fine art travel uk

Art Pursuits

Art history tours.

Embark on a journey of discovery and enlightenment with Art Pursuits Art History Tours. Since 2001, we’ve been taking passionate art, history, architecture and culture enthusiasts on unforgettable tours throughout Europe and Asia, designed and led by experts. Experience fine restaurants, stay in the unique, carefully selected hotels and enjoy exceptional personal service as you travel in comfort along classic Art Pursuits routes together with like-minded adventurers. 

Art Pursuits: A look into 2025...

Caspar David Friedrich 250

Puglia & Matera | Last Places Remaining

The Heart of Northern Italy

Burgos and Leon

Istanbul - The Capital of Empires | Limited Availability

Treasures of Burgundy | Last Places Remaining

Types of Tours

Contact Info

Tel: 01280 430 175

Email: [email protected]

Fine and Cultural Tours Ltd

1 West Street, Buckingham, MK18 1HL

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Specialtours is an established leader in the field of escorted tours for museums, cultural and garden associations.

Our reputation rests to a great extent on tours to Europe with exclusive private visits to houses, art collections and gardens, thanks to a network of contacts established over many years. Special visits include privileged out-of-hours access to museums, hosted lunches or dinners at private homes and the opportunity to watch expert restorers at work. We can arrange some exclusive visits for your group, such as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to admire the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel – or the mosaics of St Mark’s Basilica in Venice – without the crowds.

We aim to offer the perfect balance between a study tour and a holiday or vacation. In addition to imaginative and carefully-planned itineraries focusing on art, archaeology, architecture, history and gardens, we can offer walking or painting trips, wine and gastronomy tours and wildlife safaris.

Specialtours is part of The Ultimate Travel Company. Our expertise in art-orientated tours in Europe, the Middle East and the United States is complemented by Ultimate’s experience in destinations such as Africa, India, South America and South-East Asia.

Our clients range from American museums, alumni/ae associations, clubs and garden societies, to a European cultural heritage foundation. We always tailor-make the itinerary to our client’s specific interests in order to offer a unique experience.

Our forthcoming tours include a study of the decorative arts of Portugal, a tour of the great country houses of Ireland, a week in Madrid focusing on the rich royal heritage and an exploration of the inspirational art, architecture and design of Sweden. We will be admiring gardens from the Mediterranean to Normandy and the Loire Valley, from the south of England to the Scottish Highlands. Also forthcoming are tours of the landscape and gardens of exotic Morocco and the private gardens of The Cape, one of the six ‘floral kingdoms’ of the world.

As ever, we are planning a number of tours to Italy – from the gardens of the Italian Lakes and Sicily to the Grand Tour in Florence, plus a return to ‘La Serenissima’ focusing on music. Looking ahead, we are planning cultural tours of Burgundy and the Rhone Valley, Greece, The Netherlands and the Thames Valley. Further afield, we will be exploring the enchanting kingdom of Bhutan and Japan, both for the art, architecture and design and for the unique and influential garden scene.

We return to ‘La Serenissima’, city of Monteverdi, for a joyous week of Baroque music and art, with special performances and private visits.

Appreciate the evolution of Scandinavian art and design and the inspirational light and landscape, visiting historic royal palaces, elegant private homes, museums and contemporary sculpture parks.

Isolated from the outside world for centuries, Bhutan exudes enchantment for the modern traveller, with its majestic scenery and ancient ancestral traditions.

One of our most rewarding horticultural destinations, Normandy offers a range of styles from the classic French formal garden to some original and inspiring modern gardens.

The tour of Greece was beyond our expectations. Your choice of gardens was wonderful and a real eye-opener for us. Thank you for all the hard work and effort that went in this delightful adventure. We and the AHS are in your debt.

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Creative journeys for adventurous artists

Art safari runs exciting painting holidays and art courses for artists. these life-changing experiences into nature, architecture and landscape are led by inspiring artist tutors., adventure is never far away.

Join Art Safari painting holidays and workshops to tumble further into your own artistic journey.  We’ll introduce you to wildlife, landscape, architecture, people and culture, via zoom or for real.

It’s a beautiful world – come with us and enjoy it with us.

