When we were putting together our online travel guide a couple of years back it started out as a bit of a chore for me because it was initially my partner’s idea and I only got dragged into helping out when his other projects started eating into his time. My contribution was writing up a selection of places to visit around the United Kingdom and once I got started I really found my involvement enhanced the site enormously. I actually have not travelled much around England itself so what I had to do was research thoroughly the cities and towns there that tourists would like to visit at certain times of the year; where to stay, what to do, where to shop, how to get there and away…and where to eat.

I found some wonderful little towns and villages through my research that were relatively little known because they don’t get the publicity that the higher profile locations get; towns like Crewe in Cheshire. Now if you haven’t heard of Crewe and if you are into steam trains and locomotives this would be the place for you to head with the family. It’s not a huge town but is placed very nicely in the green belt of Cheshire with a town centre that offers plenty of attractions for the family while dad puts on his fat controller cap and plays with the choo-choo’s…the big ones and the miniature railway.

Okay then what’s for Mum and the kids to do…? the kids have the cinema in Phoenix Leisure Park, there’s the Heritage Centre (which is a mere ten minute walk from the bus station), the shops of course (arts/crafts, antiques, art galleries…) and for both Mum and the kids you have the ever popular Quicksilver Amusement Arcade in Market Street which also sports the slot machines that Mum’s – and Grans – seem to love.  The people of the town love their football and are mad keen on their own team so if you are into footy yourself you’d be at home at a match, and just as you would visiting any good rural town in the UK a visit to a local regular farmers market is a must. In and around Crewe are some quite special places to stay including the famous and historic Crewe Hall and this place is a must if you want to splash out on some luxury for a night or two – the grounds are something else.

So there you go – a lot of info really on an English town you probably weren’t aware of previously; it pays to really look at what a place offers in terms of entertainment, dining out and shopping first – then hunt around for somewhere to stay.