I didn't expect discovering Rock of Gibraltar is owned by the British Peeps! Who knew? I surely…read moredidn't know this fact . . . I was also surprised learning that Spain wants the Rock returned to them, too. Visiting here was astonishing because Spain is right outside, but peeps living on the Rock-everyone uses British currency. Everyone in McDonald's spoke with a British accent! http://gibraltar.costasur.com/ http://www.gibnet.com/tourist/basics.htm http://www.gibnet.com/tourist/general.htm http://www.andalucia.com/gibraltar/home.htm

The rock of Gibraltar is indeed something very, very special. Just the thought of all sailors that…read morefor thousands of years that have shared this grand view is breathtaking. Lord Nelson, Marco Polo, Vasco da Gama are just a few that have passed this mighty rock. The view from the top of the Rock is just as breathtaking as its history. If possible - wait for clear skies before going to the top. It is worth it. Clear days it is possible to see far along the Spanish coast and across the sea to Africa. And - beware of the apes. No kidding. Already when docking at the top they may enter the cabin in search for food. According to the guards they are calmer and nicer in the morning than in the hot afternoon.

As a fan of the arts and crafts movement Wightwick Manor was a delight to visit, home of the…read moreManders family (manders paint) the house was built in the 1880s in the style of a medieval manor house. The guided tour of the house was informal and informative, the rooms are in there original decor the only alterations that have been made are for health and safety reasons and you wouldnt notice if not shown. William Morris wallpaper and textiles William de Morgan tiles its an alladins cave of treasures. The gardens are well kept , and very pretty . There if a tiny tearoom where i had the best sandwich ,ever stilton and apple yum.The National Trust maintain this property but the family still keeps a flat in the house for their own use. Admission is by timed tickets and openings vary so it might be worth phoning beforhand well worth a visit (tel 01902 761400)

A lovely property, wonderfully preserved by the National Trust…read more I honestly do not think you will find a better example of the arts & crafts movement anywhere. There is an enormous amount of William Morris interior items - in fact the house stands pretty much as a William Morris museum. A lovely exterior too with quaint and attractive gardens.

I have a soft spot for Anthony Gormley's work, so much so I was even one of the lucky ones that…read morestood on the 4th Plinth in London. The statue represents the traditional skills of Birmingham and the Black Country practised during the Industrial Revolution. The controversy of public opinion when it was installed makes me further believe that it really does represent the Brummie and Yam-Yams naysaying nature. I can't really recall why it was so hated back in 1993 when it was given as gift from the Trustee Savings Bank, but when they moved down south there was an outcry that the Iron: Man should be moved with them. I love that it started out as an untitled work until the Iron Man nickname stuck, only for the artist to insist on making his own stamp by insisting on a stupid colon in the middle. Brilliant! Maybe my soft spot for Gormely is because he utilises many local resources to make his large scale iron works with the Iron:Man being cast at Bradley and Fosters Castings (now Firth Rixson Castings) in Willenhall. Whether you love or hate it this 6m tall, leaning man whose feet are sunk in the ground is worth a look.

The most overlooked art in victoria square. I love this art by one of my favourite artist/sculptor.read more

When I visited the Unfinished Church in St. George's at Duke of Kent St., St. George's GE 05 on…read moreJune 27, 2016, a tour guide drove me past the ruins of the uncompleted church building, which people don't have to pay a fee to go look at and look inside through the arches, and informed me of the history. Parishioners thought a new church needed to be built because the old one was falling apart. As St. George built the new church, events happened that showed them that the new church wasn't meant to be used. The parishioners couldn't agree on the inner designs of the church because of theology differences, they had to divert money from the project to rebuilding a church that was torched by arsonists, they still had a use for the Old St. Peter's church: it continued to serve as a Parish church, and a tornado blew the roof off the new church once it was completed. It was interesting to see a building constructed with a different architectural design than I usually see. I couldn't go inside and people still can't go inside today because the St. Peter's Church closed the inside except for an area where scheduled weddings are conducted so they could get the weathered down interior repaired. The site is for tourists, and the inside is for weddings. It doesn't explicitly state a mission, but from the website, it seems as if St. Peter's Church's intention is for the Unfinished Church to serve as a beautiful piece of history for tourists to look at and for people to have church officiated weddings inside. I rated the Unfinished Church in St. George's a three because a visitor can see what a church from a long time ago looks like, but they can pull up pictures of the church on the internet, and they can't learn much from looking inside through the arches and at the outside. I'd probably give it a higher rating if I could visit it once the interior was repaired. My rating is based on how it functions as an educational historical site. It's a good place to visit if a person wants something to do that's good for most ages. St. Peter's Church is the managing entity. The site succeeded in its mission because I saw other people there when I visited, although I didn't get to look inside, so I don't know if it succeeded with its goal as being a place for weddings. http://www.stpeters.bm/UnfinishedChurch http://www.gotobermuda.com/profile/unfinished-church/1147

Lilleshall Abbey is just down the road from where I live, so I've visited there a few times over…read morethe years, especially for various school projects, drawings and paintings etc. There isn't a great deal to see here - it's worth a visit just to look at the ruins and see the views, but I couldn't imagine there's enough to spend large about of time there. It snowed the last time I went which gave the opportunity for some lovely photographs.

