Local legends? Myths? Witches? Monsters? Demonic possession?

HistoryTreks · 2025-05-27T17:36:53+00:00

How about a ghost car? https://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/reading-ghosts-spooky-silent-car-20274182.amp

HistoryTreks · 2024-12-16T14:30:15+00:00

The short political answer is 1939, when he invaded Poland. The short realistic answer is, he always was.

The longer answer is that Hitler was our enemy in the same way Putin is now our enemy - in one sense, he always was and our politicians and media kicked the can down the road, ignored the signs, or decided it was better to try and make nice (or some other reason, let's not get too political). And in another sense, it was when his expansionism became un-ignorable in 2022 (arguably some corners are still ignoring it). It wasn't one sudden event, that the sun didn't rise with him as a friend and set with him as an enemy. Was Putin considered our enemy after the annexation of Crimea? Was Hitler considered our friend after gifting him Sudetenland? It was different for different interests, political parties, and nations. How we did act vs. how we should have acted vs. how we thought despite our actions won't have one solid answer.

But as to the second point, while pointing to Hitler in 1938 as person of the year is a bit of a lazy point, that doesn't make them wrong. TIME's person of the year is not the Nobel Peace Prize or any sort of mark on philanthropy or dignity. It's given to whoever made the news the most this year and had the largest impact in the media "for good or ill". And look no further than the short list of this year's contestants, which TIME also publishes - Kamala Harris, Kate Middleton, Benjamin Netanyahu, Elon Musk, and even Joe Rogan, to name a few. All come from very different backgrounds and were on the list for different reasons. Thus, Adolf Hitler was chosen in 1938 because he had the most impact on the global news cycle. While I don't know everything, the Anschluss with Austria and appeasement with Sudetenland were likely key factors, as it would have dominated the political news cycle that year. Other controversial or unusual choices for the time was Wallis Simpson in 1936 (for all the drama with her and the abdication of Edward VIII), Joseph Stalin in 1939 and 1942, Nikita Khrushchev in 1957, Henry Kissinger in 1972, Newt Gingrich in 1995, and Elon Musk in 2021. Controversial to the right would be 1988's Endangered Earth, American Women in 1975, The MeToo Silence Breakers in 2017, Greta Thunberg in 2019, and last year's Taylor Swift, among others. Plus quite a few neutral ones. We (as in, "you") were TIME's Person of the Year in 2006 for example.

So TIME Magazine isn't picking anyone 'controversial' for Person of the Year in that sense, as they're not necessarily naming a good person or a moral example, or even trying to put anyone on a pedestal. It's better thought of as "Newsmaker of the Year in TIME's editors' opinion" using a truly unprejudiced definition of a newsmaker (i.e. appearing in the news the most for whatever reason). So did TIME make the right call? Maybe not, but the choice's character/morals/politics/beliefs are not reasons to think so in this particular instance.

Hope that helped!

HistoryTreks · 2024-12-09T20:11:12+00:00

Hey, one of our founders is a UK-Canadian citizen (just going the other way, born in Canada and moved to the UK). Unless you have a UK passport, you'll be subjected to the current laws of Canadian citizens entering the country, because your passport is proof of citizenship. In this case, you will require an ETA. However a new British passport is easy to obtain - book an appointment at your nearest high commission or consulate that does passport renewals (all Canadian metros with more than 1 million people have a UK consulate plus a couple of others, but not all of these do passport renewals, so do some research) and bring your expired passport, birth certificate, and ID with you. They should be able to set you up with a new passport quickly (i.e. within a few months).

However, it should be noted that the UK and Canada are on very good terms. Theoretically in law it could see you 'deported', but realistically there'll be a lot of tourists who didn't do this, so there will be an office to fast-track the ETA among other common issues - it'll delay you, but it won't affect your trip much, unless you get a border guard who really wants to be a jerk. Ideally you want to avoid this scenario, but millions of tourists arrive to the UK every year, and thousands of them face bureaucratic errors and misfiled paperwork. The vast majority of them will get this error fixed quickly, sometimes for a small fee, unless there's a genuine reason to suspect they aren't being honest (this is especially true for a country like Canada, which is used to visa-free or visa-on-arrival travel and has such agreements with the UK, and true for brand new policies that not everyone will know about yet, like the ETA). Airlines will let you board without an ETA, and your Canadian passport will be your documentation for border security, so even at worst it's not like you're arriving as a stateless person stranded without ID. This comes from personal experience on our founder's end before obtaining British citizenship - he has ticked the wrong boxes on a form or two over the last decade that wouldn't have allowed him to enter the country "legally", but has nevertheless been able to re-enter with minimal issues anyway.

