Queen's Diamond Jubilee

2012 marks the 60th anniversary of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II and this Diamond Jubilee year is an opportune time to get to know The Queen.

Interesting Facts About the Queen

• Queen Elizabeth II was born on April 21, 1926. She is the older of the two daughters (Princess Margaret is her younger sister) of The Duke and Duchess of York who later became King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.
• Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was not born in a castle, but at 17 Bruton Street in London’s Mayfair.
• When Princess Elizabeth was born, she stood third in line to the throne. Her uncle Edward, The Prince of Wales (who later became King Edward VIII) was first in line, followed by her father The Duke of York who later became King George VI.
•  As Edward was first in the line of succession to the throne, neither The Duke of York or Elizabeth were expected to accede to the throne. As fate would have it, King Edward VIII abdicated to marry Mrs. Wallis Simpson and as such Princess Elizabeth’s father acceded to the throne on December 11, 1936 and became King George VI. This event propelled the young Princess Elizabeth to the next in line to the throne.
• On November 20, 1947, Princess Elizabeth married Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey. On this Diamond Jubilee year, she would have been married an amazing 65 years.  They have four children, Charles, Ann, Andrew and Edward.
• On February 6, 1952, on the death of King George VI, Princess Elizabeth acceded to the throne and became Queen Elizabeth II.  (She is Queen of Britain, but for practicality purpose, this post sits on our England Blog.)
• The Queen’s Coronation took place on June 2, 1953 at Westminster Abbey.  She chose to retain the name of the House of Windsor rather than bearing her husband’s name.
• As the British Monarch, the Queen is also the The Supreme Governor of The Church of England.
• She is also Head of the Commonwealth and regularly visits Commonwealth countries.
• Buckingham Palace is The Queen’s official residence in London, Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh is her official residence in Scotland, Balmoral Castle is her summer retreat and Sandringham House is where the Royal Family spends their Christmas.
• Some of The Queen’s daily duties include official meetings, attending investitures, reading State papers and documents and letters sent to her by the public. As patron of some 600 charities, she is also kept very busy.
• The Queen is an animal lover and she has a keen interest in horses, being herself an owner and breeder of thoroughbreds. She attends the Derby at Epsom and her attendance at the Summer Race Meeting at Ascot continues a royal tradition that began in 1911.  The Queen also loves walking in the countryside and her love of her Pembroke Welsh Corgis is also well known.  Once interest that is perhaps not so well-known is her interest in Scottish country dancing.  During her annual stays at Balmoral Castle the Queen holds dances known as Gillies’ Balls for Balmoral estate and Castle staff, her neighbours and the local community.
• Queen Elizabeth is also keen on gardens and regularly attends the annual Chelsea Flower Show.
• The Queen’s eye-catching outfits are mostly tailored by British designers.  Her team of designers includes her Personal Assistant and Senior Dresser.

How Do you Greet the Queen

If you ever get the opportunity to meet the Queen, there is no code of behaviour that you have to abide by except to be courteous. However, if you wish to follow the traditional forms of greeting, it is customary for men to do a neck bow and for women to do a small curtsy. When presented to the Queen, the correct formal address is ‘Your Majesty’ and then ‘Ma’am’.

And if you feel inclined to write to The Queen on her Diamond Jubilee, you can write to Her Majesty at the following address:

Her Majesty The Queen
Buckingham Palace
London SW1A 1AA

Other Diamond Jubilee Articles:

Diamond Jubilee – Celebrating 60 Years as Queen
Queen Elizabeth II – Diamond Jubilee Celebrations

Queen's Diamond Jubilee Logo - Courtesy VisitBritain

On 6 February 2012, Queen Elizabeth II will have been on the throne for 60 years. The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee is a historical occasion as Queen Elizabeth II is only the second British monarch to achieve 60 years on the throne.  Currently only Queen Victoria beats this record, having served 63 years and 216 days on the throne.

Diamond Jubilee Celebrations

Britain’s culture, heritage and royal ceremonies are what most visitors find appealing and this year presents the greatest opportunities to see some of these royal ceremonies.

The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Celebrations will be the greatest royal event in the world. During the whole of 2012, there will be celebrations throughout Britain to mark this momentous occasion. The Queen and members of the Royal Family will also be travelling extensively throughout the U.K. and a number of Commonwealth countries to mark her 60th anniversary as Queen.

