With the Oscar’s next week, all of Hollywood is a buzz with speculations on who will go home with a statuette. We propose one more nomination for your consideration. If there was a category for Best Travel Destination Featured in Movies in 2011, Britain would surely win thanks to these seven contenders, all filmed in the UK. Film lovers can experience the following locations used in this year’s Oscar-nominated movies for themselves.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Nominations: Achievement in Art Direction, Achievement in Visual Effects and Achievement in Makeup.

The Making of Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour London opens March 31, 2012 and gives fans an amazing, new opportunity to explore the magic of the Harry Potter™ films. This unique tour takes visitors behind-the-scenes and showcases a huge array of beautiful sets, costumes and props. It also reveals some closely guarded secrets, including facts about the special effects and animatronics that made these films so hugely popular all over the world. Highlights include the Great Hall, Dumbledore’s office, the Gryffindor common room and never-before-seen treasures. Visitors should note that tickets must be booked in advance. There are no ticket sales at the studio tour doors. (www.wbstudiotour.co.uk)

War Horse

Nominations: Best Motion Picture of the Year, Achievement in Cinematography, Achievement in Art Direction, Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score), Achievement in Sound Editing, and Achievement in Sound Mixing.

England provided many of the stunning locations for the filming of Steven Spielberg’s best picture and cinematography nominee, War Horse. Scenes of the main village were filmed at Wiltshire village in Castle Combe, England. “When I first got to Castle Combe and looked around, I asked, ‘Was this built for tourists?’ But no,” says Spielberg. “It’s such a quaint little village; you’ve never seen anything like it before. It was the perfect place for both the purchase of Joey and the scene of the men going off to war with the faith they will be back by Christmas.” (www.visitwiltshire.co.uk)

Visitors can also experience the stunning landscape that inspired Spielberg, in Dartmoor National Park, either through a guided walk led by the National Park Authority or on their own. Some of the sights are Ditsworthy Warren House, which served as the family farmhouse in the film and Combestone Tor and its surrounding area, were used to film scenes of farmers with livestock at the beginning of the movie. Also, several of the scenes featuring the horses were shot in this area, including one in which Joey is ridden by Albert, through Haytor rocks. (www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk)

My Week With Marilyn

Nominations: Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role—Michelle Williams, and Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role—Kenneth Branagh.

Travellers can experience the high-end luxury stores on Bond Street in Mayfair, London or simply enjoy the street that Michelle Williams and Dougray Scott roamed while shooting the film. Asprey London, famous for their jewellery, is located on New Bond Street & Burlington Arcade, and is featured in the film. Also in Mayfair, is Shepherd Market, a small square, which doubles as Wardour Street in the movie and is filled with chic boutiques, intimate restaurants and impressive Victorian pubs. Many locals describe Shepherd Market as ‘The Heart of Mayfair,’ therefore it should not be missed. (www.asprey.com) (www.shepherdmarket.co.uk)

The Iron Lady

Nominations: Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role—Meryl Streep, and Achievement in Makeup.

Manchester, England is famously known for being the city of sport and is often synonymous with the soccer team, Manchester United. But it is also home to Manchester Town Hall—a town hall whose neo-gothic architecture resembles that of the Palace of Westminster in London, and was used for the majority of the filming of The Iron Lady. The exterior of the building is dominated by the clock tower, which rises to 285 feet tall and houses Great Abel, the clock bell. (www.manchester.gov.uk)

The magnificent Painted Hall in Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, London doubled as Elysée Palace, in the scene where Prime Minister Thatcher, played by Meryl Streep, dines in the Painted Hall as a guest of Francois Mitterand. The Painted Hall is open to visitors free of charge and it is used as a venue for prestigious dinners and formal occasions. (www.ornc.org)

Jane Eyre

Nomination: Achievement in Costume Design.

