Sally Shalam's Britain

Fast track to the good stuff

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  • About Me
  • Why Britain?
  • Reviews
    • ACCESSIBLE
      • Annie’s Ecolog Cabin, Ludlow
      • Base2stay, Liverpool
      • George Bell House, Chichester
      • Pear Tree Farm, Herefordshire
      • South Lodge, Buckinghamshire
    • BESIDE THE SEA
      • Belvidere Place, Broadstairs, Kent
      • Black Rock House, Hastings
      • Chicoutimi, Thorpeness, Suffolk
      • Kemp Townhouse, Brighton
      • Seacombe, South Devon
      • The Marine, Whitby, North Yorkshire
      • The Quarry, Ilfracombe, Devon
      • The Reading Rooms, Kent
      • Westcroft Guesthouse, Cornwall
      • Whitepark House, County Antrim
      • Woodlands Hotel, North Yorkshire
    • BIG HOUSES
      • Balbegno Castle, Kincardineshire, Scotland
      • Carrington House, Norfolk
      • Chaffeymoor Grange, Dorset
      • Gossel Ridding, Cumbria
      • Inshriach House, Inverness-shire
      • Lerags House, Oban, Scotland
      • Loyton Lodge, Devon
    • CONTEMPORARY CLASSICS
      • 38 St Giles, Norwich
      • Bryncyn, Carmarthenshire
      • Salt House, St Ives, Cornwall
      • The Ashton, Lancaster
    • COOL ABOUT KIDS
      • Geaglum Cottage, Co Fermanagh
      • Widgeham Barn, Suffolk
    • COOL SELF-CATERING
      • Belle Grove, Suffolk
      • Manor House Stables, Lincolnshire
    • ENGLISH ECCENTRICS
      • Sussex Prairies, West Sussex
      • The Lavender Patch, Derbyshire
    • FOR THE LOVE OF FOOD
      • 7 Hotel & Diner, Kent
      • Blue Lion Inn, North Yorkshire
      • Cross Keys, Stirlingshire
      • Gurnard’s Head, Cornwall
      • Kingham Plough, Oxfordshire
      • Peat Spade Inn, Hampshire
      • Shakespeare House, Bucks
      • The Wild Garlic, Dorset
    • PUBS WITH ROOMS
      • Bushmills Inn, County Antrim
      • The Pheasant Inn, Cheshire
      • The Ragged Cot, Gloucestershire
      • The Spread Eagle, Sawley, Lancashire
    • REMOTE AND ROMANTIC
      • Beechenhill Farm, Staffordshire
      • Brantwood, Cumbria
      • Bryn Eglur, nr Trelech, South Wales
      • Hafod-y-Garreg, Powys
      • Pip and Pip’s Cabin, Cornwall
      • The Boathouse, Wester Ross
      • Yorebridge House, North Yorkshire
    • URBAN BED & BREAKFAST
      • 2 Cambridge Street, Edinburgh
      • Compton House, Newark
      • Salthouse Harbour Hotel, Ipswich
      • Shoreditch Rooms, London
      • The Montpellier Chapter, Cheltenham
      • York and Albany, London
Do Not Disturb_edit

New take on hotel Do Not Disturb sign

February 22, 2012

Nothing is quite as satisfying as an ordinary everyday object reinvented by someone who thinks outside the box. That is exactly what London-based artist Sarah Baker has done with the humble hotel Do Not Disturb sign. Usually these are pretty … Continue reading →

Posted in Hotel Goss | Replies: 2
homepage_615_279

V&A Reading Rooms a gem in South Kensington

February 14, 2012

If I were having an illicit liaison (which I’m not), this is where I’d meet for a drink. A glass of Pouilly Fuisse at the bar, and a backdrop of books, their pristine spines adding an air of respectability to … Continue reading →

Posted in Insider info | Reply
Victoria_Building[clock]

Liverpool’s glorious secret gallery

February 11, 2012

Two weeks ago a review trip took me to the city of Liverpool. Small enough to trot around in heels (just as well, everyone seems to dress up here, even just to get a pint of milk), easy to navigate … Continue reading →

Posted in Days Out, Insider info | Replies: 2
location_129711_1299006159

A romantic tip for Valentine’s Day

February 11, 2012

So far I have managed not to end up reviewing on Valentine’s Day. Sometimes I imagine the horror for the overseas business visitor who finds themselves sidling into a hotel restaurant like a leper or trying to find an unbooked … Continue reading →

Posted in Beside the Seaside, Insider info | Reply
M&S Leather Boxy Bag, £89

Take a shine to new luggage

February 9, 2012

Along with a tiny laptop and Jo Malone mini perfume sprays, M&S’s patent leather boxy bag is one of my tried and trusted travel companions. My bag is orange – I got it a couple of years ago when I … Continue reading →

Posted in Love this | Replies: 2
Antique Scottish bath and shower in a suite at the Pool House hotel

Scottish hotel with a Titanic connection

February 7, 2012

This week’s snow and the imminent 100th anniversary in April of the Titanic setting sail from Southampton, brings to mind a hotel called the Pool House on the west coast of Scotland, 90 minutes from Inverness. I arrived there, several … Continue reading →

