Dateline: November and December

Longest Footpath of Its Kind in the World

A DECADE IN THE PLANNING, the English Coast Path will be complete in three years’ time—a record-smashing 2,700 miles long. The Path connects existing routes and hitherto inaccessible coast land to create an uninterrupted coastal footpath making a complete circuit of England, from the Scottish border above Berwick-upon-Tweed down the North Sea coast and the English Channel, around the Cornish headland at Land's End and north again along the Irish Sea to the border town of Gretna in the west. A hiker walking 21 miles a day would take about 128 days to complete the journey. But the sights are spectacular!

Saving Milton's Cottage

COURTESY MILTONSCOTTAGE.ORG

TO A 16TH-CENTURY COTTAGE in the Buckinghamshire village of Chalfont St. Giles is where poet John Milton fled with his wife and daughters in 1665 to escape the Plague in London. Here Milton completed his masterpiece, the epic poem Paradise Lost. Since 1887, the house has been open as a museum to the writer's life and work. Now, the trust administering the house says it has run out of money and faces possible closure. The Milton Cottage Trust has launched an endowment fund campaign, Paradise Maintain'd, hoping to raise £3.5 million to assure the cottage's long-term future. miltonscottage.org

Prince Charles Sets the Record!

IMDB.COM

IN SEPTEMBER, the heir to the throne passed a milestone— becoming the longest serving Prince of Wales in history. With a tenure of 59 years, one month and 59 days, Prince Charles passed his ancestor Edward VII, son of Queen Victoria, to become the record holder. Invested at Caernarfon Castle by his mother in 1969, HRH Prince Charles will become Britain's oldest king on record to assume the throne upon his mother's passing. Though the oldest son of the monarch is traditionally granted the title, it is not automatic. The 21st Prince of Wales received the title when it was created by his mother The Queen.

And Prince Philip Calls It Time

CNN.COM

As their honorary Captain General, the Duke of Edinburgh greeted Royal Marines in the rain at Buckingham Palace in August.
It was the Prince's 22, 220th public engagement—and his final one. After 637 foreign trips and 5,493 speeches, the Queen's husband has retired from public life at age 96.

Uber and Out—of London

SKY NEWS

NEGOTIATIONS are being attempted and may lead to resolution, which would be to the great relief of countless. For now, however, Uber has been banned from operating in London. Lack of vetting of drivers and inadequately paying and protecting them, incidents of driver attacks on passengers (many of which have gone unreported by Uber) and general concerns over public safety were cited as reasons to banish the popular service. London has long had a love-hate relationship with unlicensed “minicabs.” With 40,000 drivers and some three million customers, however, Uber has become an established presence in the capital. Both the company and the city have a strong motivation to resolve the matter, In the meantime, licensed black-cab drivers and their union are cheering.

Potecting the White Cliffs

PELTER CRIPPS

THE NATIONAL TRUST has launched a £1 million campaign to acquire land immediately behind the clifftop of Dover's famed White Cliffs in order to restore land conditions and habitat as well as improve public access. The fund-raising appeal has received the enthusiastic support of Dame Vera Lynn, whose 1942 recording “There'll Be Bluebirds Over the White Cliffs of Dover” was one of the most memorable songs of World War II. Dame Vera said, “Those iconic cliffs … were often the first sight of home for our brave boys as they returned from war, and they continue to represent important British ideals such as hope and resilience, even in the most difficult of times.” nationaltrust.org.uk

Dateline by the Numbers

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Number of non-Royal Dukes in the British peerage[/caption]

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27,000: Weight in pounds of the Great Bell, better known as Big Ben[/caption]

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31,000,000: Record number of Brits who watched Princess Diana's funeral 20 years ago[/caption]

610,350:
Acres of land acquired by the National Trust since its founding in 1895

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1,000,000,000: Dollar cost of the new U.S. Embassy under construction in London[/caption]

Out of Ring for Four Years

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MOHANN ANTON MERYL

THE SILENCE ACROSS LONDON will feel deafening. Iconic Big Ben and the comforting surety of the Westminster Chimes have rung their last for up to four years. The Elizabeth Tower, which houses the famous clock and bells, is undergoing a £30 million facelift. Roof slates, masonry, clock faces and mechanisms as well as the bells themselves will get their first serious rebuilding in the tower's 158-year history.[/caption]

When Only the Best Will Do

COURTESY OF HOTEL GORING

THE AA'S prestigious 2017 Hospitality Awards have been announced at the 20th annual presentations held at London's Grosvenor House Hotel. Long regarded as the gold standard of hospitality-industry accolades, the awards were named by a panel of judges following months of undoubtedly arduous travel throughout the country sampling the nation's best hotels, pubs and restaurants. Seeking a nice hotel or a respectable evening at the local pub? You may have to stand in line to experience these proud establishments of the year.