Penguin UK - Bollocks to Alton Towers

Uncommonly British Days Out - Bollocks to Alton Towers

it is true that the British are a nation of animal lovers, then our favourite animal is probably the underdog.

A Briton watching a sporting event in which he or she has no deep seated preference for either team will naturally support the losing side until they pull in front, then swap allegiance. It's because, deep down, we admire pluck far more than victory.

This book is a collection of the underdogs of British tourism. That doesn't mean they're not any good, quite the opposite in fact, but these are places that shun expensive showmanship and voguish technology in favour of something smaller, rarer and ultimately more satisfying. They require a little more effort and imagination (on occasion there's nothing to see at all) but they say more about Britain and the British than any number of corkscrew thrill rides or high-tech Interactive Visitor Experiences.

So, we say Bollocks to Alton Towers. If you prefer going round a rollercoaster at a hundred miles an hour with ice cream in your hair, fair enough. That's fine. We aren't going to stop you. To each their own. That is the British way.

But if you do fancy something out of the ordinary, something that delivers a more slowly-burning pleasure, and takes a little effort and imagination, try the sort of thing we've recommended in this book. Remember, all tourist attractions depend on public interest, and the slice of the public to which these ones appeal is often necessarily narrow. So if you like the look of somewhere, go. If you don't, who will?

Oh, and don't forget to take an umbrella. We've never seen rain like it.