I have visited here a lot, especially when I was a child at school! Interesting place to spend a…read morefew hours learning about the history. They charge reasonable prices for entry and the views and architecture are amazing.

William Perry was the Tipton Slasher which, thanks to the Two Ronnies, sounds like either a rogue…read moreBlack Country widdler or a yam yam serial killer. In actuality William Perry was a bare knuckle fighter with an impressive record. The statue is in a park next to his pub and base of operations (The Fountain) and just down the road from the Black Country Museum. Its a nice statue to visit and show the kids that the past is everywhere and not just within the nearby museum's walls. The statue has a greater significance for for me, and probably 000s of others, because I am a blood relative, a descendant of this Black Country Rocky Balboa. Its moving to see in statue form a literal representation of the working class fight & celebrity, from a time before that amounted to a stint on X Factor. How his story hasnt become an art house Brit flick starring Daniel Day Lewis, Bob Hoskins and Gary Olman I will never know. Go and have a look at Grandad Slasher next time you are passing, or I will punch yow in the face.

Founded in the 13th century by King John, the ruins of Halesowen Abbey are a pleasing reminder of…read morethe area's medieval history. The ruins are now under the stewardship of English Heritage and can be visited on foot free of charge (there is no on-site parking, so it best to ark on a nearby housing estate or on the Black Horse pub car park). They sit in the middle of a large field just off the Halesowen bypass/Manor Way. Not much of the abbey remains, though there is a relatively intact gothic archway to admire. Many of the buildings have been incorporated in the nearby farm. It isn't exactly a "must visit" site, but the abbey is probably worth a gander if you are curious and passing by. As Dr Johnson once declared: "It is worth seeing but not worth going to see."

'What's so landmark and historic about a small, anonymous residential road on the edge of Oldbury?'…read more I hear you ask. Well in the case Apollo Road, what's so special about it is that it's where Kevin Rowland lived in the late 1970s, around the time he formed Dexys Midnight Runners. When I moved to this part of the world, I knew that he had once lived round here and was chuffed to find that the leader of one of my favourite bands had lived just a few minutes stroll from own doorstep. However, anyone expecting blue plaques, guided tours or people dancing round in dungarees will be sorely disappointed. Despite it's significance in local music history, Apollo Road does still remain a small, anonymous residential road on the edge of Oldbury. Only really worth a look if you're a big Dexys fan and want to walk down the road trying to work out which house he lived in, whilst humming 'Geno'. That's what I did anyway, and it made me feel good.

As a member of English Heritage, it's nice to take advantage of the variety of properties around…read moreEngland. Boscobel House in Shropshire provides a great afternoon out, and is only 30 miles from Birmingham. This house dates back to the 1600s, and was used to shelter Catholics from religious persecution. There are a number of priest holes inside the hunting lodge. Out back there is a small garden, a dairy barn, and the Royal Oak. This is the famous tree in which King Charles II hid in. There is also a lovely tea room in the stables offering fresh and affordable lunch. There are 2 guided tours each day, 11am and 2pm. Our guide Robin was very knowledgeable and provided an excellent tour throughout the hunting lodge. He even opened up one of the priest-holes to allow our group to try and squeeze in. If you are feeling ambitious, there is a lovely country walk along the farmland to visit a free English Heritage property, White Ladies Priory. Apparently King Charles II hid here as well. If you're looking for something unique and very affordable, give Boscobel House a visit.

I LOVE HISTORY! And…read moreof course this place has a serious bit of relevance to history in the UK. The oak isn't the original oak, but it's a descendant of to, which is a bit of a bummer, but they couldn't do anything about that (and that also means that The Royal Oak pub down the road probably has the best claim to the repetitive name in England!) Good tea rooms and tiny shop- and you can have a tour or go round on your own steam. It's not as extensive as some places around, but they get 5* for letting us go in the priest holes when it was quiet- woohoo!!!

What an amazing place! We happened to see this museum as we…read morewere walking by and were intrigued by their moving signage. Inside there are plenty of machines that whir and perform small tasks or even make music. Lots of interactive things to see and do, buttons to push, pedals to press, even a magnetic marble track you can build yourself! It's a treat for young and old and definitely worth the small entry fee.

The opening hours are stated for October to March. Opening hours from April to September are a…read morelittle longer (10:30 to 18:30 daily). A friend recommended this place to me thinking that my boys would like it. My friend was right! We did all enjoy the interactive displays. The extent of the interactivity is mainly pressing a button though but it's still good. There is an interesting range of mechanical art and my boys and I were fascinated by the mechanisms. It is quite a small place. It cost £19 for the four of us (2 adults and 2 children) which isn't too bad but, considering we spent less than an hour in there and saw everything, it does seem a little expensive. There are two floors. One very small room on each floor displaying different pieces of art. It can get rather crowded due to the small size, especially downstairs where the entrance/exit is the same. In the same small area, there is a counter where there is a single member of staff who both admits people and serves the gift shop. The gift shop is basically a small portion of the wall within the ground floor of the museum. Many items are over-priced and the selection is very limited. We did enjoy ourselves there and would recommend it but it could get claustrophobic and the upstairs can be noisy (although it does state this on the signage).