Diamond Jubilee Pageant at Windsor Castle

A major event marking the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee is the Diamond Jubilee Pageant which takes place at Windsor Castle from May 10th – 13th.  Expect to see 500 horses and some 800 international dancers and musicians in performances that pay tribute to the Queen.  This is a ticketed event and you can purchase tickets from the Diamond Jubilee Pageant website www.diamond-jubilee-pageant.com.

Other Major Diamond Jubilee Events

Diamond Jubilee celebrations will fall into three main categories:

1. The Official Celebrations will take place in June which is the month that the Queen’s coronation took place in 1953. Some of the main events include:
   • June 3rd, 2012 – A spectacular Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant involving 1,000 boats
   • June 4th, 2012 – The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Beacons with the lighting of thousands of beacons across the UK and around the world.  An example of this is Hadrian’s Wall where 60 beacons will be lit along the length of the Wall – each beacon representing a year in the life of the Queen’s reign.
   • June 4th, 2012 – A BBC Concert in front of Buckingham Palace
   • June 5th, 2012 – Thanksgiving Service at St. Paul’s and a formal Carriage Procession by the Queen.
2. Special Exhibitions and Projects will be part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations. The Queen’s Diamonds will go on display at the State Rooms of Buckingham Palace in August and September. The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London is celebrating both the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and its own 75th anniversary with a major exhibition about royalty and London’s River Thames. Greenwich becomes a Royal Borough and some towns will be elevated to city status to give them more prominence on the British tourist map.
3. Community Celebrations – As occurred during the Queen’s Silver and Golden Jubilees, hundreds of towns and villages across the UK will be holding their own Diamond Jubilee celebrations. A Big Jubilee Lunch is being coordinated on the 3rd of June to coincide with the official celebrations.

If you’re travelling in the U.K. during this Diamond Jubilee year, keep a lookout for some of these special events.

Sandringham House by RXUYDC/Wiki

Just as Balmoral Castle is the summer retreat of the Queen, Sandringham House is the favourite winter residence of the Queen and members of the British Royal Family.

Set amongst the stunning gardens of  Sandrinham Estate in Norfolk, Sandringham House has been the home of four generations of British monarchs.  Like her father, grandfather and great-grandfather, the Queen has a strong attachment to Sandringham.

Sandringham Estate

Sandringham House has been the private residence of the Royal Family since 1862 when it was purchased by Queen Victoria. Like Balmoral, Sandringham is a working Estate and the private property of the Royal Family. Over half of the Estate is let out for farming, with the balance being used for Sandringham House’s own farming and forestry. Over 100 full-time staff work here.

The Queen at Sandringham

Sandringham House is where the Queen and members of the Royal Family spend Christmas. The Royals can be seen walking to St Mary Magdalene Church for Christmas mass, although the Queen arrives by car.  After church, they can be seen greeting locals and visitors who come to see them.

Sandringham is the Queen’s winter base till about February.  It is a custom that she remembers the anniversary of her father’s death (February 6, 1952), and her own accession, privately with her family at the House.

Visiting Sandringham

Since 1977, Sandringham House has been open to the public and you can visit the Museum and walk through the beautiful gardens during the summer when the Royals are not in residence.  There is plenty to see and do around the Estate and it is recommended that you allow at least four hours, if not the whole day, to see as much as possible.

Since 1968, 243 hectares of Sandringham Estate have been designated as a country park.  The  Park is open all year round and entry is free. The Park is made up of managed woodland and heath and it has two nature trails and camping and caravan club sites.  If you don’t fancy a big walk, the tractor and trailer tour of the Country Park operates from April to October.

Sandringham Estate hosts craft fairs and country shows throughout the year.

Opening Times: For 2012, Sandringham House, Gardens and Museum are open daily from Sunday 1st April until and including Sunday 4th November.

Where is Sandringham

Sandringham is in the county of Norfolk in the East of England.

How to Get to Sandringham:

By Car:

Sandringham Estate is about 6 miles north-east of King’s Lynn. Follow the signposts from the A148 Fakenham Road or the A149 Hunstanton Road.

By Bus from King’s Lynn:

• Take Bus number 11 from King’s Lynn Bus Station. The bus stop for Sandringham is at the Sandringham Visitor Centre.
• During the peak season, the CoastHopper provides a very regular service between King’s Lynn (railway station & bus station) and Cromer (Cadogen Road).

