned by three countries – Norway, Denmark and Sweden. Although it is based in Sweden, it is known as the chief airline company of these 3 countries.  Scandinavian Airlines System or SAS has been in business since the 1940s and also offers flights to Asian countries, as well as to countries within Europe and the Untied States.

Deutsche Lufthansa, or more commonly referred Lufthansa, also carries passengers from London to Helsinki.  Lufthansa is one of the – if not the biggest airline companies in Europe.  They are based in Cologne, Germany.  Lufthansa is one of the founding affiliates of Star Alliance, the biggest airline alliance in the world.

Finnair is the flag carrier of Finland and is the country’s biggest airline company.  Its headquarters is located in Vantaa, Finland.  Like the British Airways, it is a member of Oneworld Airline Alliance.  Finnair has been in this industry since the early 1920s.

Air France also carries passengers from London to Helsinki.  It has flights to about 83 countries with a total of 185 destinations.  Air France is acknowledged as one of the major airline companies in the world.

Czech Airlines is Czech’s flag carrier and considered as the country’s national airline.  It has flights to at least 69 destinations and carries passengers to at least 41 countries.  It has been in the flight industry since 1923.

Usual Flight Times

British Airways has flights leaving from 7:30 am and 4:10 pm to 6:05om in the evening.

Flights with Scandinavian Airlines leave at 7:55 pm with a travel time of around 3 hours.

Deutsche Lufthansa departs for Helsinki at 2:35pm in the afternoon and 7:35pm in the evening.

Finnair leaves at 07:30 am, 4:20 pm and 6:05 pm.

Air France’s flight times are 10:50 and 12:20 in the morning.

Czech Airlines’ only daily flight is at 11:30 in the morning, and takes around 3 hours to get to Helsinki.

Note: Times may vary in the future, so please double-check before you finalise your travel plans.

Cheapest Tickets and Departure/Arrival Airports

British Airways’s cheapest ticket will cost you from around £220.30 to £327.30.  Your departure airport is London Heathrow, arriving at Helsinki Airport.

Scandinavian Airlines System is a bit more expensive at £275.90, being the cheapest flight we could find.  Likewise, your plane leaves from the London Heathrow Airport.

If Lufthansa is your choice, know that the cheapest ticket we could find was £284.00.  The plane also departs from London Heathrow Airport.

These are just some of the cheap flights from London to Helsinki that are worthwhile considering before making your reservation.

The Dial as they were originally known in 1886 was formed by the employee’s – notably, David Danskin, of a munitions factory in Woolwich, London. The Dial adopted various names, these included Royal Arsenal and in 1891 when they turned professional, they became Woolwich Arsenal. In 1893, they decided to sign up to the Football League and spent their first 11 years in the second Division. In 1904 saw them promoted to Division one where they stayed for a further 10 years but the Club financially was in a mess. In 1910, their saviour came in the form of a Mr Henry George Norris, a business man and Politian who made his money from property development. Unfortunately though in 1913 they were relegated back to Division 2. It was around this time that the shrewd Henry Norris’s desire to move the Club to a new ground in a superior location was realized. Highbury also known as “The Home of Football” became The Arsenal or Arsenal, as they were now known, new home. With this move also created a rivalry with local Football Club Tottenham Hotspurs, which is a strong today as it was back then. Other factors made this bitterness between these two Clubs even more raw, with allegations made towards Henry Norris, but these just remained as rumours.

Huddersfield’s ex and well-respected Football Manager, Herbert Chapman took control of the Arsenal squad in 1925. Despite the fact that Chapman was an ex player himself but on a smaller scale it was his Managerial skills he will always be remembered for. His ideas and philosophy brought success to Arsenal in winning the FA Cup during the 1929/1930 season then came the League Championship twice in 1930/1931 – 1932/1933. Sadly, in 1934 Herbert Chapman died of suspected pneumonia. His legacy and football gifts did carry on in the hands of George Allison with further League wins in 1933/34 – 1933/35 plus the FA Cup again in 1935/36 and yet again the League 1937/38. With Allison in charge, The Gunners became the best English Club in the 1930’s and George Allison is one of the longest serving Managers Arsenal has had to present day.

Post war years saw Arsenal FC have there ups and downs with Managers coming and going. Their success in the 30’s eluded them but they did mange to win the League under Tom Whittaker in the 1947/48 season and then in 1952/53. The 50’s and 60’s were over-all tough decades for The Gunners who struggled, the football gifts in quality players they were once accustomed to no longer existed and finding replacements wasn’t forthcoming. Wolverhampton Wanderers and England legend Billy Wright took the Managerial reigns in 1962-1966 but that also was to no avail.

Their fortunes turned when in 1966 the football gifts of, Bertie Mee, was selected as new Manager. Mee had good football history, with both himself and his younger brother players but through injury, Mee had to opt for early retirement. Joining the Royal Army Medical Corps, he made sergeant 6 years later and it was also here that he trained in physiotherapist. This gave him the ideal occupation for football work. The success Arsenal craved for was just around the corner. In 1969/70, they won the Inter Cities Fairs Cup a European Trophy. This was just a small token in comparison to what followed when in 1969/70 The Gunners achieved their first double win- The League and FA Cup. Even though lifting another trophy was a few years down the line, they still managed to book three FA Cup Finals in the 70’s but came off in 2nd place until 1979/80 beating Manchester Untied FC 3-2 in what can only be described as a classic.

The early 80’s for Arsenal FC were just middle-of-the-road in terms of success but they were in for another good spell. In 1986 saw the return of former player George Graham as Manager. The Club won the League Cup in 1986/87; Grahams first season in charge as Manager, followed by a League Title win in 1988/89 season. Then another big double, the FA Cup and League Cup in 1992/93. More was to come when they lifted the European, Cup Winners Cup in 1993/94. The Club had gone from strength to strength under Graham. In 1995 all that was shattered when he was sacked for dubious dealings in player transfers to the Club.

In 1996, French Manager Arsen Wenger was appointed new Manager of The Gunners.  Bringing with him his football gifts, European style and foreign signings and a much-needed discipline to the Club, Arsenal achieved great triumph under him.  In 1997/98, they won another League Cup double plus reached the UEFA Final in 1999/2000 but just missed out against Galatasaray on penalties. Another double was making its way to Arsenal in the 2001/02 season. The Gunners again won the FA Cup in 2002/03 and the Premier League. In winning the Premier League that season, they did it in awesome style – not loosing a single game throughout which totalled 49 matches. This is a record in itself in Premiership Football that still stands today (2009). The 2004/05 saw The Gunners once more lift the FA Cup. Up until 2005/06 Arsenal hadn’t had much luck when it came to the Champions League, this season they reached the final but were just beaten past the line by Barcelona 2-1. For 93 years Arsenals home had been Highbury but this ended when they moved to the new impressive £430 million Emirates Stadium in July 2006, one of the largest football stadiums in the UK. One more record was added to Arsen Wenger’s collection – the longest ever Manager of The Gunners