Britain’s best

After my glorious stay in the new city of love, I couldn’t resist exploring what the rest of the country has to offer with the Best of Britain, a 13-day adventure through York, Edinburgh, Glasgow, the Lake District, Cardiff and Plymouth.

I was lucky enough to be in Stratford-upon-Avon, William Shakespeare’s birthplace, on the bard’s birthday; April 22. Celebrations included a parade as well as a visit to the Holy Trinity Church, where Shakespeare is buried. I asked the dear, old gentleman dressed as the man of the hour how long he had been playing Shakespeare and he replied, rather mischievously and with a wink, “over 400 years, my dear.”

My second stop was Edinburgh, where I was treated to a night of highland dancing, bagpipes and pints in the Royal Mile at Deacon Brodie’s Tavern, a traditional tavern whose original owner, Deacon William Brody, provided the inspiration for the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

With the Lake District in full bloom thanks to the incredible weather we’ve been having, I decided to go in search of the perfect accessory for the royal wedding. The Lions Den in Kendal proved to be the ideal spot to find a variety of antique jewellery and vintage clutches, including one very special, Edwardian cobalt-blue bracelet with pink gold.

We stopped in Bath enroute to Cardiff and Plymouth where I had the best time visiting the ancient Roman baths—in fact, I was strangely tempted to jump in! A couple of bad influences, I mean friends, dared me to do so but I quickly thought of Kate Middleton and realized it might not be the most lady-like thing to do… Who am I kidding? That makes it even more fun!

The time has come to return to the hustle and bustle of London to get ready for the wedding of the century. I’ve bought a new dress, hat and bracelet and just heard that Jay-Z and Beyonce may be attending and/or performing… here’s to hoping!