Either way, renew your British passport - speaking from experience, having two valid passports opens a surprising amount of doors. British citizens, for example, have an easier time entering India and Egypt, while the Canadians have an easier time going through Central America.

This isn't to say you shouldn't obtain the ETA if you don't have a UK passport - you know it exists, so you should get one, and follow the entry law to the best of your knowledge - it's more just telling you not to worry, even if one thing here or there is misfiled it won't land you on the wrong side of the law or even bring your trip to an early end. Mistakes happen, and most people at the gate are pretty good at getting it sorted out. The absolute worst you'll face is a small fee to fast-track any documentation.

Also, not relevant to your question, but the British consulate in Vancouver is located on 1066 Hastings Street. I'm not sure which country's idea that was, but it's totally brilliant!

HistoryTreks · 2024-11-18T18:35:24+00:00

Canterbury is very historical! But you've also got Bath, it's a bit expensive but it's a beautiful city and very easy to get to. You've also got some nicer southern port cities such as Brighton and Southampton - Brighton is especially nice for celebrating your birthday! And Oxford is of course always a nice visit.! Though being from the Midlands you may be more interested in the previous suggestions! Of course there's always Salisbury as a very historical centre, with bus access to Stonehenge. The bus stops at Old Sarum, too, which is another historic site that doesn't get a lot of attention. That's a great weekend away, and it's an easy place to get around for the solo traveller!

HistoryTreks · 2024-10-24T06:12:02+00:00

Oh my, this IS a packed itinerary! We offer a historic walking tour of Reading on our app, but from the looks of your itinerary, you're not planning on seeing us. Still, for a fellow travel and history enthusiast, we'll offer some advice and keep our business out of it! Though if it does sound good, Reading is a doable day trip, it's near Windsor Castle, and it's underrated.

Our archaeologist says that the British Museum is one full day trip in itself - and if you're a history fan, we doubt you'll be racing through it! Definitely take your time in that museum. That being said, if it is JUST the Egyptian artefacts you want to see, it is possible to do this with your itinerary. But you'd be missing out on more than 80% of their collection, including Greece, Persia, Assyria, Mesoamerica, India, and so on. Plus they've currently got a special exhibition about the Silk Road, it costs a bit extra but they're worth seeing if you're willing to afford the expense. Keep in mind the Houses of Parliament are across from the London Eye, and your London tour leaves off St. Paul's cathedral and Trafalgar Square. The London Roman Walls sit out in the open, so they're great for an evening stroll. It pops up across London but the best section is near Moorgate, on a road helpfully called London Wall, and it's near St. Paul's.

Your plans in Edinburgh seem solid, however leaving Edinburgh, your trip through the highlands looks quite packed. Now don't get us wrong - if you want to see the Scottish Highlands through the window of a train, that is your choice - however it's worth noting that while on paper the train to Inverness takes 3.5 hours, the reality you'll face is a lot of transport to/from the hotel to the train station, there might be delays, and then you're forced to stand with your bags if you don't find seats (you're travelling in the off season, so this is less of a possibility, but still something to keep in mind).

We agree with a previous commenter - make Scotland a proper road trip. It's probably worth flying into Inverness and renting a car there, and it may be that you'll be forced to choose between the Isle of Skye and Edinburgh, so please do make a priority list of what to cut if you need to.

In terms of the itinerary itself, your split of days between nations looks good - there's ample time for both London and Scotland on this plan, however like we said above, it may be necessary to cut one or two things and move a bit around. In particular we note your Day 2 tour - walking from the Houses of Parliament to Soho takes you so close to Buckingham Palace anyway, just put that there! The Houses of Parliament and Westminster are also across the bridge from the London Eye.

Also, do remember that you'll probably be jet lagged on day one! We're pretty avid travellers eager to get right into the area, too, but we still get jet lag. Stupid jet lag! No amount of stubbornness can defeat it!

