The East of England counties of Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Hertfordshire, Essex, and Bedfordshire have plenty to offer anyone looking for a weekend break, any time of the year. Here are some suggestions on where to go, what to see, and where to stay if planning to travel in May and June and enjoy the late spring and early summer weather.
Weekend Breaks in May
Where to Go
Head for Stilton, just off the A1 in Cambridgeshire, a village which gave its name to a cheese that has never been made there. The cheese was first made further west near Leicester, but was sold here in Stilton to people travelling up and down the Great North Road, which later became the A1. It became known as Stilton cheese.
Where to Stay
The Bell Inn, of course, where the original Stilton cheese was first sold.
What to See
In early May the annual Stilton Cheese-Rolling Championships take place, when people battle to become the Cheese-Rolling Champion.
What to Do
Watch from the sidelines or join in the Maypole dancing and other activities that take place here every year.
Weekend Breaks in June
Where to Go
June is a good time to be enjoying the Suffolk coast, when places like Southwold and Aldeburgh are starting to get warmer (hopefully) and busier. The summer is on its way and there's plenty going on, yet the August crowds haven't yet arrived.
Where to Stay
The Swan in Southwold is a restored coaching inn with bags of historic atmosphere and an acclaimed modern restaurant.
What to See
There is also another magnet each June for lovers of music and the other arts, especially of opera and classical music, and that is the annual Aldeburgh Festival.
The Festival began in 1948 and was the inspiration of local residents Benjamin Britten, Peter Pears and Eric Crozier. It was originally intended as a showcase for their own English Opera Group, which they had founded the previous year, but the Festival grew and expanded over time and today it is one of the major highlights of the English cultural calendar. Most of the main events take place at the Snape Maltings Concert Hall, and tickets should be booked well in advance as there are some internationally renowned performers making appearances, and often the premiers of eagerly-awaited new works.
What to Do
For those who don't care too much about the arts, or just want to attend some of the less formal concerts, it's still a good time to be in this area and enjoy not only the towns and the scenery but also the buzz that the Festival creates.
Mike Gerrard - Mike is an award-winning travel writer who has worked for National Geographic, the London Times, and many other clients. ...