The film opens with Jane walking in the rain across the moors and collapsing at the front door of Moor House, home of St. John Rivers and his sisters. Standing in for the fictitious Moor House is the White Edge Lodge, a holiday cottage that accommodates five people in Derbyshire, England. Many of its original features are still intact such as the kitchen in the former game cellar. (www.nationaltrustcottages.co.uk)

Also in Derbyshire, is Haddon Hall, which plays Thornfield Hall in the film. Also featured are Haddon Hall’s beautiful gardens and fields, where Mr. Rochester had his daily horseback rides. Haddon Hall is open to the public from April through October, offering several events during this time period for people to enjoy during their visit. (www.haddonhall.co.uk)

One of the most memorable scenes in Jane Eyre is at the beginning of the movie when Jane stands in the rain looking down at the vast moor-land below her. The cliff in this scene is Stanage Edge, which is located in the Peak District National Park. Stanage Edge is the largest of the gritstone edges that overlook Hathersage in Derbyshire and is featured as the moors in the film. This is a popular destination throughout the year for both climbing and walking. (www.peakdistrict.gov.uk)

W.E.

Nomination: Achievement in Costume Design.

Enjoy a round of golf at Stoke Park, a country club, spa and hotel which was featured as Cap d’Antibes Villa in the film. Stoke Park, just outside of London, offers luxury 5-star accommodation and 49-exquisite bedrooms. (www.stokepark.com)

Blenheim Palace, near Oxford, England, doubled for the estate at Windsor in the movie. The palace was a gift from Queen Anne to John Churchill, First Duke of Marlborough, following his famous victory at the Battle of Blenheim in 1704. Visitors can experience the State Rooms, which house one of the finest collections in Europe and the Churchill Exhibition includes the room where Sir Winston Churchill was born in 1874. (www.blenheimpalace.com)

Tinker, Tailor Soldier Spy

Nominations: Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role– Gary Oldman, Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score), and Adapted Screenplay.

Geo.F. Trumper of Mayfair, in London, is showcased in the film, and offers its clientele wet shaves, grooming and many other beauty services for men. Trumper’s features beautiful mahogany paneled private cubicles and a multitude of shaving and grooming products. (www.trumpers.com)

*The previous was a press release from Visit Britain.

This is how Pancake Day was celebrated today in Spitalfields. Flippin’ fabulous!

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Here in the UK we are known the world over for our quaint little traditions, and none more than our obsession with a cup of tea. We love the stuff, in fact 26% of people drink more than 6 cups a day and it contributes to a massive amount of our daily fluid intake. You might say that as a nation, our love affair with the good old brew will never end.

Tea was originally brought to the UK by a Portuguese Queen and was exclusive to the rich and famous but over the years has become a staple to our day. There are lots of ways you can drink tea and the eternal milk first or water first argument reigns through the office when we meet around the kettle. Did you know however that in the olden days people who were referred to as “a bit milk first” were deemed to be lower class, and uncouth?

Now the banter is a lot more light hearted, and there is even a range of mugs that you can purchase with different pantones on the side so when people are making you a cup they know EXACTLY how much milk you have in a perfect cuppa. Never again will you have to sneak back to the fridge to add a splash more milk while making sure that the person kind enough to make the tea doesn’t spot you!

Through the ages, afternoon tea has become a fantastic tradition that we love. In fact, the humble cupcake, that has risen to star status recently, originated in the UK. Servants on tight budgets stole the discarded old tea sets when they were replaced in the big house upstairs, and made cakes in them when there was a shortage of cake tins. Today, afternoon tea is taken with a selection of finger cakes or a good old scone and cream, referred to as a cream tea and seen as a fantastic luxury treat, maybe due to the amount of calories!

Tea is naturally refreshing, and did you know that when consumed in the heat it will lower your body temperature? It’s a myth that to drink a cold drink makes you cooler, as your body feels the freeze and tries to up its core temperature. By drinking a good old cuppa, your body will cool. Interesting, huh?

When taken with milk, four cups of tea a day will provide you with nearly 20% of your daily calcium requirement, 5% folic acid, vitamins B1, B2 and B6 and a healthy helping of zinc. What’s not to love?

So how do you like your tea? Earl grey, English breakfast tea, Ceylon… the possibilities are endless. Add milk, add sugar, a dash of lemon; however you like to drink yours it’s not going to run out any time soon.

Laura Tinker is a writer from the UK and her daily musings can be found at www.laughteriscatching.com. Head over and say hi!Follow Laura on Twitter @lillyheart999.

The Scottish Wildcat, nicknamed The Highland Tiger, is a rare, native cat of Scotland. It’s believed there are approximately 400 left in the wild, making them rarer than a Bengal Tiger. Random breeding with the odd domesticated cat is threatening the species. Learn more about this forgotten cat here.

