Staycations

Are you well travelled? I, (James) am certainly not. These days I actually quite enjoy the look on people’s faces when I tell them that I haven’t had a proper holiday abroad for 15 years. “FIFTEEN YEARS!” People say as they pick their jaws up off the floor.

That’s not to say I haven’t been abroad at all in that time. Far from it. Over the last twelve years of being an actor, various jobs have taken me to the US, Hong Kong, the UAE and two brief tours of Europe. I’ve also done a smattering of stag do’s on the continent and a couple of christenings in Ireland, so the overseas trips have happened. 

But why have I chosen to not do the obligatory annual week on a Greek Island or a bouji city break to Berlin or Barca? Well, lack of time and money are certainly factors. But my main excuse is because I have often had my ‘fix’ of trips/retreats/nights away from home with the pretty extensive traveling I have done up and down the UK. 

Britain has so many beautiful parts to it and, my goodness, I have seen a lot of it, particularly some corners largely off the beaten track.

There are three main reasons why I travel up and down the country quite a bit:

1) Touring as an actor. There are many different types of touring: small scale, mid scale, large scale, daily, weekly - I’ve done them all and have played in just about every county of the UK. It’s a lovely way to get to know some absolute gems of cities, towns and villages. 

2) Visiting friends. When Covid hit, it was as if some great, invisible power scooped up at least 50% of my London based friends and scattered them across the length and breadth of the British Isles. I now regularly visit pals in Bristol, Glasgow, Brighton, the Peak District, Whitstable and Belfast, among other places. 

3) Walking trips. I am a keen hiker and, along with two other friends, have tackled a bunch of walking trails all over England and Wales including the Coast to Coast walk, the South Downs Way, The Yorkshire Three Peaks, Snowdonia and the South West Coast Path. These have been some of the most enjoyable, refreshing and relaxing experiences of my life. 

So, all of this is my roundabout way of saying that whilst I cannot offer much insight into which Italian province is best to visit in the autumn or what particular hotel in Manhattan might suit you, I can at least vouch for some cracking places on home turf.

Staycations (to me that means holidaying in the UK rather than simply staying at home) became popular through Covid times for obvious reasons. However, it wasn’t transformative for people’e long term vacation plans. Since that period, Brits holidaying in the UK has decreased sharply with only 37% of us doing it in 2024. Sure, it’s great when we can go to far flung, exotic places and I would love to do more of it. But I firmly believe that there is so much on offer closer to home. Here are some of my favourite UK retreats (and a bit about how I discovered them).

Tucked away in South Worcestershire is the beautiful village of Bretforton. If you’re a pub fan (I most certainly am), you must check out The Fleece Inn, a more charming English country pub there never was. I discovered this as it has been a tour stop for my theatre company a couple of times. Not much on offer for kids here, but, my word, the real ales are something else…

Buxton in Derbyshire, a well known spa town, is great for a few days getaway. I have friends here so visit the area approximately three or four times a year. The thriving theatre, arts centre and Pavilion Gardens means there is a rich programme of events and entertainment offerings through most of the calendar, so plenty for families. And with the Peak District National Park all around, there is no shortage of ready excursions. 

North Norfolk - it takes a while to get there but it’s worth the journey as this part of the English coast really does take some beating. Take your pick from any number of seaside towns: Sheringham, Cromer, Wells-Next-the-Sea. My theatre company spends at least a week of each tour in this area and we love it!

One of the best kept secrets of The Lake District (in my opinion) is Patterdale. It’s a tiny picture-postcard village just east of Helvellyn along the Westmorland Way. It makes up part of the Coast to Coast walk which is how I discovered it and is truly one of my favourite places on earth. 

I’ve learnt two things from visiting these (and other) wonderful places: firstly, the UK has some beautiful spots which can be a more than adequate substitute for overseas holidays (although I love going abroad too). Secondly, they are full of welcoming and friendly people. If I were to add a third thing to the list it would be weather related! We all know British weather can be dicey; in some of these places you need to be prepared for four seasons in a single day! Why are the Brits so obsessed with weather? Well…perhaps that’s a subject for another blog.