See the Norfolk Green website for fares and timetables www.norfolkgreen.co.uk

National Express run coach services to King’s Lynn Bus Station. Website www.nationalexpress.com/coach/

By Train:
The nearest train station is King’s Lynn, where you can connect to the CoastHopper bus service. London Kings Cross, Peterborough and Norwich have hourly services to and from King’s Lynn. Website: www.nationalrail.co.uk

Address:
The Sandringham Estate
Sandringham
Norfolk
PE35 6EN
Website: www.sandringhamestate.co.uk

Map of Sandringham:

National Football Museum - Courtesy VisitBritain

Mention Manchester and its famous football team Manchester United comes to mind. Manchester is where Football League was founded, so it seems appropriate that this city with a long football tradition and the world-famous football team should become the new home of the National Football Museum.

National Football Museum

When the National Football Museum (NFM) opened in February 2001, it was the first of its kind in the world.  Previously located in Preston, Lancashire, the Museum is moving to the iconic Urbis building  in Manchester city centre and is set to become one of the must-see Manchester attractions for football fans and non-fans alike.  The NFM plans to show visitors the ‘greatest collection of football memorabilia ever assembled’. 
The Museum is due to open in Manchester in late spring/early summer 2012.

NFM at the Urbis

Spread over three floors of the Urbis exhibition centre, visitors will be able to see more than 140,000 objects, works of art and photographs bringing the history of football to life. These include a rare shirt from the world’s first international match, played in 1872, the ball used in the 1966 World Cup Final and the shirt that Maradona wore during the 1986 ‘Hand of God’ quarter-final match between England and Argentina.  The Museum also explores the cultural and social impact of football on society.

In addition to the permanent exhibits, there will also be changing temporary exhibitions showing the part played by fashion, art and photography in English football.

Football’s Hall of Fame

The Museum will provide a permanent home for football’s Hall of Fame. There will be an awards ceremony every year for the new ‘legends’ added to the Hall of Fame. Football fans will be able to attend these dinner evenings and get up-close with the football legends.

The National Football Museum is a registered charity overseen by a board of trustees, all former international players. The museum’s President is Sir Bobby Charlton, is well known to football fans.

Entrance will be free with some paid-for interactive activities. Check their website for the latest on their opening date.

Address:

National Football Museum
Urbis Building
Cathedral Gardens
Manchester M4 3BG
Website:  www.nationalfootballmuseum.com

Map of Manchester:

Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II - 1953

Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne took place on 6 February 1952 and 2012 marks the 60th anniversary of her reign as Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Diamond Jubilee celebrations are planned for many cities throughout Britain and royal watchers and anyone interested in the history of the monarchy will have much to look forward to in this Diamond Jubilee year.

As the British Monarch and Head of the Commonwealth, the Queen is one of the most public figures in the world. Yet not many Londoners can claim to have seen her close-up or met her. Perhaps this is the year for spotting the Queen or having a royal encounter. Walk in the footsteps of the Queen and, who knows, you could get lucky.

The Queen in London

Walk around the streets of London and you’ll see traces of the Queen’s early life everywhere:

• At 17 Bruton Street Mayfair there is a plaque on the wall. This used to be the London townhouse of the Queen’s maternal grandfather and this was where she was born on April 21st, 1926. Although she was not born in a palace, Mayfair is London’s most exclusive district.
• Just opposite at 10 Bruton Street was the atelier of Norman Hartnell, couturier to the establishment and “Royal dressmaker”. He made the Queen’s 1953 Coronation Dress.
• Not far from Bruton Street, at 145 Piccadilly, was where the Queen spent her early childhood.
• From Piccadilly you can take a bus ride, or walk, west to the former Hyde Park Hotel (now the Mandarin Oriental).  This was where the young Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret had dancing lessons.
• Stroll out of the hotel into Hyde Park at around 10.40 am, or 9.40 am on a Sunday, and you should see the smart sight of Her Majesty’s Life Guard trotting past on their way to Whitehall.  The magnificent horses that they ride are called the “Cavalry Blacks”.
• Until relatively recently, the Queen attended the annual Trooping the Colour on horseback. Now you can see her taking the Royal salute from her carriage.
• Keep your eyes peeled in the roads around St James’s Palace and the Mall and you might just see a small figure through the tinted glass as a gleaming limousine glides past – sometimes, she waves.