Are you inspired to paint?  Write?  Make art?  Take the best photos?  Have an adventure?  Reconnect with nature and with yourself?  Pick up your paints and brushes and join a creative journey!!

Our tutors and guides are waiting to welcome you.  Make travel sketchbooks and visual diaries, full of the wonders of the world.

Our virtual art courses range from free events, to one day, two day and whole immersive virtual holidays, as recommended in The Guardian . Art Safari has been listed as No.3 Best Slow Travel Holidays in Britain in The Times and featured in-depth in The Telegraph .

We’re here to take stress out of making arrangements, including flights.  We started in 1999. Art Safari is a registered tour operator offering plein air painting holidays to destinations worldwide, ATOL 9916, (offering financial protection for your tour).

This is adventure travel – whether real or virtual! – you will combine travel, art, adventure and huge amounts of inspiration and fun on a wide choice of Art Safari painting holidays.

Our next virtual destination

Zoom off to Suffolk!

Wildlife in Watercolour

Learn to paint spotty cats, monkeys and so much more …

Art Safari staycation

UK arty breaks in Suffolk, Bath, Cornwall, Northumberland, Orkney, Cambridge…

Art Safari in Africa

Creative journeys in Namibia, Zambia, Malawi…

Art Safari island dreams

Explore an island with a sketchbook… Scotland, Malawi, Galapagos…

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Art Safari In Africa

Travel Artist and Art Safari director Mary-Anne Bartlett reflects on leading Art Safari tours in Africa – where Art Safari started.

Features exclusive wildlife footage shot during Art Safari tours with original drawings and paintings by the artist.

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See stories and pictures from what we’re up at the moment.

We also have the Art Safari Members Page where we all share our sketches and paintings – it’s a great place to get feedback on your work and to show others.

Non-Painters Welcome

We are always happy to welcome non-painting friends or partners!  There are plenty of activities for non-painters to choose from while the group is painting.  Many of our trips work well for those with an interest in nature as non-painters benefit from the attention of the safari guide for in depth animal or bird watching while the group is sketching…

Start dreaming now...

Read through all the Art Holidays and UK Workshops and imagine yourself being there.

We can reserve your place.  We’ll send you log-ins for virtual trips or we’ll help to book your flights.  Tell us about yourself, when you’re available to paint, where you would like to go most, what you want to see and who might enjoy it with you.

We’re planning new destinations all the time, so use the form below to ask about what’s coming up!  Alternatively you can call us on +44 (0)1394 382235 to tell us!

Alongside Art Safari we also organise private tailor-made holidays – ask us about nature worldwide as well as dreamy tours, honeymoons and specialist travel.

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Art Safari Fine Art Editions

Thank you to New Anglia Business Growth Programme and the European Regional Development Fund!

We are setting up Art Safari Fine Art Editions so that we can print your paintings to high quality for your exhibitions and gifts, a move prompted by diversification needed to keep us going during Covid-19.  With a new A1 giclee printer and A3 scanner we’re ready to print editions. Please email about it.  Mary-Anne’s early career and MA was in Fine Art Printmaking, so Art Safari Editions is a natural step.

Our new booking system and this website are also thanks to the same fund – internationalizing our website, making our lives easier and making the information we send out to you smarter.

CHARITY + CARBON OFFSETTING

Tourism supports local economies.  We know that art and travel can make a big difference to communities and to conservation.

Lilongwe Wildlife Trust

We encourage you to offset your carbon footprint when you travel.

Root to Fruit

Forests without Frontiers

Thank you Coasts and Heaths AONB

Suffolk SketchFest

Suffolk SketchFest is an annual outdoor sketching event held in Woodbridge.  SketchFest brings together artists to sketch along the river with art workshops and demos to celebrate the unique area of natural beauty that borders Woodbridge.  Water, mud, boats, people, dogs, birds, meadows, flowers, buildings and the ever-changing tides make this event so varied and so exciting.  This event has been part-funded by the Coast & Heaths AONB Sustainable Development Fund.

