This trip has been on our book - it list for quite a time, we don't have a bucket nor a related…read morelist. Our last TV set tour experience was six months ago, Death In Paradise in Deshaies, Guadeloupe. It was a great place and it topped 30 degrees. Although we booked the 13:25 Emmerdale tour on - line the company put us onto their 13:00 tour, advising us the day before, by email and phone, but in the event we arrived early at the magnificent Harewood House; availed of the restrooms and we got onto the noon tour. We boarded a bus to take us to the set location so rural it can't handle many cars. The bus had rows of three and two seats. I'd never seen this before. It was a bit frustrating as it didn't leave until 12:15 then we sat on the road at the security gate near where the soap is filmed for about another 10 minutes. We got no explanation for either delay but then another tour bus came out so they are obviously tight for space. The most irritable thing was when we were stopped at security the bus driver turned off the engine as he was waiting so long. Doing that turned the air con off too so not exactly a great idea. When we eventually made it we were rushed a bit as folk were shouting last call for our tour despite most people needing the restroom after sitting on the bus for ages. We were in Seetal's company. She was delightfully informative. She sparkled with a bubbly personality. She sure is an asset to any team. I told her I still remember watching the very first episode in 1972 but didn't say that my mum was devoted Soap watcher: Coronation Street was essential viewing and embassy regal kingsize added to her enjoyment. Let me digress; the Archers had already been on the radio for 21 years starting in 1951. The BBC started the Archers to keep farmers informed of rapid changes in farming and agriculture post WW2 and to try to lessen the isolation of farmers in a rapidly changing, by then decimated world, but the UK got off relatively lightly. At least 27 million citizens of the Soviet Union died as a result of that war. Over 900,000 inhabitants of Leningrad alone died - mostly from starvation and disease - as a consequence of the besieging of that city by the German army. The Eastern Front was decisive in determining the outcome in the European Theatre of operations, eventually serving as the main reason for the defeat of Nazi Germany and the Axis nations; but more than 80 per cent of all combat during the Second World War took place on the Eastern Front. In total, the Soviet Union lost 25 per cent of its national wealth and 14 per cent of its population as a direct result of the war. It is a correct observation to make that nearly every family today in Russia was affected by the horror of the second World War. Just 16 years later Coronation Street hit the screen. It could have been Florizel Street. Bleak, gritty post WW2 Northern life with strong female characters from the labyrinth mind of Tony Warren. A mere 27 years later Kevin Laffan's Emmerdale Farm of 1972 was a whole different world to today's Emmerdale. He had been asked to write a lunch-time farm serial after government restrictions on broadcasting hours had been eased. That's how it was born and today it offers an entirely open air, impressive set tour. The inside scenes are still filmed in ITV Leeds studios after 53 years. Kevin who died in 2003, was one of 14 children; the third born. This tour is manageable without the need for a high level of fitness. All the staff are kind and they do not rush you. We didn't get into the graveyard but did get to see most places. We opted for the £20 photo deal. They give you a card that the photographer scans and we were best pleased with it. They don't rip their guests off but they sure do need to be better tuned to offering guests proper espresso based drinks. We had another advantage as the weather was very good; warm sun with a scattering of cumulus clouds. We got our photos at the end at check - out and a few other mementos and the omnipresent Seetal did that for us as well. All in all a grand day out and yes while I was sceptical about it taking three hours do set aside three hours and have fun. I say it again all the staff are charming. Delighted we did it and my wife has announced that she would like to visit again. I do hope by then they've great coffee.

Must disagree with the last comment. We found it very interesting and ALL questions were answered…read more Bit of difficulty with the climb down at our age but it was worth it. They don't rush we oldies LOL.

A day trip to Derbyshire and we decided to head underground to one of the various Blue John mines…read morein the area. Blue John is a semi-precious mineral and in the UK it's only found in Derbyshire. There are a number of places in the area where you can take a tour of the caves, and we opted for this one. £10 per adult to go in gets you a 30 - 45 minute guided tour. There are a LOT (literally hundreds!) of steps, and because of the water (the caves were carved out by water during the last ice age, and water still drips through from the surface), it can be damp and slippery in places so make sure you use the handrails and go slowly, and wear good shoes. Our tour guide was a particularly non-nonsense Yorkshireman who does tours in the summer and actually mines the blue john in winter. Some would say he was a bit dour (he didn't suffer foolish questions!) but I thought he really added to the atmosphere because he was a genuine bona fide miner and he really knew his stuff. The mine is damp and cold, so dress warmly - but be prepared to get warm on the climb back out of the mine. You descend about 100 meters underground (although the mines off the tourist track go deeper). The blue john itself is interesting, but I was most impressed by the sheer cavernous nature of the caves - it's incredible to think they were carved out by water! There is a cafe, shop and toilets on site but they're pretty basic. I think £10 was pushing the high end of what they could charge, but this is a really fascinating and unusual place to go and visit so I don't think it's an excessive charge. Definitely well worth a visit.