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British seaside towns have come to be synonymous with sticks of rock, donkey rides, candy stripe deckchairs and the bucket and spade brigade chomping fish and chips on a windswept pier. There is one seaside town, though, that shatters all these misconceptions.

On the coast of quaint Cornwall where chilly Atlantic waters lap the sandy shores lies a seaside town so cool it remains one of the UK’s most popular destinations for holidaymakers all year round. It is, of course, Newquay. Famed for its super-cool surf culture, Newquay is a utopia for weather-beaten, tanned and tousled surf dudes arriving in their brightly coloured, classic camper vans to sample the hippy life and ride the awesome waves of Fistral Beach.

Newquay is the spiritual home of the adrenalin rush with more thrill inducing sports than you can shake a stick at, from body-boarding, kite surfing, jet skiing and abseiling to rock climbing, wave skiing, kayaking, mountain biking and scuba diving. But what makes Newquay so special is that ‘cool’ is not exclusive. It attracts every kind of traveller, from those who’ve taken a flight to Newquay from their London pad to the weekend to those who have hitch-hiked here from across the continent. It’s as much a family camping holiday destination as it is a getaway for runaway romantics, a clubbers nirvana and a welcome stop on the backpacker trail.

In Newquay organic is hip, recycling rules, yummy mummies and elderly couples stroll happily alongside the surf crowds while farmer’s markets and festivals spring up around the town offering brilliant live music, open air cinema and fantastically fresh local farm and sea produce. In Newquay allotments are as cool as clubbing and the cream tea is as popular as a pint of Scrumpy.

With over 7 miles of beautiful beaches from the wild waves of Fistral to Whipsiderry or Lusty Glaze; coastal cliffs and rugged landscapes, the outdoors is king in Newquay. You’ll find the locals either in the water or on it, climbing up craggy surfaces, zip lining through trees or dune bugging across the soft Cornish sands. The Blue Reef Aquarium boasts an amazing ocean display, an array of quirky creatures and mesmerising underwater tunnel while Dairy Land is a land of cows and goats, rabbits and ferrets, tractor rides, animal feeding and adventure playgrounds, cementing Newquay as a ‘capital of cool’ in the eyes of a younger generation of visitors.

As the sun sets on surf heaven, Newquay’s nightlife comes into its own and could rival any Ibiza has to offer. Beach hut bars sparkle to life, clubs pump out tunes from the latest DJ’s, restaurants sizzle with the aromas of freshly caught seafood while live music venues draw an eclectic crowd to hear the best local bands.

Whether it’s relentless nights out in your glad rags or being a laid-back, flip-flop wearing beach bum, a holiday in Newquay guarantees one thing; a hip UK holiday in a town so trendy that it’s even made the caravan cool again!

*This guest post is brought to you by cheap flights specialists Skyscanner.net

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The statisticians say that Britons drink around 165 million cups of tea per day. With that figure I’m reminded of this fantastic video.

As it reveals, the busiest time for “putting the kettle on” is at the end of the day’s episode of EastEnders. 1,500,000 kettles are switched on at once!

As a tea drinker and a fan of EastEnders myself, this amazes me and makes me laugh.

The porcelain company Royal Crown Derby, known for its high-quality bone china, will be marking the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee with a special exhibition this year, as well as produce special commemorative items to mark the occasion.

Royal Derby Exhibition – A history of the Queen and Derby will showcase the company’s royal heritage and include a collection of all the company’s royal commemoratives since 1761, as well as a history of the royal warrant, pictures of the Queen’s visit to Royal Crown Derby, a display of its Diamond Jubilee items and a collection of royal items that have been donated or used for royal visits in Derby over the past 60 years.

Visitors will be able to see Royal Crown Derby’s Princess pattern china, which was a wedding gift to Her Majesty, and Royal Pinxton Roses presented to her in 1957 by the Derby Corporation. The centrepiece of the exhibition will be a room-set featuring a typical 1950s home laid out for a Jubilee dinner with period dining service, costumes and clothing.

Royal Crown Derby has been manufacturing fine bone china at the same site in Osmaston Road, Derby since 1750. The company received its first Royal Warrant from King George III in 1775. Around this time the crown was first used in the factory mark and Derby porcelain became known as Crown Derby. Queen Victoria granted the royal title and a royal warrant in 1890. Royal warrants were also issued by Edward VII in 1901, by George V in 1934 and by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in 1978.