Making unique travel arrangements for the most important art institutions in the world

We specialise in exclusive, tailor-made travel programs for arts and culture-oriented groups and institutions. Our tours are designed to explore anything from Contemporary Art to Archaeology, Architecture to Photography and everything else in between: fashion, gardens, music, library collections and more. We also regularly provide itineraries that include one or more art fairs, special exhibitions and/or vernissages.

We work closely with artists, collectors, curators, lecturers, historical home managers, conservationists and writers to make sure that we can provide patrons with unforgettable, one-of-a-kind experiences. These experiences might include after-hours visits, curator-led tours, artist’s studios, private collections and gardens, always to ensure that our groups are received in the most personal and special way possible.

What We've Done

Over the last 10 years we have worked all over the world. 

As an example of our range, in the 12 months before the pandemic, we planned and operated  trips to India, Bangladesh, South Africa, England, Morocco, Italy, Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal,  Sweden, Mexico, Russia, the US, Japan and Australia; to name a few. 

We work on large complex tours with 50 plus participants, as well as smaller patron and private  groups of a dozen participants. We are flexible, and can adapt to specific tour needs.

Who We Work With

Our clients currently include large institutions like the Tate, MoMA, MCA Chicago, SFMOMA,  Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, The Art Institute Chicago, The Royal Academy of Arts, The Whitney, The Corning Museum  of Glass, The Guggenheim, MOCAD, MAD New York, as well as several smaller international  and national organisations and several private groups. 

Contact us and we would love to send you a more complete list, answer any questions you may  have as well as put you in touch with existing clients. 

Communication

Our office is fully operational from 9AM until 7PM UK time every day (we can also extend our office hours during the run-up to a trip). Emails are read and responded beyond those times of course. We pride ourselves on our superb responsiveness with participants as well as colleagues.

We accept payments through all major credit cards (VISA, AMEX and Mastercard) as well as bank transfers and cheques. We can price trips in all major currencies, and we have facilities to handle those currencies in house.

Arts & Travel is a travel company registered in the UK and, as such, is subject to strict package travel regulations. We are fully registered and insured with a 5-Million GBP Liability and Professional Indemnity Insurance, details of which can be provided upon request. We also hold failure insurance, as well as Tour Operator insurance, which is in line with current European regulations, currently the tightest regulations on travel available worldwide.

The Environment

Arts & Travel takes its environmental responsibility seriously. Travel is one of the big  polluters and we have been working tirelessly to make it more efficient and less polluting. 

We now operate a carbon-neutral office. Within it, we started by implementing modern technology  to reduce our consumption (led lighting, efficient heating) and we source all our reduced energy  needs only from renewable sources. 

Our internal travel is efficient. All our staff travel is offset with a preference for more  environmentally sound modes of transport when available (for example train over plane), our  vehicles are electric and we live and work within a short distance of major transport hubs. 

We work hard to support corporate responsibility locally and nationally. Part of our profits go to  the maintenance and expansion of our company apiary, and we give a part of our profits to a sister not-for-profit company (Nature HQ) whose main objective is to support environmental projects both  locally and nationally.  

For all our trips we offer (and encourage) the option to reduce or even completely offset the  carbon footprint of your trip.

Each tour is provided with a personalised trip website.

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Art & Architecture tours

From Classical orders to modernist innovations, our art and architecture tours examine many protagonists and periods in the history of civilisations around the world, whether the rich artistic traditions of Japan or the private palaces of Venice .

Explore the most famous and celebrated galleries in the world, such as the Uffizi, Prado and the Hermitage, and study countless lesser known gems on our art tours – and on our architecture tours, learn about great buildings as monuments and dwelling-spaces, as works of engineering as well as works of art, and as vital components in a city’s mythos. 

