Bollocks to Alton Towers

"Bollocks to Alton Towers: Uncommonly British Days Out" (ISBN 0-14-102120-9) is a humorous travel book written by Robin Halstead, Jason Hazeley, Alex Morris and Joel Morris (the creators of "The Framley Examiner"), which showcases unusual attractions, leftfield museums and one-off days out in the United Kingdom.

The introduction describes the book as "a collection of the underdogs of British tourism... [that] say more about Britain and the British than any number of corkscrew thrill rides or high-tech Interactive Visitor Experiences."

According to the book's blurb, the authors, on average, "were born on 2nd November 1971 and live on Blackfriars Bridge in London with their three-quarters of a partner and half a child each."

The book is published by Penguin Books.

A sequel, titled "Far From the Sodding Crowd", was published in hardback in 2007. A paperback edition, "More Bollocks to Alton Towers", (ISBN 0-14-102785-1) was published in April 2008.

Contents

Attractions covered in the book:

*Blackgang Chine
*British Lawnmower Museum [http://www.lawnmowerworld.co.uk/]
*Peasholm Park Naval Warfare [http://www.peasholmpark.com]
*Louis Tussaud's House of Wax
*Kelvedon Nuclear Bunker [http://www.secretnuclearbunker.com/]
*Porteath Bee Centre [http://www.porteath-beecentre.co.uk/]
*Mad Jack's Sugar Loaf [http://johnmadjackfuller.homestead.com/Sugarloaf.html]
*Keith and Dufftown Railway
*The EastEnders Set
*Pitt Rivers Museum [http://www.prm.ox.ac.uk/]
*Eden Ostrich World [http://www.ostrich-world.com/]
*Keith Harding's World of Mechanical Music [http://www.mechanicalmusic.co.uk/]
*Shah Jahan Mosque [http://www.shahjahanmosque.org.uk/]
*The Beckham Trail [http://www.lbwf.gov.uk/index/leisure/places-of-interest/beckham-trail/]
*Mother Shipton's Cave and Dripping Well [http://www.mothershiptonscave.com/]
*Apollo Pavilion
*Hamilton Toy Collection [http://www.thehamiltontoycollection.co.uk/]
*Imber [http://www.public-interest.co.uk/imber/]
*Cumberland Pencil Museum [http://www.pencils.co.uk/home.asp]
*Pack o' Cards Inn [http://www.packocards.co.uk/]
*Diggerland [http://www.diggerland.com/]
*Orford Ness [http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/orfordness/]
*The Wellcome Collection of Medical History
*The Cast Courts [http://www.vam.ac.uk/]
*Tebay Services [http://www.westmorland.com/]
*The Williamson Tunnels in Liverpool
*Barometer World [http://www.barometerworld.co.uk/]
*Portmeirion [http://www.portmeirion-village.com/]
*Edinburgh Camera Obscura and World of Illusions [http://www.camera-obscura.co.uk/]
*The Dinosaur Park and Tidal Lake [http://www.bromley.gov.uk/leisure/parksandcountryside/crystal-palace-park.htm/]
*House of Marbles [http://www.houseofmarbles.com/]
*Dennis Severs' House [http://www.dennissevershouse.co.uk/]
*Bletchley Park [http://www.bletchleypark.org.uk/]
*The Workhouse Museum [http://www.riponmuseums.co.uk/]
*Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch [http://www.llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.co.uk/]
*South Bridge Vaults [http://www.mercattours.co.uk/]
*Gnome Magic [http://www.gnomemagic.co.uk/]
*A La Ronde [http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/]
*Port Sunlight [http://www.portsunlightvillage.com/]
*Morpeth Bagpipe Museum [http://www.bagpipemuseum.org.uk/]
*Bekonscot Model Village [http://www.bekonscot.co.uk/]
*Avebury [http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/]
*Christ's House

Trivia

The final testimonial quote on the back of the paperback edition (published in March 2006) is:'A very, very witty, charming book' - Russell Barnes, General Manager, Alton Towers

Some copies display the first word of the title as "B**locks" on the cover (front, back and spine). However the word remains uncensored inside.

External links

* [http://www.penguin.co.uk/static/cs/uk/0/articles/bollockstoaltontowers/index.html Book's official site] at penguin.co.uk