I must admit, when I started this book I thought it was going to be one of those spin off lads mag type books, full of swearing and lager swilling and their usual Viz cynicism, but no, I was pleasently surprised.

The blokes who have written this guide to around four dozen of the UK's more offbeat 'tourist attractions' obviously have a passion for the off kilter, the folly and the downright weird. They manage to write with joy and real interest in and an exuberance for their subjetcs, whether it's Diggerworld, The Beckham Trail, Gnome Magic or Mother Shipton's they never fail to excite your interest.

I knew they were being passionate rather than cynical when I got to Chapter 3 : Peasholme Park, and the description of Scarborough's very own daily naval battles. Now I've seen The Naval Battle at Peasholme Park and I would thoroughly recommend spending an afternoon there. It must follow then that the other oddities contained in the book will also be well worth a visit.

Some of these you will have heard of, perhaps depending on where in the UK you live, Bletchley Park, Port Sunlight, Imber, and some will be entirely new to you, after all who can claim to know much about Mad Jack's Sugar Loaf, Christ's House (unless you live on the same Bedford street) or the Pitt Rivers Museum.

There are a wide variety of odd places here to visit, something for every (odd) taste as it were, my interest has been stoked to visit places like Tebay Motorway Services on the M6 (you'll have to read it to find out why), the bizarre sounding Willaimson Tunnels in Liverpool, South Bridge Vaults in Edinburgh and the Avebury Stone Circle in, well, Avebury. Dive in, find somewhere odd, have a day out, it's got to be better than standing amidst a million chavs in a theme park.

RELEASE NOTES:

Leeds bookcrossers.

Picked up at the meet last night, had to fend off a couple of other potential readers so this will be back at the next meet for them to fight over. :)

Picked up at the Leeds meet. Spotted it last time and was happy to snatch it up this month.

I enjoyed this book very much; not only because of the happy memories it gave me but also for the inspiration to perhaps try and visit some of the other places it describes,(but NOT Digger World).
I spent a very happy afternoon at Peasholm park once watching the Naval battles but I fear I must have been a bit drunk because all I can remember is laughing all the way through. And there were times, following a useless Rugby team up to Cumbria in the rain, when a visit to Tebay services was the highlight of the whole sorry jaunt.

picked up at Leeds meet last night as a left over. A quick flick through it has persuaded me that I might read it, though.

Picked up at the most recent Bookcrossing Meet in York.

Looks entertainingly odd...!

Well - this was EXCELLENT !!! In fact, so good that I am going to look out for my own copy of it.

A book of this nature is a singularly superb idea - which further benefits from having been written by 4 different people - who obviously split up the list of quirky British attractions between them. This keeps the tone of the pieces varied (but always humourous - yet almost always 'respectful') and adds to the captivating quality of the whole book I think. Inevitably, some pieces are stronger than others - but the only time when the writing falls below the generally excellent quality is in the chapter on the Ripon 'Tramp' Museum... which trivialised the whole nature of its subject and actually didn't tell the reader anything useful at all. But apart from this one blip, the rest of the book is great... and really appealing to anyone interested in the odder corners of English cultural heritage.

So much so, that I'm already making plans to visit the Peasholme Park Naval Warfare extravaganza this Summer. Which I may never have heard of - if it had not been for this book !!! So - thanks Yorkshiresoul !!! That will just be the start of it...!!!

Who needs foreign holidays when there are such wonders on our own doorstep??!

I think there should be a further volume of this book really. There must be more material out there...?

Anyway, in short - RECOMMENDED (despite the naff cover-art!)

RELEASE NOTES:

Releasing at tonight's 'English'-themed BC Meetup in York...

With a bit of gentle arm twisting this ended up in my bag. I can see myself dipping into this sooner rather than later so I'm sure it will be back in circulation again soon!

What a fantastic book! It was written with a genuine affection for the quirky attractions tucked away in various corners of our fair isles. It inspired me to persuade my family to have a day out in Knaresborough the other day - which we all thoroughly enjoyed. I've also frequently passed the road sign for the secret nuclear bunker and had a little chuckle - now I want to go and visit it!

I can highly recommend this book and will make sure it goes to someone who will appreciate it.

RELEASE NOTES:

great book to dip in and out of with some inspired lunatic attractions

Paddy made me feel guilty tonight as I hadn't visited any of the places I had noted down from this book last time I had it in my clutches. Keeping it for a bit longer this time so that I get a chance to visit some of the delights it highlights. :)