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Flemish Painting From van Eyck to Rubens: Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, Brussels

Vienna’s Masterpieces The art collections of an imperial capital

Medieval West Midlands Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Oxfordshire

The Plantagenet Empire Rulers of England in Normandy and Anjou

Finland: Aalto & Others 20th-century architecture and design

The Welsh Marches Castles, abbeys and parish churches

French Gothic The great cathedrals of northern France

Whitehall Architecture & history

Scottish Houses & Castles History, architecture, artworks and gardens

Danish Art & Design The Golden Age to the present; cities, coast and countryside

Franconia Art and architecture in Germany’s medieval heartland

King Ludwig II and the Wittelsbach palaces of Bavaria

The Squares Walk London’s greatest glory

Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania History, art and architecture of the Baltic Countries

The Hanseatic League Cities and abbeys of Germany’s Baltic Coast

Connoisseur’s Prague Art, architecture & design, with privileged access

Samarkand & Silk Road Cities with Tashkent, Shakhr-i-Sabz, Bukhara and Khiva

Sardinia Archaeology, architecture and art

Civilisations of Sicily Mediterranean crossroads: three thousand years of creativity

The Etruscans Italy before Rome

Albania: Crossroads of Antiquity Archaeology, history, art and landscape

West Coast Architecture A century of building in Arizona and California

Dark Age Brilliance Late Antique & Pre-Romanesque

Ancient Rome Art & architecture of the classical world

Georgia Uncovered Treasures of the Southern Caucasus

Footpaths of Umbria Walks, art and wine between Arezzo and Assisi

English Georgian Towns The art of building and the building arts 1700–1840

Raphael, in celebration A pilgrimage from Urbino to Rome

Granada & Córdoba with Úbeda & Baeza

Arts & Crafts in the Cotswolds Art and artefacts in the buildings they were designed for

The Cathedrals of England Ely, Lincoln, Durham, York, Coventry, Gloucester, Bristol, Wells, Salisbury, Winchester

The London Backstreet Walk Hyde Park to the Tower

Belgian Modern Masters Ensor, Magritte and fellow individualists

Extremadura Landscape, history and food in rural Spain

Bulgaria Archaeology & art from prehistoric to modern

Frank Lloyd Wright and the Chicago School

Courts of Northern Italy Princely art of the Renaissance

Basilicata & Calabria Italy’s undiscovered south

The Douro From Porto to Pinhão

Berlin, Potsdam, Dresden Art and architecture in Brandenburg and Saxony

Palermo Revealed Art, archaeology, architecture and gastronomy

Le Corbusier Through France and Switzerland

Walking in Southern Tuscany Art, architecture & landscapes in the Val d’Orcia & Chianti

Italian Design Modernism in Turin and Milan

Castile & León The magnificent heart of Spain

Art in the Netherlands A spectrum of the finest

Roman & Medieval Provence The south of France in the Middle Ages

Modern Art on the Côte d’Azur Picasso, Matisse, Chagall and their contemporaries

Istanbul Revealed Byzantine & Ottoman metropolis

Sicily: from the greeks to the baroque temples, churches and palazzi: three thousand years of history, gastronomic catalonia fine food & wine, art & architecture.

Florentine Palaces Defence, humanism, magnificence and beauty

Art in Madrid The Great Galleries

Venetian Palaces The greatest and best-preserved palaces of La Serenissima

The Making of Argentina A creative history from the Atlantic to the Andes

Essential India Hindu temples, Rajput palaces and Mughal tombs

Venice Revisited From prison to palazzo: art and life in historic Venice

Ravenna & Urbino Byzantine capital, Renaissance court

Paris at Christmas Art and music in the Ville Lumière

Christmas in Emilia-Romagna Art, architecture & gastronomy in Northern Italy

Vienna at Christmas Art and architecture in the Habsburg capital

Naples at Christmas Art, antiquities & architecture –with Caserta, Amalfi & Ravello

Bruges at Christmas and the ancient cities of Flanders

Venice at Christmas Painting, sculpture & architecture in the world’s most beautiful city

Caravaggio The master of painting in Milan, Rome and Naples

Oman, Landscapes & Peoples Desert, coast and mountains

Renaissance Rivals Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael: the tumultuous trio

Palaces & Villas of Rome From Empire to Papacy: the power of magnificence

Essential Rome The complete spectrum of art, architecture and antiquities

Florence & Venice The finest and best-known art and architecture in the Western world

Indian Summer Delhi, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Shimla

Walking in sicily crater & coast: in the footsteps of history.

