Things to do in England

If you love history, traditional food and the slightly unusual, then here's your passport to some truly wonderful things to do in England.

I review lots of historical events, of course, plus anything vaguely related to food and drink.

But there's something for the Royalists, too. And those of us who like it a bit wackier are not left out, either.

None of these things to do in England are strictly tourist attractions - even though we have those, too - but they tend to draw (sometimes vast) crowds. Onlookers as well as people happy to join into the spirit of the thing.

That's because they are events to celebrate England, her history, her products, traditions and customs, to show off almost forgotten skills and have fun doing so!

What's on When

If you like to plan ahead, check out this guide to the well-known and not so well-known in England's events calendar. Arranged by month and containing everything from music to horse racing and nettle eating - it's a must if you're looking for things to do in England.

Royal Days Out

If you fancy yourself as a bit of a Royalist, you'll want to check out England's biggest Royal crowd pleasers such as:

• The Changing of the Guard
• The Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London
• Trooping the Colour
• The State Opening of Parliament
• The Lord Mayor's Show and Procession
• Explore Royal Palaces and Castles

Discover History

In this section you can find ideas for days out with a historical twist. Look out for festivals, re-enactments or wonderful spectacles of a truly historical bend!

• Experience Stonehenge as you've never seen it before: up close and personal
• Learn about the last great battle of the Wars of the Roses at the Tewkesbury Medieval Festival
• Celebrate St George's Day!
• Explore Tower Bridge, one of London's most famous landmarks.
• Join crowds of enthusiasts cheer automotive classics at the London to Brighton veteran car rally
• Fancy yourself a pirate and explore Sir Francis Drake's ship, The Golden Hind.
• London has many famous historical buildings - and not all of them are museums. Why not spend a very enjoyable day exploring one of the capital's historic pubs? Stories of smugglers and highwaymen will lend a flavour to the ale, I promise...

Try Something Unusual

Here you can find ideas for some truly unusual things to do in England. Just get ready to do something you've never done before.

• Compete in the Cotswold Olimpicks
• take part in a Pancake race
• Nettle Eating competition: are you tough enough?
• Experience the Festival of Fools
• Chase a Cadbury's Cream Egg.
• Something truly English: cheese rolling
• The Bristol Ballon Extravaganza
• Explore the world of dinosaurs, or try out England's biggest climbing centre: all part of some wonderful ideas for the school holidays.
• Get up close and personal with famous authors at the Witney Book Festival

Watch Some Sports

There are some sports you can enjoy and cheer for whether you know anything about them or not. Most of those make excellent days out... such as:

• The University Boat Race
• The Tour of Britain Cycle Race
• Robert Dover's Cotswold Olimpicks
• The Epsom Derby
• The Black Pudding Throwing Championships

Music Festivals

You can watch top performers all over the country right through the year, but there's nothing like a proper music festival to get you swinging. Whether it's

• Springsteen at Glastonbury
• Mozart at Glyndebourne
• Britten at Aldeburgh
• Folk at Sidmouth
• Rock at Reading
• or Dance and Trance at Creamfields

England has a music festival for everyone.

Visit a County or Village Show

Have yourself a proper English summer afternoon watching the competition for the reddest tomato or longest runner bean.

Saving money whilst out and about in England
Sightseeing can be costly, so discount vouchers are a handy thing to have - and very popular. Right now you can get everything from discount theatre tickets and restaurant deals to hotels and flights vouchers.

For all the latest discount vouchers why not check out Moneysupermarket.com? They have many exclusives - great deals that you won't get anywhere else - and they're working hard to bring you the best money saving deals possible. If you want to save money on your trip, take a look at the fantastic offers they've negotiated just for you.

If you've followed my advice and had a great day out or if you can think of a few more things to do in England ... then please share them with us! And if you're stuck for an idea or two, you can read other visitors' adventures.