The Queen on her Royal Visits

The Queen at the Races

The Queen is never far from horses and racing is in her blood.  One of the best – and most relaxing – places to spot her is at one of the big horse shows (Badminton, Gatcombe Park or the Royal Windsor), where she may well be strolling around, talking to other horse lovers.

If you enjoy the races and dressing up, a more formal occasion is Royal Ascot in June. Here you will experience tradition, pageantry, fashion and get to see more than the Queen.  At 2 pm, after lunch at Windsor Castle, the entire Royal Party make their way to the Royal Enclosure via the Golden Gates on all five days of the meeting. They pass in front of all the stands and the entire crowd will doff their top hats and glare at anyone who fails to do so. Like all punters, the Queen will be scanning her race card and then she awards prizes in the Parade Ring.

All The Queen’s Homes

Windsor Castle – The Queen loves Windsor, where she lived during the War, put on Christmas pantomimes with other children in the castle and made her famous BBC Children’s Hour wartime broadcast.  Windsor Castle is the largest and oldest occupied castle in the world.  It is open year round and there is the possibility of the odd glimpse of a car flying the royal standard zooming into the Upper Ward where the Royal Apartments are. You can book a tour to Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace Here.

Buckingham Palace – This has been the official London residence of Britain’s sovereigns since 1837 and today it is the official London residence of the Queen.  The State Apartments at Buckingham Palace open to the public every August and September. Book a visit to Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle Here.

Sandringham House – If you happen to be in Norfolk at Christmas, Sandringham House is where the Royal Family spends their Christmas.  On Christmas Day you can see the Royals walking from the House to St Mary Magdalene Church where they traditionally attend Christmas mass.  The Queen however arrives at the church by car. Sandringham Estate is the private property of the British Royal Family.  The house is closed to visitors during the winter season but in spring it re-opens to the public.

Balmoral Castle – Along with Sandringham, Balmoral Castle is also owned by the Royal Family.  This is the Queen’s summer retreat in Scotland and so it is open for house visits and Land Rover Safaris on the estate earlier in the year.

Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh is open year round. The Queen, being patron, is often at the annual Braemar Gathering on the first weekend in September.

Jaguar XKR Roadster - Photo Courtesy of VisitBritain

For fans of James Bond movies, the sleek and lethal James Bond cars with Gatling guns and missile launchers are very much a part of the thrill of 007 movies. And here’s some exciting news for those who love those Bond 007 cars – an exhibition of 50 iconic James Bond vehicles – the largest of its kind staged anywhere in the world – opens on January 17, 2012 at the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu.

50 Years of James Bond Movies

2012 celebrates 50 years of James Bond movies and Bond in Motion features a range of vehicles that have appeared in James Bond films over the years including cars, boats, motorbikes, sleds and jets. This exhibition will run for the whole of 2012.

Some of the Bond movie vehicles on show include:

• the 400hp Jaguar XKR Roadster driven by Zao in Die Another Day
• the 1964 Aston Martin DB5 in Quantum of Solace
• Goldfinger’s 1937 Phantom lll Rolls-Royce
• the Lotus Esprit S1 nicknamed ‘Wet Nellie’ from The Spy Who Loved Me
• the Bede Acrostar jet flown in Octopussy
• the BMW 750iL from Tomorrow Never Dies
• the original Parahawk (powered parachute) featured in The World is Not Enough, and
• the original SFX Cello Case Ski navigated by Timothy Dalton in The Living Daylights.

National Motor Museum

Wet Nellie - Photo Courtesy VisitBritain

Opening Times: Daily
10am – 5pm (Oct – May)
10am – 6pm (Jun – Sep)

Admission Fee: £17 adults, £15.75 concessions, £10.50 children 13–17, £9 5–12s, £46.50 family ticket.
The admission price covers entrance to the National Motor Museum, Palace House and Gardens, Beaulieu Abbey, World of Top Gear and James Bond Experience.

Where to Stay

For those who wish to make the most of their Beaulieu visit, there is a vast range of accommodation available within the New Forest National Park area and within the immediate surroundings of Beaulieu. The Master Builder’s House Hotel is just 10 minutes’ drive from Beaulieu Palace and The Montagu Arms is an outstanding country house with a Michelin Star restaurant in the New Forest National Park. For a 5-star experience, the Pilgrim Inn in Southampton is housed in two beautiful thatched buildings. It is about 7.6km north of Beaulieu. For the list of accommodation within the New Forest area, see HERE.

How to Get to the National Motor Museum

Beaulieu is situated in the south of England, in the New Forest area between Bournemouth and Southampton, with easy access from London and the Home Counties.

