Newport included in author's quest to find hidden gems
Ben Aitken, author of 'A Chip Shop in Poznan' and 'The Gran Tour,' embarked on a year-long exploration of "unfashionable places" that he thought could be "quietly brilliant."
His book focused on such locations, titled Sh*tty Breaks, was written "not to take the mickey, or to stick the boot in, but to seek out the good stuff, to uncover the gems, to have a nice time."
His adventure took him skiing in Sunderland, to the football in Wrexham, and saw him fall in love with Dunfermline.
Sh*tty Breaks includes Newport (Image: Supplied) Each expedition aimed to shed light on the "underdog" towns and cities that often fly under the radar of avid explorers.
According to Ben, there is "no such thing as a sh*tty break," and he promotes the idea of a less expensive and more sustainable brand of travel which "spreads its affection beyond the usual suspects".
He champions the importance of shifting attention from overdone and overpriced travel hotspots to underappreciated destinations.
His book has been described as an antidote to the "smug travelogues" of popular places, as Ben makes his way around the less celebrated cities of the British Isles.
Author Ben Aitken (Image: Supplied)
Kate Wickers, author of Shape of a Boy, said: "New York?
"Pah!
"After reading this, I'm off to Newport instead to see what's occurring.
"With Aitken's trademark gentle humour and astute observation, this is a book about finding treasure in the most underrated places, and I absolutely loved it."
While the author does not visit Newport in the book, setting aside only a few sentences to include the Isle of Wight, it is possible that more content could be included in the actual book.
To celebrate his book launch, Ben chose to host an event in the city.
Readers will get the chance to ask questions, interact, and get their book signed at Waterstones on Commercial Street on Tuesday, May 27, at 6.30pm.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scotsman
12 hours ago
- Scotsman
'Dunfermline is no better or worse than its illustrious neighbour Edinburgh but it is utterly deserving of more love and attention'
Award-winning author Ben Atiken loves to ramble. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Not only physically through the miles he covers for his travel books but also literally through his meandering, charming and humorous writing style. And he combines the two superbly in his latest book Sh*tty Breaks. Over the course of the year Ben visited 12 of the least popular spots in the UK and Ireland according to official tourist board visitor numbers (or lack of them). But don't get the title wrong. This isn't an opportunity for Ben to take the mickey or stick the boot in further. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Instead, as the book's strapline shows, this is 'A Celebration of Unsung Cities' and a chance for Ben to prove that anywhere - like anyone - can be interesting and enjoyable if approached in the right fashion. Ben Aitken gets to know alpaca Arnie during his tour of the UK And among the cities visited was Dunfermline - his last stop on his whistle-stop tour. Leaving the station he was immediately struck by two things - the sight of a peacock called Angus outside a bakery on the high street and the number of institutions named after industrialist Andrew Carnegie. There was a hall, library, museum, leisure centre and pole dancing society (the latter of which he found was a wind up by someone washing their car in Comely Park Lane). Ben took time to admire the abbey, Abbots House ('a peach of a building'), the library, art gallery and Pittencrief Park. He bumped into the cousin of author Iain Banks, took a taxi out to Craigluscar Farm to try mini Highland Games and a ride on a hovercraft, which looked like a cross-breed between a bath tub and a hair dryer. Throughout his travels, food and drink figured highly and his visit included Dunfy pie, haggis bonbons at Garvock House Hotel and spicy haggis supper (lashed with brown sauce and vinegar) from Sauro's in Abbeyview. When compared to Edinburgh Ben mused Dunfermline was no better or worse - like all the cities he visited when compared with their more 'illustrious neighbours'. 'But they are different and inescapably unique and utterly deserving of more love and attention than they're currently getting. There's a dividend to be enjoyed by defying the norm and giving the underdog a chance.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Summing up his experiences of the cities at his official book launch Ben said: 'They weren't flawless, they weren't unblemished but where is and who is? I really think anywhere can be interesting, like anyone, if you ask them the right questions and give them enough time.' Ben Aitken's celebration of Dunfermline is included in his book on unsung cities And this is exactly what you get from Sh*tty Breaks as Ben steps out of the train or bus station on arrival, takes you by the hand and leads you through the local attractions and oddities while ensuring there is enough time to grab a pint here and savour a local delicacy there so you never lack for sustenance on his weird and wonderful wanderings. Ben admits to enjoying 'walking in a curious fashion'. And he doesn't mean backwards or without bending his knees but with his eyes peeled and ears to the ground. 'When you walk in such a fashion, things jump out at you, like bits of stimulating shrapnel.' So be prepared to be hit by these flying bits of shrapnel from all angles, whether from skiing and skinny-dipping in Sunderland, falling in love with Dunfermline, kissing an alpaca in Bradford, suffering jellied eels in Chelmsford to having more craic in Limerick than was wise. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad What I loved most was not the things Ben unearthed but the random assortment of characters he met along the way. Most of them thought he had lost his marbles when he explained he was writing about their cities and many, when asked the best part of where they lived, suggested it was going somewhere else. But, wherever he went, Ben's easy-going nature ensured he could always find someone to talk to so he could discover what really makes these places tick. This is an affectionate and humorous tour of our nation - an ode to the unfashionable and little loved. Many of us could extol the virtues of cities such as Bath, Oxford, York, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff. But Ben shows through Sh*tty Breaks that there will always be something worth discovering and someone worth talking to no matter where you are. Ben Aitken is the author of six books. His latest, Sh*tty Breaks: A Celebration of Unsung Cities, is published by Ikon Books and is on sale now.