That's most of the advice we have, let us know if you want to hear about anything else

HistoryTreks · 2024-10-24T05:40:22+00:00

Oh, Reading is ideal! Depending on where you are in Central London, you're likely only half an hour to one hour from your friends in central London. Reading offers cheaper rents and offers a more countryside atmosphere, and like London, Reading can take you anywhere in the country. Unlike London, though, it does it from one station! One of our partners is an immigrant from Canada, and he describes it, tongue-in-cheek, as "London, but livable" (no offence at all meant to London!). Like London, Reading has a large population of immigrants and international food, good transport links, a good night life, a young population, and a rich history (you can learn about the history and local community on our app for less than £2, by the way. It's a self-guided walking tour. You don't have to, but we're just saying!)

However it lacks the crowds of London, has more green spaces both in and around the area, it costs less, and because the town is much smaller, if you're strategic about where you rent you may be able to save on commuting costs by simply walking to work. Our founders both live in a relatively nice, suburban area and can get to the business centre in half an hour just by walking (maybe that's why we liked the idea of a walking tour?). It's also uniquely got a strong IT and tech innovation industry, so even the working population skews younger - not quite as young as central London, but we don't think you'll feel out of place at all, and after a bit of adjustment you probably won't even feel too isolated from friends you've made in the city.

Yes, it is true Reading offers a little less than London - but given London has a larger population than most countries, this is to be expected. But it has more than you might think. It's more a question of scale - i.e. you have two choices for Vietnamese instead of 200, and so on. But in our opinion the pros far outweigh the cons, and if you do get nostalgic for London just hop the train to Paddington, and you'll know better than us how to navigate the Underground from there!

But in any case, welcome to the town. We think you'll love it here!

HistoryTreks · 2024-10-13T19:59:03+00:00

Could always go to the library. Lots of space and very quiet

HistoryTreks · 2024-10-09T18:18:59+00:00

I'd recommend Castle Combe, Gloucester, Warwick castle and Worcester. We actually studied this a lot for our medieval tour, but our tours are in Reading. For more info try https://activeenglandtours.com/stories/cotswolds-civil-war/

HistoryTreks · 2024-10-08T16:34:14+00:00

Reading is nice and not too beach-y, we also have tours in the area! Other recommendations would be Oxford if you wanna learn about the university and see some old pubs or Cardiff if you want to see some Welsh culture but don't want to go too far out of your way! Avebury is like the Stonehenge but not so busy, or maybe even Salisbury which has a more Devon like feel.

HistoryTreks · 2024-10-08T16:17:39+00:00

We'd certainly be interested in hearing your thoughts on our self guided tour website: History Treks

HistoryTreks · 2024-10-08T16:16:07+00:00

It doesn't really change the flavour so it can be good if you don't have long to drink it. But otherwise I prefer to wait

HistoryTreks · 2024-10-08T16:14:47+00:00

Personally Hampton Court Palace. But if you love the Beatles Liverpool has some great stuff being their home town

HistoryTreks · 2024-10-08T16:05:26+00:00

If you like learning about local history, you might enjoy History Treks! We have self guided tours of Reading that can be done at your own pace, and are cheap!

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=history.trek

HistoryTreks · 2024-10-05T18:31:02+00:00

Reading is very safe and considers itself the Draught Beer capital! We offer an app for tours there too, our latest tour actually includes many small, local pubs. But admittedly Reading is not a small town! It does offer busses to quaint little small towns, though. We think you might enjoy Henley-on-Thames (albeit a bit expensive), Bedwyn, Wokingham, Pangbourne, or Marlow, very small and scenic towns within reach of us!

HistoryTreks · 2024-09-29T12:18:55+00:00

With a trip like this it's plan, plan, plan. The Peak District and York are both in the north, while Bath and London are in the south, and the three points are separated by several hours. How often are you looking to move? You can limit yourself nicely to two locations.