By Road – M27 exit junction 2, follow the brown and white tourist signs towards Beaulieu. The Sat nav postcode is SO42 7ZN, however follow brown signage when in vicinity.

By Rail – The nearest main line station is Brockenhurst. There is a taxi rank at the station, the cost of a journey to Beaulieu by taxi is approx £20. See National Rail Enquiries for fares and schedule.

By Bus – Wilts & Dorset buses have a route between Hythe and Lymington which drops visitors in the Beaulieu grounds.

By Ferry – Take the Hythe Ferry across Southampton Water to Hythe, then the 5 mile bus ride to Beaulieu. Alternatively take the Isle of Wight ferry to Lymington and take a bus to Beaulieu.

Address:

National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, Brockenhurst, Hampshire SO42 7ZN
Tel: +44 1590 612345
Website: www.beaulieu.co.uk

Map of Beaulieu:

Durham Lumiere - Courtesy VisitBritain

The cathedral city of Durham, in the north-east of England, is to hold its second Lumiere Festival, a spectacular free festival of light and art in November.

Durham Lumiere Festival

Using artworks made from light, the four-day Lumiere Festival will transform Durham landmarks, streets, river and bridges into colourful masterpieces.  This year’s festival will include new works by internationally renowned artists as well as commissions from local artists and creative people.

Lumiere Festival is produced by Artichoke, the creative arts company who directed the Dining with Alice Victorian feast in Norfolk this year.  Their Sultan’s Elephant also stopped the traffic in central London in 2006.

This is the second Lumiere Festival in the cathedral city of Durham. The first festival held in 2009 offered more than 20 artworks, projections and performances, and an estimated 75,000 people came into the city over the four festival nights.

Durham’s Norman cathedral and 11th-century castle became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986.

Event : Lumiere Festival
Date : November 17–20, 2011
Place : Durham city
Websits: www.lumieredurham.co.uk

Wakehurst Place Christmas - Courtesy VisitBritain

England’s largest live Christmas tree will be lit up for the festive season on November 25th at Wakehurst Place, the  Kew Royal Botanic Gardens’ country estate in Sussex.

This amazing 36-metre (118-ft) giant redwood tree will be decorated with 1,800 lights.  So how do you decorate a 36-metre high tree?  Experts from Wakehurst’s conservation and woodland team will use ropes, specialist climbing gear and two high-level platforms to achieve this.

Carols and Children’s Activities

On the evening of November 25th, when the lights are switched on, a choir will sing around the tree and there will be Christmas craft activities for children in Wakehurst’s Elizabethan mansion. There will also be festive food and drink for sale in the Stables Restaurant and Seed Cafe, and the opportunity to do a little Christmas shopping.

On Sunday December 4, 11 and 18, carol singers will be singing in the grounds and Santa Claus will be in the mansion. Other activities will include festive walks highlighting seasonal plants around the gardens.

On Saturday December 3, 10 and 17, there will be storytelling sessions for children.

During the winter season, Wakehurst Place Gardens are open daily from 10:00 – 16:30 (except December 24–25).  Admission is £11.50 and children under 17 accompanied by an adult enter free.

The Big Tree Switch On takes place on Friday, November 25 at 18:15, admission is by donation.

How to Get to Wakehurst Place:

By Train

Haywards Heath, the closes railway station to Wakehurst Place, is approximately six miles away. From the station you can take a bus, the nearest stop is Perrymount Road (come out of the station and turn right). For details of trainlines and timetables see www.thetrainline.com

By Bus

• Bus 81 (Monday – Saturday) serves Haywards Heath
• Bus 82 (Monday – Saturday) serves Crawley, Three Bridges and Haywards Heath. Please note there are no buses on Sundays or Bank Holidays. For further information about bus timetables see www.metrobus.co.uk.

By Car

Wakehurst Place is on the B2028 just south of Turners Hill and north of the village of Ardingly. The South of England Agricultural Showground is just a little further south.

Address:
Wakehurst Place, Ardingly, West Sussex RH17 6TN
Tel: +44 1444 894067
Website: www.kew.org

Wakehurst Place - Water Garden

Wakehurst Place is a National Trust property in Ardingly in West Sussex.  Managed and funded by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Wakehurst Place Gardens is one of the most visited National Trust properties.  At this country estate of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, visitors can see formal gardens, natural woodlands, nature reserves and Wakehurst’s 16th-century mansion.

