Category: Travel

Categories / Travel

Retro Retreat: Bellinter House in Co. Meath, Ireland

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Bellinter2 Not completely retro, but Bellinter House in Co. Meath, Ireland, offers a high-class getaway that’s stuffed with plenty of classic design.

Set on the banks of the Boyne, the classic exterior features bedrooms that are decorated with a mix of bright fabrics, cool vintage design and furnishings, then finished off with some high-tech entertainment systems. So something for everyone. If you want to know what we mean, check out the gallery on the website to see the rooms. And if you need another reason to go, it’s got some fine dining and a spa to help take your mind off the busy weekday grind.

Obviously it isn’t cheap, with double rooms starting at £153. But if you’ve promised yourself a luxurious weekend away, it might be worth checking out.

Find out more at the Bellinter House website

Categories / Design and Interiors, Travel

Globe-Trotter Original vintage luggage

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Globetrotter
Looking for luggage from a bygone era? You don’t have to look far – you can still pick up Globe-Trotter Original luggage, which comes with a free lengthy heritage.

Still made by craftsman in Hertfordshire, the cases are made with an ash wood frame and covered with a super-strength vulcan fibre material – a material only made by Globe-Trotter, with a composition that’s a company secret.

Fans of the luggage have included the Queen, Winston Churchill and Sir Edmund Hilary, who used the cases during his conquest of Everest. So it should stand the strains of your fortnight in Greece.

Prices depend on size, but start at £180.

Find out more at the Globe-Trotter website

Categories / Cars and Bikes, Travel

Retro Retreat: Isle of Wight VW Camper Van holidays

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Vw_isleofwight
We haven’t done a Retro Retreat for a while, but with summer approaching, we thought it was time to do something involving the great outdoors – like these Isle of Wight VW Camper Van holidays.

It’s your chance to tour round the idyllic Isle of Wight in your own time and in a 1970s VW Camper Van. It’s kitted out with everything you need for life on the move – cooker, fridge, sink, double bed and two pop top bunks, camping equipment, fresh linen, towels and a hamper of Isle of Wight products (including homemade cake) to start you off on your holiday.

The vans are fully insured and supplied with a full tank of petrol. And if you don’t want to take your own car (you can get a train over), Isle of Wight Campers will even pick you up with your van on arrival.

Tariffs start at £275 for the week (Monday to Friday) or a long weekend, rising depending on the season.

Find out more at the Isle of Wight Campers website

Categories / Travel

The cutting-edge Airstream caravan

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Airstream

We’ve covered vintage Airstream trailers in the past, but this one is a little more cutting-edge than your average caravan.

It’s available from US retailer Design Within Reach and is the work of San Francisco architect Christopher Deam – matching the latest technology with retro fittings for the go-getter who needs to work on the move, but still wants a bit of style. As well as having Wi-Fi connectivity for getting online, it has kitchen cabinets lined with green plastic laminate, a Nelson Ball Clock, upholstery in striped fabric by Paul Smith,  a separate bedroom, a flat-screen TV and much more.

It’s available from June for $49,066 (around £25,000). I don’t think they do mail order outside the US!

Find out more at the Design Within Reach website

Categories / Bags, Travel

Vintage Pan Am flight bags reissued

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Panam_1
We were told some time back about the officially-sanctioned reissue of Pan Am flights bags, but the website for the bags still isn’t live. But we have found the bags for sale on one retail website – including this Pan Am Secret Agent bag.

I presume the name is because there’s so many pockets for your little gadgets in this large travel bag. In white with blue logo and piping, there’s also some nice detail if you look close – including Pan Am logo zip tags – the kind of detail you’re unlikely to find in the sweat shop copies.

This and some of the other bags are available from eModa, with prices starting at $65, with the Secret Agent bag selling for $89 (around £45). It’s a US site, but they do ship worldwide.

Find out more at the eModa website

Categories / Art and Photography, Travel

Bonhams auction vintage London Underground posters

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Bonhams

Bonhams have some rare and unusual art up for auction in May – a collection of vintage London Underground posters from the 1920s and 1930s.

They come from a private collection of 350 travel posters, hidden away for decades and featuring some of the most influential poster artists of the day, including Edward McKnight Kauffer, Frederick Herrick, Edward Bawden, Austin Cooper, Rex Whistler and Charles Pears. All are "seasonal" posters suggesting ways to spend your pre-war cash in the capital.

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