Holiday Extras

Thomas Chippendale exercised astonishing influence on his contemporaries, partly through
The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker’s Director, the first text of its kind solely devoted to the furniture and furnishings of eighteenth century interiors in England, resulting in his illustrious international reputation today. Where better to celebrate the 300th anniversary of Chippendale’s birth in 1718 than Firle Place, Sussex, home to the ‘Panshanger Cabinets’ - two of the finest pieces ever produced by his workshop.

Many travellers think twice about visiting Iran, mostly because of poor press coverage. Anyone who has been there in the last few years will tell you that it is a fascinating and welcoming place, totally safe. The landscape is varied, the historic sites amazing and the hotels clean and comfortable. From the Achaemenid ruins at Persepolis to the great mosques of Shiraz and Isfahan, no visitor is left unmoved.

Sicily has been a strategic prize fought over for millennia by competing cultures, all attracted by its location and natural resources. Their marks have been left via amazing Greek temples, Roman villas, Norman churches and mosaics and baroque palaces - all complemented by the excellent cuisine and wines.