Doc Martin, Cotswolds’ Tea Rooms, and Garden Festivals in Paris and London | Travel Research Online

Two weeks ago, my Agent Perspectives article focused on sources of valuable business, already ON YOUR DOORSTEP. In case you missed it, take another look at it here because this week’s eclectic mix ‘n’ match medley will give you inspired suggestions for clients who are fans of Masterpiece On Location tours in general and Doc Martin/Poldark in particular, spectacular flower shows in Paris and London, tea rooms and stately homes in the Cotswolds, Methodist Heritage and literary anniversaries.

To see an Aladdin’s Cave of conversation-starting UK tours that can be customised to meet your client’s interests, time frame and budget have a look at www.customgb.co.uk.

In Doc Martin and Poldark’s Footsteps If you and some of your customers are fans of these popular TV shows, ask me for details of this customised 4-night Cornwall-based itinerary. Adaptable to suit a pre-or-post Southampton cruise, this Monday-to-Friday driver guided On Location tour will turn fiction into reality and reveal quite a few more pleasant surprises in this far southwest corner of England.

Paris and London For Garden Lovers This trail of two cities brings together two internationally renowned horticultural spectaculars, the Journées des Plantes de Chantilly in Paris and the Chelsea Flower Show in London. Both taking place at the end of May 2019, and linked by Eurostar, this 8-nighter includes visits to: Giverny and Versailles in France, and Kew Gardens and the RHS garden at Wisley.

The Gardeners of Europe Meet at Chantilly Formerly held at the Domain de Courson, Les Journées des Plantes de Chantilly now takes place in the exquisite grounds of the magnificent chateau of Domaine de Chantilly. Which was designed by André Le Nôtre, the landscape architect of many royal gardens including Versailles. This link connects to their October show 2018, but it captures the excitement of what’s in store for May 2019.

Tea Rooms and Treasure Houses This Cotswolds and London tour is attracting a lot of interest, as a growing number of travel counsellors suggest this slower-goers idea to 6-8 of their senior ladies. Using just one Cotswolds hotel as a base for leisurely paced day trips, I’ve just created another version that uses Father Brown On Location sites as the basis for one of the full-day tours.

D-Day: Interception, Intelligence, Invasion Spring 2019, Bletchley Park, the home of the World War Two Codebreakers opens an exciting new exhibition, D-Day: Interception, Intelligence, Invasion. To coincide with the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings, this major exhibition housed in the newly restored Teleprinter Building will include a pre-show display and immersive film, and examines the role Bletchley Park’s vital intelligence played in the D-Day operation.

Important Methodist Anniversary in 2019 Susanna Wesley was the daughter of Dr Samuel Annesley and Mary White, and the mother of John and Charles Wesley. Although she never preached a sermon, published a book or founded a church, she’s known as the Mother of Methodism. Epworth, near Lincoln, is the focal point for this tour which is very accessible through the Manchester gateway. More details soon.

Celebrating North Devon’s Land and Sea Literary Heritage Two novels epitomise North Devon life in the 17th and 18th centuries. One is Lorna Doone by R D Blackmor, which goes into her life on Exmoor. The other is Westward Ho! by Charles Kingsley, which describes the seafaring life of Amyas Preston who sailed with Sir Francis Drake, Sir Richard Grenville’s cousin whose expeditions made Bideford a centre for tobacco importation. Festivals are being planned to mark these anniversaries in 2019.

Paull Tickner, owner of U.K.-based Custom GB, is known for his expertise in creating and operating imaginative, value-added tours of Great Britain and Ireland. Visit his website at www.customgb.co.uk or email him at ptickner@customgb.co.uk.