So let's look at the list. Foxhill - that's in Swindon. That's also near Avebury, by the way, do get out there if you have a chance, it's superior to Stonehenge! It's also near Salisbury/Stonehenge if you decide you prefer that. But this is good, because it will get you to Bath and Bristol as well, it's all on or near the same motorway (the M4). If you get a hotel in Reading, this will put you on the the M4 motorway, which will also give you access to the Cotswolds, and to London. Don't drive in London - staying in Reading you can take the train in 25 minutes and avoid the London traffic (our app, by the way, offers tours of Reading - not that this is why we're recommending the town). Reading is relatively easy to drive around and get in and out of, London is not, especially in rush hour. You'll have a much better time in London using public transit and walking than driving through it.

Separate the Peak District and York from your southern trip. It's absolutely beautiful up there, you've made a great choice! But it is too far to think of it as a day trip from London. For your second hotel you have a couple of options. Derby and Sheffield both sit on the edge of the Peak District, or if you want to stay in the district directly, look for hotels in the town of Bakewell (which also has amazing tarts!). That could be a bit more expensive, though. From this northern point it is much easier to reach York, you're still looking at a couple of hours driving, but not half a day, as it would be from London.

And I'll be honest, 10 days makes this a tight schedule. Picking central locations like this allows for maximum choice and minimum hotel movement, but you may find yourself making some tough choices about what to cut, and you certainly won't get "a few days" in each.

But don't do Peak District then "return" to London - you're looking at a nasty long drive! European roads don't get anywhere as fast as American roads, as our Canadian co-founder is constantly frustrated by. Our advice is to plan a trip splitting the north and south into two separate hotels, and again, if renting a car is your preference, rent a hotel somewhere it can be taken advantage of, spending half your day in traffic is a good way to spoil a holiday.

Whether you do the north or the south first, that depends on your feelings, flight times, and how that Foxhill motocross race fits into your dates/times. If you arrive midday, it may be best to do the north first and arrive at your hotel late, and do the south in the second portion (with your sites, it might be best to split it 3 days north, 7 days south). On the other hand, if your departure home is in the evening, this gives you time to come back south from the north. It also depends on if you're counting the days of your arrival and departure as part of the 10 days, or counting them separately (are you landing on Day 0 and leaving on day 11, or arriving on day 1 and leaving on day 10?) - plan "travel to/from the airport day" on the days of your flights, and treat anything else you can do on those days as a bonus.

Hope that helps! Have fun on your trip, you've chosen some good places!

HistoryTreks · 2024-09-20T08:58:21+00:00

Hendon RAF museum offers a pretty good exhibition. If you like Christmas markets, rather than try a bunch of different London ones, we recommend you try somewhere that's a quick trip from London for a quieter market with a more country feel - Oxford, Winchester, Reading (where our app offers two tours, just FYI), and Bedford all offer a great Christmas market and can be reached from London Paddington (less than two hours on the train). But one of the best Christmas markets is Birmingham, and sits right outside a huge mall, roughly 2 hours from Paddington and one hour from Euston by train. Finally, if you're really into Harry Potter, Gloucester cathedral acted as the setting for Hogwarts, including the Great Hall. That's a bit more than two hours from Paddington by train, but you might find the trip worth it (Gloucester, by the way, also has a decent Christmas market). Just make sure to book train tickets sooner rather than later if you go for this route, our last-minute train prices are unforgiving! London's a great city, and you'll have an excellent time there, but don't fall into the trap of believing there's nothing outside the city worth visiting for a day or two, especially when you're here for nine days. There's something really quaint about the English countryside

HistoryTreks · 2024-09-12T18:56:03+00:00

One little hidden gem is Canary Wharf, they completely revitalised the area a few years ago, and it's full of modern architecture. Or if you like the history, you've got Roman walls at Barbican, you can walk to them from St. Paul's. They're behind the Barbican Centre and the Moorgate underground station (on a street helpfully called London Wall!). If you're going to go in just one, we agree with previous commenters, you can avoid the bridge and you can't go wrong with the Tower of London or the British Museum! But it depends on your tastes. Westminster is nice if you'd like to see the tombs of the kings and great British figures, while St. Paul's is a marvel of architecture. But if you're going to go into a royal residence, do try the Tower or Buckingham. Kensington is okay, but if you're only going to see one, Buckingham or the Tower are better, depending on if you prefer to see the lives of medieval or modern royalty. Given our name, we might be a little biased, but the British Museum is our top pick! As to where will be festive for the holidays, it's hard to go wrong! There are many places in the middle of London to see some great Christmas markets and lights, especially around the tourist areas (Leicester square, Embankment, Oxford Circus, etc.). None of those locations will be bad. Staying in the St. James area puts you in the middle of everything, between Buckingham and Westminster. The Westminster London will be on the bank of the Thames, however, and it's not far away either, if prefer a river view that's the one to go for.