Expensive for what it is. Staff are helpful but the place struggles to justify its priceread more

The Heights of Abraham are the most famous tourist attraction in the very touristy spa-town of…read moreMatlock. Many a family comes from the surrounding cities of Manchester, Derby and Sheffield to spend the day exploring Matlock, and few can resist the CABLE CAR RIDE up to the attraction of The Heights of Abraham. To travel on the cable cars and enter The Heights of Abraham, one has to part with a steep ten pounds. The cable car journey itself is great fun, and if you haven't done it before, has novelty value, but if I'm honest, it's the best thing about the entire place, and it only goes downhill (no pun intended) from there. At the top you will find a shop selling memorabilia but as you can imagine this is largely tat, and much of it bears no relation whatsoever to the area or the place. You will also find a greasy canteen style café selling tea and coffee, baguettes, cakes, hot dogs, soups and jacket potatoes. The food is nice, but very overpriced, so expect to be stung yet again. There's also a restaurant, but its not much of restaurant as it only sells burgers, paninis and salads. These are nice, but also expensive, with a burger setting you back a good seven quid. Your ticket also includes the chance to explore two old disused mines which are pretty interesting and definitely worth seeing, though half an hour is enough time to cover both of these. There's also a rock museum, the boredom induced by which speaks for itself. On the whole it's a close call as to whether its worth it. Perhaps one should go once if in the area. The cable cars are good, and cost some millions to make, but its very expensive to go and once you're there. Basically yelpers, I'm leaving it up to you.

Went by chance on a walking tour with Jez. It was…read moreabsolutely brilliant, really. Jez is great. We not only covered quite a bit of ground, we learned the train system, drank in the best cafe and experienced an authentic pub where real people actually go. Jez explained "easy-to-eat" food as well as broke down the types of milk one can purchase-as for non locals, this can be massively confusing. I was really on the 4/5 star fence-as Jez is EXTREMELY popular, he claims to be some sort of "known celebrity" and I actually might buy it, because you really can't go 5 feet without someone who knows him seeming very happy to see him, in a way it's really refreshing to witness not just the actual human exchange but to hear the variety of accents and such-it could be a put on-just to liven the experience, but something about it just felt genuine. Either way, this touch made it rather quaint. Also-I swear everyone we met was some sort of local legend! Jez is a really nice guy who seems to know a little about a lot and it's true, he loves parks! He also loves coffee and birds-we ran into a girl with a pet owl he was clearly smitten-with the owl. He's very warm and friendly, he is prepared for all your Liverpool questions. I highly recommend a walking tour with Jez AND I'd suggest letting him map it out, he's the local after all. Tip-Jez is also open to dining on tour, according to him, he knows the best places. Bonus-discount for 5 star reviews (not that this isn't worth the whole 2 pounds-it is but that 10p discount is pretty sweet)

Knowledgeable and personable! 5 stars all the way!!! So much fun and learned so much about…read moreLiverpool. Lovely place with a great deal of history. More than just The Beatles.

We did the afternoon AVG tour on 9/9 and really enjoyed the 2 hour walk. Mike led our group. He was…read moreknowledgeable and comfortable in his role. He had a passion for the rich history of York and explained the complexities well. The tour was worth our time investment and we appreciated the volunteers who dedicate themselves to this effort!

A walking tour of York is a must and based on our experienced there is no reason at all not to…read moreselected the AVG tour since it is free. We came to understand the volunteer guides are almost entirely retirees who are very proud of their hometown and want to make sure visitors have a great tour. Although our tour occurred on a very rainy day, we still had a great time and it was very interesting at every turn. This tour covers all the high points in York and is highly recommended. Our guide was Judy. She was extremely personable and knowledgeable. She even offered to extend the tour as she was headed to the guildhall.

Without doubt, the best tour I've been on. My wife and I have visited Manchester a few times but…read moremostly explored on our own so she decided to book a tour. John tailors the tour to your interests and is extremely knowledgeable about a wide variety of subjects. He took us all over the city proper, explaining the history in a way that tells a story. I've read many books on bands and football in the city and it was cool to see many of the places I'd only read about. The taxi is very roomy and comfortable and John is adept at traversing the traffic while pointing out the various sites. This tour allows you to get out of the cab at many opportunities which is refreshing to be able to get closer instead of just looking out a window. In closing, if you're visiting Manchester make a booking with John. He is passionate about his city and it bleeds through during the entirety of the tour. Five stars all the way.