Daily Mirror
7 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Top tips for visiting New York City on a budget - from food to sightseeing
Brits looking for how to do New York City on a budget including food, attractions and Broadway shows may want to take note as one writer took on the Big Apple Top of the Rock seemed taller. When I last came to New York in 2009, I took the fast, ear-popping lift at the Rockefeller Center to enjoy those iconic Big Apple skyscraper views. But in 2025 you can journey higher to both the 69th and 70th decks, where you'll find The Beam and Skylift. Opened in February 2024, The Beam (£18) gives visitors the chance to recreate that famous 1932 image of ironworkers happily eating their lunch, sitting on a steel beam, 69 floors high. As someone who's scared of heights, I felt more than apprehensive as I buckled up on the beam, which then rises and turns 180 degrees, giving you the most spectacular/terrifyingly high (delete as applicable) views. Under clear blue skies, I felt exhilarated to see the city like this, then a tiny bit relieved as the beam lowered and I stepped off. Next up was the 70th floor to experience the Skylift (£25). Opened last October, the circular Skylift elevates you to even higher heights and rotates to give you a 360-degree view. Again, the vista is amazing, 30ft above the 872ft building. After seeing the city as usually only the birds do, I was happy to head back down to the Manhattan sidewalks. We were here to explore New York over three days on a budget. Our base for the 72-hour trip was the RIU Plaza New York Times Square. My comfortable room on the 28th floor was light, spacious, clean and quiet. The location also meant we were in the thick of the city so it was easy to walk to many attractions. Shall we start with food? New York is full of delicious options, served in generous portions. On our first evening we visited the Yard House. This friendly and relaxed place offered huge takes on American classics. My choice of Cilantro lime chicken with roasted corn, quinoa and tomatoes (£20) was tender and tasty, while my Moscow Mule cocktail (£9) laden with vodka and refreshing ginger beer hit the spot after a long day travelling. Don't feel the need to book a restaurant. Food on the hoof is a good way to multitask and continue exploring. We took the subway to the East Village to combine sightseeing with eating on The Man and His Sandwich Tour. Our guide, Ben, gave us a down-to-earth, fun and interactive tour that takes you to little-known, small outlets for three delicious bites to eat on your wander around the East Village (£50). From Black Forest ham paninis to smash burgers, you'll be well fed and well informed. In fact, you'll be so well fed you might want to skip a meal and save some money. But one thing you don't want to miss is breakfast at a diner. Ellen's Stardust Diner on Broadway is a popular place to eat with one big difference – you are treated to songs from shows, as the waiting staff deliver belting performances on the stage in the middle of the diner. So there we were, starting our second full day in The Big Apple at 8.50am listening to our waiter singing a duet before he came to take our order. I went for the cinnamon roll pancakes (£12) – and the sugar rush helped kick start our day of exploring The Bronx. We took the short train journey to the Bronx from Grand Central Station with our tour guide Ellen (a Big Apple Greeter volunteer) who was keen to show us Arthur's Avenue AKA Little Italy – a largely Italian haven of foodie outlets. We stopped at Mike's Deli in the Arthur Avenue Retail Market for lunch, where Ellen recommended the eggplant – I'm not usually a fan of aubergine, but went with her recommendation in a simple pasta dish (£8) and she was so right. After lunch, we propped up the bar at the Bronx Beer Hall. Run by two brothers (who were fun, and full of stories about the Bronx) it specialises in craft beer. We sampled a few of their beers (from £3.50 a can) and thoroughly enjoyed our hour or so chatting and laughing with the siblings. But we needed to make tracks as there was one more stop we wanted to make and that was at the Bronx Museum of the Arts. This free arts space was showing