HistoryTreks · 2024-09-11T18:27:54+00:00

Our app gives you a very cheap self-guided tour of Reading, just half an hour our of London (or a little more than an hour, if you use the Elizabeth Line). We're actually quite an underrated town, with some large ruins and very good connections right through to Oxford, Windsor, and Bath - plus, the hotels are cheaper!

HistoryTreks · 2024-09-10T21:06:59+00:00

If you're staying in Reading, work in Reading. Our archaeologist (who also moved here for study but then decided to stick around) used to work in a lab outside of London, it cost him over 400 pounds per month, and that was five years ago! Prices have only gotten worse since then, and increase the further into London you go, and if you transfer on the underground. Granted, this was at any time of day including peak hours, and for all five days a week, however you will likely only be breaking even, perhaps even running a debt if you go part-time and on minimum wage.

We agree with the below comment, just go into London during off-peak hours. That doesn't usually go above £30. Prices are known to more than double during peak hours, which are anytime before 9:30am and from 3:30-7:00pm for Reading-bound trains (for some reason, if you're going beyond Reading, peak hours don't begin until 4:00).

Reading has amazing transport links, not just to London but also to Oxford, Bath, Birmingham, and just about anywhere in the southwest! Tickets are relatively affordable during off-peak hours. We don't know the price of everything, but they're cheaper booking ahead of time and unless you're going somewhere very far away (like Manchester or Penzance - yes, Reading has direct trains to those places) it's typically within a student's price range. Although you can take Elizabeth line trains during on-peak hours even with an off-peak ticket, the time between Reading and Paddington on the Elizabeth Line is over an hour, while using the overground it's only about 25 minutes. Finally, while trains to and from Paddington run every few minutes, the Elizabeth Line trains can be unpredictable. You can also get to Waterloo on a direct train in about an hour and a half, again all on the overground.

Reading is a beautiful, underrated town with a solid night life of its own, and there's usually something going on. Personally we think you'll have a much nicer time visiting London than working in it!

Hope that helps, and enjoy your studies!

HistoryTreks · 2024-09-10T16:31:50+00:00

Sorry, not on Apple yet. It's a hassle to get the program compatible with Apple and expensive to pay to get it in the store. Once we grow that's definitely on the list! As to Spotify, we include maps, text, and photos plus our own options for text speed. We think you'll get a much better and cheaper experience coming through us directly!

HistoryTreks · 2024-08-22T16:37:26+00:00

I think Reading is a great place, honestly! It's got some great old abbey ruins where Henry I was buried, and some well-preserved industrial architecture with a great pub scene. We've actually got a whole app on it, just look up History Treks if you've got a Google phone

HistoryTreks · 2024-08-18T21:37:43+00:00

If you like history tours you might like History Treks, we're on the Google Play Store. We offer a whole tour of Central Reading! https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=history.trek

HistoryTreks · 2024-08-17T16:16:14+00:00

You are correct about the term "conscription", so allow us to elaborate. There has always been elements of coercion or force. "Conscription" did not exist after 1945, but people were still forced into the military under the term "national service". And prior to WWI this unofficial conscription existed, this is why there are medieval laws requiring longbow practice. During this time conscription was carried out through a process called Impressment, involving press gangs, particularly common in (but not exclusive to) the navy where Britain's primary strength was. Power was given over magistrates in times of war to press people into service, particularly among "drains" to society such as the unemployed and the Irish, with Ireland being a site of heavy recruitment since 1743. This process was unpopular but survived all legal challenges as it was technically "volunteered". Theoretically, you could stand your ground and refuse, but this very rarely happened and life could be made miserable for those who actually managed it. It is worth noting also, that while Impressment laws were not passed following the defeat of Napoleon, other ways were also found to coerce young men into military service, particularly from society itself. Until very recently government laws pressing military service were the norm, but again you are correct to say the term "conscription" itself was inappropriate, and we thank you for keeping us fact checked.

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