The Royal Crown Derby factory shop and museum are open Mon–Sat 10am–5pm, with factory tours at 11am at 1.30pm on Tue and Fri. Booking is essential for the tours, tickets £5, concessions £4.75 (the ticket price is refunded on all factory shop Royal Crown Derby purchases). The royal exhibition runs from 31 March to 31 June.

I just stumbled upon this cool and helpful graphic that suggests the proper brewing time and temperature for particular teas.

(Thanks to Michelle Garrett for sharing.)

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Sadly, in January a blogging institution came to an end. Pond Parleys, one of my favorite ex-pat blogs said “Ta-ra!” after three years of interesting and funny posts about life on both sides of the pond.

If you didn’t know, the blog was written by two published authors, one British and one American, who live as ex-pats in America and England.  As a former ex-pat myself, I enjoyed reading about their experiences and their comparisons between life in England and America.  Some of the posts on Pond Parleys even brought back for me memories of England I had forgotten.

I miss this little blog. Every now and then I see something in the news or on social media that will make an interesting post for Pond Parleys and then I remember it’s no more.

(The good news is we can still read the clever musings of  Toni Hargis and Mike Harling on their personal blogs and on Twitter.

Toni’s blog:   Expat Mum  Twitter:  @tonihargis /  Mike’s blog:  Postcards from Across the Pond  On Twitter: @MikeH55 )

As a little dedication to Toni’s and Mike’s work, I’m listing below some of my favorite posts from Pond Parleys for you to enjoy. If you’re an ex-pat, former ex-pat or you’re just interested in life in America or England, I’m sure you’ll find something interesting here.

Draining the Pond - Pond Parleys’ parting post.

Brits are Healthier but Americans Live Longer. Go Figure!
(I was happy to participate in this post.)

Sounding Smart

Smashing Stereotypes

Ten Things We Love About Our Host Culture

American Religion and British Secularism

The Americanization of Britain

How I Became an Expat

Ten Things We Cling to from the Mother Country

A Taste of Home

Repatriation: An American’s Story

Americans & Brits: Always Offending Each Other

Driving Us Bonkers

Just Blame the Americans

Is America Too Sweet or Britain Too Bland?

Dining Across the Pond

Everyone loves the glitz and glamour of the West End, and the fun of going to see a show and everything that goes with it. In the West End there is a fantastic selection of shows that you can see, from musicals like Billy Elliott to Wicked and ballets like Swan Lake and the theatre lights shine brightly to make you feel like you are in the thick of something really exciting.

But if you don’t live in close proximity to the capital then you could find that it costs a lot with travel and accommodation, and therefore is something that you simply cannot stretch to. All the daily costs of life get in the way and make it hard for you to save for what seems like a big extravagance, but did you know that some hotels in London offer great packages like dinner and a show or a show and a room for the night, making seeing one of the most famous shows a lot more accessible.

So what should you go and see? If you love music then why not try We Will Rock You; a show written about Queen and their rise to fame. Or you could see the theatre adaptation of War Horse, a story about a boy who struggles through his life to find the horse that he loves. If you prefer something with a bit more pace then why not try Jersey Boys, about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and including hit songs such as Big Girls Don’t Cry and Who Loves You.

With a selection of hotels a stone’s throw away from the theatre district, you are able to stay in the heart of the city and be open to a wide choice of eateries and wine bars in the region for a snip of the price that you would normally pay when purchasing these things separately. Hotels reserve some of the best seats in the house for their guests, so by opting for one of these packages you can guarantee a seat to see a show that has been sold out for months.

The Radisson Edwardian Bloomsbury Street is a hotel in London that will provide you respite from the hustle and bustle of the theatre district. The rooms are sumptuous and bring together style and comfort almost effortlessly. Nestle into the comforting quiet of this boutique hotel and rest your weary feet ready for another day of taking in the sights of the city. If you are still buzzing from a fantastic evening out at the theatre then why not sample some of the fantastic cocktails on the list in the Bloomsbury Street Bar before retiring to your room?

The rooms in the hotel are luxurious and spacious, and are accented in calming colours to help you sleep. The bathrooms are like a boutique spa in the comfort of your own room, with Sicilian marble and powerful power showers and the views of the British Museum and the outstanding London skyline.

*The previous was a sponsored post.