an exhibition by pioneering street artist Futura 2000. It was a great example of what this museum is all about. After a wild day in the Bronx, we headed back to Manhattan to The Stand in Union Square (tickets from £18). Here saw performances from seven or eight comedians in quick succession. It was a fast-paced, showcase in this intimate, underground comedy club with Aaron Berg being the stand-out stand-up. If stand-up isn't your thing, Broadway is right on the hotel's doorstep. But if the price of show tickets makes your eyes water, try an Off-Broadway show instead. Off-Broadway is the term for smaller venues (seating fewer than 500), but the calibre of these productions is still impressive and our tickets cost around £25. We went to the venue New World Stages, for Drag: The Musical. Funny and highly entertaining, we had the show's numbers ringing in our ears long after it ended. On my final day in New York, I walked the High Line public park, built on an old railway line, which I picked up in the West Village. This is another free offering, where you will also come across Little Island with its gorgeous views across the water to the Statue of Liberty. Other freebies were Central Park – a giant, beautifully calm space – and Chelsea Market, with its interesting independent traders – although you'll be tempted to part with your cash there to bring something home. And if you're looking for a more cost-effective way of enjoying the New York skyline views, a visit to the Civilian Starchild Rooftop Bar might be the answer. Here, for the price of a £9 cocktail, we got great views of the skyline which we enjoyed at sunset on one of our evenings. If you are planning a trip to New York, has ideas to help you map out an itinerary that suits you. And as a money-saving tip, a City Pass from can help you save around 40% off its most popular attractions. Let's face it, your wallet is never going to sleep on a trip to New York. But keep your eyes open, and you can get the best of the city for less.
Scotsman
02-06-2025
- Scotsman
Happy couple ‘can't wait to visit Edinburgh again' after ‘storybook wedding' in the capital
On May 15, Ben Miller and Lorenzo Garafolo travelled with 40 wedding guests from Liverpool to the capital on board a 1930s Pullman-style train before getting married at the Fingal Hotel. Speaking to the Evening News, Ben said: 'We didn't want to follow the usual formula for a wedding, we wanted something completely bespoke that truly resonated with our story as individuals and as a couple. It was a truly magical day—and I think we've created a unique experience that our guests will remember for a long time.' The Greater Manchester couple began planning their unique wedding after travelling to Edinburgh on the Northern Belle train last year. And after meticulous planning and finding the perfect venue for their ceremony, Ben and Lorenzo were ready to announce their special wedding plans – which included a 400-mile round trip in a single day for the wedding party. Lorenzo said: 'We knew it would be complex, we knew it would take a lot of planning, but seeing the reactions of our guests has made everything worth it. This wasn't just a wedding—it was a multi-sensory love story brought to life.' Ben added: 'We can't wait to visit Edinburgh for our anniversary and many more happy occasions.' Here are 11 pictures from the happy couple's magical day. 1 . The happy couple Ben Miller and Lorenzo Garafolo got married on the luxury floating hotel, the Fingal Hotel on Thursday, May 15 | Ben Miller Photo Sales 2 . All aboard The journey began with a spirited departure from Liverpool Lime Street Station, complete with a traditional bagpiper send-off, as guests boarded the Northern Belle—a vintage train inspired by the golden age of rail travel | Ben Miller Photo Sales 3 . Personal touches Ben said: 'Every detail was meticulously curated, blending luxury and nostalgia with deeply personal touches—including hidden 'Easter eggs' throughout the day, each a nod to our shared life and passions' | Ben Miller Photo Sales 4 . Love in motion The happy couple's first dance was performed on board the Northern Belle travelling at 75mph | Ben Miller Photo Sales Related topics: EdinburghWeddings