Posted in Hotel Goss | Replies: 2
StargazyPie

Stargazy Pie. Recipe for stargazers

January 30, 2012

Since stargazing fever has hit the country (Sir Patrick Moore must be thrilled), what should we eat after standing around outside in the freezing cold? Stargazy Pie of course. This Cornish classic is usually made with whole pilchards, whose heads … Continue reading →

Posted in Something Completely Different | Replies: 4
DSCN2080

A shabby chic interior – how to get the look

January 28, 2012

It is 20 years since I freelanced at World of Interiors and I have loved interior design ever since. Which kind of helps, being a reviewer of hotels and other accommodation, otherwise how on earth would I remember what style … Continue reading →

Posted in HOT SHOPS | Reply
scampston

London Olympics 2012 – where to stay

January 22, 2012

You may be thinking that it is too late get a room for the London Olympics this summer, but the newest way to stay in a city is to book a private apartment online. Websites showcasing private homes available for … Continue reading →

Posted in London Olympics 2012, This week I've been... | Replies: 3
jolly-james

Re-branding should be first resort for Skegness

January 20, 2012

According to a BBC report today, a tourism expert has suggested the traditional seaside resort of Skegness should change its name in a cost-effective bid to attract a wealthier crowd to Lincolnshire’s coast. No doubt opinion will be split – … Continue reading →

Posted in Insider info | Replies: 8

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Recent Posts

  • New take on hotel Do Not Disturb sign
  • V&A Reading Rooms a gem in South Kensington
  • Liverpool’s glorious secret gallery
  • A romantic tip for Valentine’s Day
  • Take a shine to new luggage

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  • Bespoke advice
  • British design
  • City B&B
  • Comes with a Spa
  • Cool about Kids
  • Days Out
  • Foodie Little Black Book
  • Holiday Heroes
  • HOT SHOPS
  • Hotel Goss
  • Insider info
  • London Olympics 2012
  • Love this
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  • self catering
  • Simply good food
  • Something Completely Different
  • This week I've been…

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Pages

  • About Me
  • Why Britain?
  • Reviews
    • ACCESSIBLE
      • Annie’s Ecolog Cabin, Ludlow
      • Base2stay, Liverpool
      • George Bell House, Chichester
      • Pear Tree Farm, Herefordshire
      • South Lodge, Buckinghamshire
    • BESIDE THE SEA
      • Belvidere Place, Broadstairs, Kent
      • Black Rock House, Hastings
      • Chicoutimi, Thorpeness, Suffolk
      • Kemp Townhouse, Brighton
      • Seacombe, South Devon
      • The Marine, Whitby, North Yorkshire
      • The Quarry, Ilfracombe, Devon
      • The Reading Rooms, Kent
      • Westcroft Guesthouse, Cornwall
      • Whitepark House, County Antrim
      • Woodlands Hotel, North Yorkshire
    • BIG HOUSES
      • Balbegno Castle, Kincardineshire, Scotland
      • Carrington House, Norfolk
      • Chaffeymoor Grange, Dorset
      • Gossel Ridding, Cumbria
      • Inshriach House, Inverness-shire
      • Lerags House, Oban, Scotland
      • Loyton Lodge, Devon
    • CONTEMPORARY CLASSICS
      • 38 St Giles, Norwich
      • Bryncyn, Carmarthenshire
      • Salt House, St Ives, Cornwall
      • The Ashton, Lancaster
    • COOL ABOUT KIDS
      • Geaglum Cottage, Co Fermanagh
      • Widgeham Barn, Suffolk
    • COOL SELF-CATERING
      • Belle Grove, Suffolk
      • Manor House Stables, Lincolnshire
    • ENGLISH ECCENTRICS
      • Sussex Prairies, West Sussex
      • The Lavender Patch, Derbyshire
    • FOR THE LOVE OF FOOD
      • 7 Hotel & Diner, Kent
      • Blue Lion Inn, North Yorkshire
      • Cross Keys, Stirlingshire
      • Gurnard’s Head, Cornwall
      • Kingham Plough, Oxfordshire
      • Peat Spade Inn, Hampshire
      • Shakespeare House, Bucks
      • The Wild Garlic, Dorset
    • PUBS WITH ROOMS
      • Bushmills Inn, County Antrim
      • The Pheasant Inn, Cheshire
      • The Ragged Cot, Gloucestershire
      • The Spread Eagle, Sawley, Lancashire
    • REMOTE AND ROMANTIC
      • Beechenhill Farm, Staffordshire
      • Brantwood, Cumbria
      • Bryn Eglur, nr Trelech, South Wales
      • Hafod-y-Garreg, Powys
      • Pip and Pip’s Cabin, Cornwall
      • The Boathouse, Wester Ross
      • Yorebridge House, North Yorkshire
    • URBAN BED & BREAKFAST
      • 2 Cambridge Street, Edinburgh
      • Compton House, Newark
      • Salthouse Harbour Hotel, Ipswich
      • Shoreditch Rooms, London
      • The Montpellier Chapter, Cheltenham
      • York and Albany, London
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