Sister trains to the legendary Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, the British Pullman and Northern Belle captivate and enthral with a stylish collection of day excursions and short-break travel experiences across the UK, including exciting new additions to the 2008 itinerary.
These new additions, all featured in the 2008 ‘Journeys in the United Kingdom’ brochure include;
SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE
Round off the most romantic day of the year with a ‘Shakespeare in Love’ dinner on board the British Pullman. Enjoy a fine banquet with your loved one while you are entertained by the talented actors and musicians from the well known Oxford Shakespeare Company who will be performing scenes from some of Shakespeare’s best loved romantic comedies in beautiful 1930's period costume. 14th February £280 per person – departs from London Victoria.
THE MAD HATTERS TEA PARTY
Lewis Carroll’s surreal Wonderland invades the British Pullman on Mothering Sunday as The Mad Hatter, the March Hare, the Dormouse and even Alice herself are found, larger than life and utterly delighted to be taking tea on the train! With the entertainment provided by the Oxford Shakespeare Company, charming souvenir programmes and opportunities to find out more about Lewis Carroll and his characters, let this Mothering Sunday embrace the cultured chaos and fun of this timeless classic. 2nd March £180 per person – departs from London Victoria.
DINE AROUND THE WORLD
Enjoy a culinary tour of some of the culinary hotspots of the world onboard the British Pullman on three specially selected dates. “The Dinner”, the British Pullmans gastronomic black-tie evenings, will be themed for three very special evenings to introduce “Carnivale” (Saturday 15th March) in association with Copacabana Palace Hotel: A Venetian masquerade in partnership with the Hotel Cipriani (Saturday 24th May) and a taste of Russia with an evening of the Grand Hotel Europe Tsars (Saturday 8th November).
Each menu will be the combined creation of the each hotels Executive chef and the Executive Chef of the Orient-Express British Pullman allowing guests to discover gastronomic highlights of each of these magical destinations. £345 per person – departs from London Victoria.
ORIENT-EXPRESS AND LE MANOIR AUX QUAT’ SAISONS
Escape to the English countryside on board the British Pullman and celebrate with lunch on arrival at Raymond Blanc’s renowned Le Manoir Aux Quat’ Saisons. This ‘shared’ dining experience between the two highly acclaimed Orient-Express products includes Champagne and canapés onboard the Orient-Express British Pullman, three wonderful courses at Le Manoir and a delectable two course desert menu upon the return journey to London. 8th April £325 per person – departs from London Victoria.
THE WINTERS TALE
Orient-Express will be offering guests an opportunity to see the first exclusive performance of “The Winters Tale” held on the Pavilion Lawn against the stunning back drop of Leeds Castle “hailed the loveliest castle in the world!” Featuring Shakespeare’s most famous stage direction “Exit, pursued by a bear” this is a wonderful interpretation of one of his greatest works.
Guests will travel onboard the opulent British Pullman or Northern Belle enjoying lunch and dinner with champagne and wines. 9th July £345 per person. British Pullman will depart from London Victoria and Northern Belle will depart from Birmingham, Coventry and Milton Keynes.
A NIGHT AT THE OPERA
Set in the stunning Peak District, the Buxton Festival is an annual extravaganza of Opera. Orient-Express recognises the continued efforts of the festival to offer a diverse programme of opera from the UK’s best companies and in 2008 will be taking the Northern Belle to the evening performance of Samson by Handel at the Buxton Opera House on Wednesday 16th July.
Written in 1741, this opera charts the downfall of the biblical figure that looses his power when he looses his locks. While rarely performed, this dramatic opera is widely acknowledged to be one of Handel’s finest works.
The Northern Belle will exclusively be holding seats in the Stalls for this performance in the beautifully restored and intimate Matcham Theatre. Combine the opulent fine dining of the Orient-Express with a truly magical evening of Opera. £275 per person – departs from Leeds and Yorkshire.
FOLKESTONE SCULPTURE TRIENNIAL
Using Folkestone as a canvas, twenty-three of the most compelling artists working today will create site-specific works which will engage with and respond to the environment, history, culture and urban fabric of Folkestone. The Triennial forms part of a comprehensive and integrated regeneration project to transform the fortunes of Folkestone which places creativity and the arts at its heart.
An optional visit to view these works will be offered to all British Pullman passengers visiting Folkestone throughout the summer. June 15, 22, 26; July 3, 17, 20, 24, 31; August 14, 21; September 14. £220 per person – departs from London Victoria.
THE CHANNEL 4 ‘TASTE FESTIVAL’
The Taste Festivals are the most exciting food and drink events of the year. For the first time, over the four days at the London event, Orient-Express will be showcased alongside London’s finest restaurants. The Northern Belle will be bringing our guests from Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Stoke on Saturday 21st June to Regents Park to sample the ‘best of’ and celebrate with Orient-Express its first year at the Festival in the Orient-Express VIP Bar. £295 per person.
In addition to this, Orient-Express will visit the Bath Taste festival on Friday 4th July when the British Pullman guests will have the option of visiting the Royal Victoria park for a tasting tease of the best of the surrounding regions fine cuisine. £330 per person – departs from London Victoria.
For those interested in the delicacies Scotland has to offer, the Northern Belle will visit the Edinburgh Taste festival on Thursday 29th May when guests will have the option of visiting The Meadows. £295 per person – departs from Crewe, Liverpool, Preston and Warrington.
JANE AUSTEN FESTIVAL
The British Pullman will visit Bath during the annual Jane Austen festival enabling guests to have a walking tour of this stunning Georgian city with free time to explore the festival. 17th September £310 per person – departs from London Victoria.
In addition to the above trips, the brochure offers vast array of historical and cultural days out, celebratory occasions, luxurious weekend trips, unforgettable dining experiences and sporting events.
Nick Varian, Vice President, Orient-Express Train & Cruises says “We are always looking to expand our unique and innovative experiences and by collaborating with a number of high profile events we are able to give our passengers a truly extraordinary and memorable experience”.
ENDS/.
For further media information or images contact Anna Nash or Lisa Sharland at Orient-Express Public Relations on 0207 921 4050 / 64 or email anna.nash@orient-express.com / lisa.sharland@orient-express.com
Language: English 