Gardens in Sussex

Wakehurst is a delight for garden enthusiasts, nature lovers and anyone looking for a garden visit in Sussex.  Its Himalayan Glade showcases Wakehurst’s collection of Asian plants, in the Bloomer’s Valley are trees from South America and the Mediterranean, the Southern Hemisphere Garden has plants from Australia (including a Wollemi Pine), New Zealand and South Africa.  In all, there are 465 acres of ornamental gardens and temperate woodlands to explore, as well as the Elizabethan Mansion which is one of the popular Sussex wedding venues . Wakehurst is also a place of learning for children and there are plenty of activities to keep the young ones entertained.

Millenium Seed Bank

Wakehurst Place is no ordinary botanic garden.  This beautiful country estate is also home to the  Millennium Seed Bank, the largest wild plant seed collection in the world. The Seed Bank already holds seeds from 10% of the world’s wild flowering plant species (around 30,000) and its target is to increase this to 25% by 2020, quite impressive. At the Millenium Seed Bank you can see scientists at work and learn about how Kew is helping to preserve the world’s most endangered plants.

The Largest Growing Christmas Tree in England

Millenium Seed Bank - Courtesy VisitBritain

Wakehurst Place is open to the public all year round so visitors get to see the thousands of plants and trees in all their seasonal variation. Highlights in the winter garden include dogwoods, witch hazels and rhododendrons. During January and February drifts of 100,000 snowdrops are in flower, together with many cyclamen.

The gardens are open daily 10:00 – 18:00 in summer and 10:00 – 16:30 in winter (except 24–25 December).  Admission is £11.50 and children under 17 accompanied by an adult enter free.

How to Get to Wakehurst Place:

By Train

Haywards Heath, the closest railway station to Wakehurst Place, is approximately six miles away. From the station you can take a bus, the nearest stop is Perrymount Road (as you come out of the station and turn right). For details of trainlines and timetables see www.thetrainline.com.

By Bus

Bus 81 (Monday – Saturday) serves Haywards Heath
Bus 82 (Monday – Saturday) serves Crawley, Three Bridges and Haywards Heath.  Please note there are no buses on Sundays or Bank Holidays.  For further information about bus timetables see www.metrobus.co.uk.

By Car

Wakehurst Place is on the B2028 just south of Turners Hill and north of the village of Ardingly. The South of England Agricultural Showground is just a little further south.

Address:
Wakehurst Place
Ardingly, West Sussex RH17 6TN
Tel: +44 1444 894067
Website: www.kew.org

Map of Sussex:

Reading Festival CC Ian Wilson

Rock music fans in England can look forward to three huge annual music festivals in August, the V Festival, the Reading Festival and the Leeds Festival.

V Festival

V Festival 2011 takes place on the weekend of August 20th and 21st at Hylands Park in Chelmsford and Weston Park in Staffordshire. This year’s V Festival is set to be one of the best with Eminem and the Arctic Monkeys topping the bill. V Festival lineup includes Dizzee Rascal, Pendulum, Duran Duran, Manics and Primal Scream to name but a few.

Viagogo have Virgin Festival tickets for both the Chelmsford and Staffordshire venues, which as usual are selling fast. If you’re intending on attending this very popular festival don’t leave your V ticket purchase to the last minute. See here for available V tickets.

Event : V Festival
Venue: Hylands Park in Chelmford and Weston Park in Staffordshire
Dates  : August 20th and 21st

Reading Festival

The Reading Festival 2011 is held at Little John’s Farm in Reading over the August Bank Holiday weekend on August 26th – 28th. This year’s headline acts are Muse, The Strokes and Pulp plus My Chemical Romance. The Reading 2011 lineup includes Nirvana, The White Stripes, Metallica and New Order.

Viagogo is the official partner of the Reading Festival. See here for your Reading Festival Tickets.

Event : Reading Festival
Venue : Little John’s Farm Richfield Avenue, Reading
Dates : August 26th – 28th

Leads Festival

Leeds Festival CC Ian Wilson

Viagogo is the official partners of the Leeds Festival. See here for your Leeds Festival tickets.

Event : Leeds Festival
Venue : Bramham Park, Leeds
Dates : August 26th – 28th

Viagogo is an online ticket exchange that allows concert fans to buy and sell live event tickets in a safe and guaranteed way. For all other gigs and tours see the website.