One thing I do miss here in Kazakhstan is going out to English language events. Although I was not a great theatre or gig attender, it was good to see something every now and then. The next time I am in Britain with some time to ’spare’, I am going to check what is available over at viagogo.co.uk . They obviously cover all the big sporting events, so whether you are in the market for buying/selling Cricket Tickets, Football Tickets or Rugby Tickets, it could well be worth checking out what is available.

The principle behind the site is simple - if you have tickets you no longer require, the site is a hub to connect you to others in the market for tickets. If you find that your event or show is sold out, do not despair, instead head on over to viagogo, and check if anyone has tickets they are willing to sell on.
I checked what is listed right now, and Bill Bailey immediately caught my eye within the comedy section. Assuming his show’s material is new, I think it would be great to see him in person, as his persona on the screen is impressive enough. I’ve seen his stand up routines, his performances in Spaced, cameos in various comedy series and films, as a contestant on various light-hearted TV quiz shows, and of course Black Books. Sadly I will not be back in Britain before his tour ends, but he is at least touring a few cities - Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Cardiff, Brighton, Manchester and of course London.

When visiting Britain, the choices on offer can be mind blowing. I will attempt to relay a little information about three cities, and hope that potential tourists find this post useful.
So, first we will look at Manchester. If you enjoy shopping, you should definitely head over to the Manchester Arndale, as it is the country’s largest shopping centre that is situated within a city. If, however, you prefer to appreciate architecture, rather than snap up bargains,then Spinningfields is worth visiting for it’s architecture, the project is led by a certain Sir Norman Foster (who also had a hand in designing several of Astana’s landmarks! The city is twinned with Amsterdam and St Petersburg which seems like an interesting combination, and the canals and tram ways within Manchester are certainly worthy of note.

When it comes to culture, the saying “What Manchester does today, the rest of the world does tomorrow” seems to hold true, as Northern Soul (and therefore Motown), House music, and of course the era and collection of groups simply known as Madchester, all point to the city as being a great inspiration. Speaking of which, the Pennine hills to the North of Manchester are ideal if you wish to sample a life more rural and breathtaking. With all the opportunities offered, it makes sense to have a good base to operate from, so feel free to click the following link to discover about Hotels in Manchester.

Often (unofficially) cited as the second city of Britain, Birmingham is a huge area of land, it is so large that you can walk from Wolverhampton or Solihull into Birmingham without seeing a single break in the streets and amenities. The city itself is host to a multitude of nationalities, meaning that you can easily experience a little from many cultures of the world, in a comparatively short amount of time.

The quality of the Hotels in Birmingham is really quite high, as many people use the city as a hub to get from one region to another.

Finally, we move onto London. The Hotels in London are famous throughout the world, with many five star establishments priding themselves on their exclusiveness and pricing. However, if you prefer to spend your budget on visiting local attractions, such as the London Eye, the Millenium Dome (possibly now branded as O2?) or the SoHo district, fear not, as there are still some cracking deals to be had.

When I come back from my trip to Britain, I will be leaving via Brum’s very own international airport. If there are no good public transport links to get me there at the right time, I will look into which Hotels in Birmingham are close to the airport and do not charge a lot.

Originally I intended to visit Britain via Heathrow, and the trip to Evesham and Cheltenham was not a problem, as the coach times matched with my arrival very well. However, the original flight I was looking at would have involved checking which Hotels in London and the surrounding area best matched my needs. Had I wished, I could have spent an extra day in London’s vicinity, and finally checked out the BA London Eye (I hadn’t realised British Airways sponsored it!). I would still like to see the city landscape from it’s unique perspective some time… Anyway, whether I would have been looking for a budget hotel to simply lay my head over night, or a more luxurious premium quality residence, the site linked to have comprehensive listings of available accommodation and their specifications.

CheaperThanHotels also offer other pages specifically setup for other major attractions and cities, such as their section on Hotels in Manchester.

Bayan went over to England, or Manchester to be more precise for a few months. She hopes to go over there to earn her Masters degree, and needed to complete a gateway course. Go check the older personal posts for more info and pictures of her.
Anyway, we found out she was back in Astana today, so we all went to Vanquaro (or something that sounds like that. The sign was in English, but the vodka in my bloodstream is preventing me from achieving total recall. Now that was a cool Arnie film… Anyway, I’m drifting off course, apologies) to have a nice meal and for once, Bayan did not drive, so we could all have a few drinks.
A good meal, good company and good lime flavoured vodka.
Oh, and if women order a beer in this country, they almost always receive a straw, to enable them to drink their lager in a lady-like manner…

Here we have Bayan constructing and then devouring a Mexican thingy that the name of escapes me right now…

Finally, we have Ira and Bayan in a shot together…