John Sergeant on the Tourist Trail

John Sergeant joins a host of foreign tourists who have come to Britain to enjoy our great outdoors. He tags along with a coach load of gardening fanatics from California who have travelled to the beautiful gardens of RHS Wisley in Surrey, to breathe in the scent of the English rose. The group then enjoys a traditional English garden party complete with Pimms, scones and a game of croquet. Next, John joins thousands of Germans as they invade the Isle of Man for the annual TT (tourist trophy) motorcycle race. He discovers why they love to return to Britain year after year, despite bringing all their own food and litres of German beer. John then goes monster hunting on Loch Ness and tries to understand why tourists delight in running screaming into the icy waters of the Loch. John travels to the Lake District with a group of Japanese tourists. Despite the beauty of their surroundings, they have not come to the UK to enjoy the scenery. They are here to pay homage to Peter Rabbit, as massive fans of Beatrix Potter. And a dance festival in Wales sees John meet a group of tourists from Java who have travelled to the Eisteddfod festival. He just can’t help but join in which they perform some of their traditional music. Finally, John gives his own tour to some of the German bikers, which has a personal significance. He revisits the idyllic village of Great Tew in the Cotswolds where he spent his childhood and wanders round his old family home for the first time in 30 years.

John joins a host of foreign tourists who have come to Britain to enjoy our royalty, history and traditions. He finds out why they are so keen to see the Trooping of the Colour before joining a group of American ladies who have travelled all the way to the UK for Ascot’s Ladies Day. With their expectations based on classic scenes from My Fair Lady, they find an event which isn’t quite as ‘classy’ as they were hoping. John joins the Edwards family from Orlando to stay overnight in Chillingham Castle, reputedly the most haunted castle in the world. He find out why such a scary ordeal draws tourists from the other side of the world. Next on John’s tourist trail is a visit to the Royal Suite at The Lanesborough in London where wealthy tourists stay if they want to live like a king. The huge rooms face out towards Buckingham Palace, so the location is as exclusive as they come. The £7500 a night suite provides a home from home for Middle Eastern royals, American billionaires, Russian oligarchs and Hollywood stars. John joins a group of French tourists who have packed armour and swords rather than guidebooks and cameras. They are at a field in Gloucestershire to re-enact one of Britain’s most famous battles – the War of the Roses, which decided who our Royal family would be. We then go north of the border as John joins the Henderson family from North Carolina who are over on holiday in Edinburgh to search for their Scottish roots. John arranges for the family to march in the Gathering Of the Clans. And John takes in Cambridge’s rich history with a host of nationalities - while having a go at punting. Over four million visitors a year come to Cambridge and see its waterways and beautiful ancient buildings, as typical of Britain’s stunning heritage.

John joins a host of foreign tourists who come to Britain to pay homage to our national heroes; from the Beatles to Sherlock Holmes. John takes a magical mystery tour around Liverpool, taking in John Lennon’s house and the inspiration for the song ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’. John then joins the Janneson family from Holland who are attending a festival in Nottingham to pay homage to Robin Hood. It’s the sixteenth year running that they have attended and they are playing for free as musicians at the festival, due to their love of the Robin Hood story. Sherlock Holmes attracts tourists from from France, Switzerland and Japan and John joins them for a murder mystery evening on Dartmoor, dressing for the part as ‘Doctor Mortimer’. And finally he becomes Mr Darcy for a group of American ladies who have travelled over to the UK to experience the world of Jane Austen. To their delight they also take part in a 19th century style dance, made famous through the screen adaptations of Austen’s novels.