Florence Revisited Art off the beaten track and in private collections

Normans in the South Castles and cathedrals in Puglia, Basilicata and Campania

Romans & Carolingians Germany from Augustus to Charlemagne

Cities of Catalonia 2,000 years of art and architecture, from Romans to Modernistas

Val D’Orcia and the Sienese Hills lesser-known delights of Southern Tuscany

Cornish Houses and Gardens Landscapes, flowers, buildings and art

Medieval Saxony Carolingian, Ottonian, Romanesque

The Ligurian Coast Arts, history and scenery on the Riviera di Levante

Palladian Villas The greatest house builder in history

Art in Scotland Great cities, spectacular museums

Arts & Crafts in the Lake District Churches, houses and museums

The Venetian Land Empire A spectrum of north-east Italy’s finest art and architecture

Moldavia & Transylvania Towns, villages and painted churches on the edge of Europe

Great Private Houses in Norfolk Special arrangements and in-depth visits

The Road to Santiago The pilgrimage route through northern Spain

Moving on: Architecture & Memory Bauhaus to the present in Stuttgart, Ulm and Munich

Galleries of the American Midwest From Chicago to Detroit

Lincolnshire Churches Major and minor, from cathedral to parish

Medieval Oxfordshire and the Southern Cotswolds

Lusatia: Germany’s Eastern borderlands Cities, palaces and gardens along the Oder-Neisse Line

Baroque & Rococo In Southern Germany

Mitteldeutschland Weimar and the towns of Thuringia and Sachsen-Anhalt

Isambard Kingdom Brunel Engineering modern Britain

The Age of Bede Anglo-Saxon Northumbria

Parma & Bologna Churches, cathedrals and castles in Emilia-Romagna

Essential Andalucía Spain’s southern province

Painted Palaces of Rajasthan Jodhpur, Nagaur, Bikaner, the Shekhawati & Jaipur

Art History of Venice Painting, sculpture & architecture in the world’s most beautiful city

The Art of Florence Cradle of the Renaissance

The Printing Revolution Renaissance print culture in Rome & Venice

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Painting the world: British artists abroad

Posted 07 Jan 2021, by Jonathan Hajdamach

With the Brexit transition period having ended on 31st December 2020, new rules now apply to UK citizens wishing to travel within Europe. These changes mark the latest chapter in Britain's long history of international travel. Yet, historically speaking, issues around borders, passports and freedom of movement are relatively recent.

The Pass of Saint Gotthard, Switzerland 1803–1804

Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775–1851)

In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, there were surprisingly few restrictions for those wanting to travel to mainland Europe or further. France, the Low Countries, Switzerland and Italy were just some of the countries that attracted generations of British travellers. Among them were many landscape painters who undertook extended tours of the Continent to experience its wealth of cultural and scenic riches. J. M. W. Turner (1775–1851), for example, was an inveterate traveller and journeyed through continental Europe several times.

View of Orvieto, Painted in Rome 1828, reworked 1830

Europe, however, was by no means the only continent that British landscape painters set their sights on. The more adventurous artists travelled to distant parts of the world in search of places that had rarely, if ever, been committed to canvas. Some artists travelled with expeditions, others travelled alone. Yet they all shared a desire to experience different cultures and unfamiliar landscapes, and the paintings they produced would ultimately enrich Britain's knowledge and understanding of the world.

As Britain seeks to reaffirm its image as an outward-looking nation, it seems apt to look at the work of those artists who set out to see and paint the world. The selection of artists and paintings featured here will take the armchair traveller on a truly global trip. Thankfully, no jet-lag or sea-sickness will be experienced and no passport is required.

William Hodges

A View of Matavai Bay in the Island of Otaheite, Tahiti 1776

William Hodges (1744–1797)

Among the first of the great British artist-travellers was William Hodges (1744–1797). He had been a pupil and assistant of Richard Wilson (1713/1714–1782), and gradually emerged as an artist in his own right. An extraordinary career-making opportunity came in 1772 when he was invited to be the official artist for Captain Cook's second voyage to the southern hemisphere. His objective, as outlined by the British Admiralty, was 'to make drawings and paintings as may be proper to give a more perfect idea thereof than can be formed from written descriptions only.'

Throughout the three-year voyage, Hodges made numerous studies of the places and people he encountered, many of which provided the basis for large oil paintings. A View of Maitavie Bay, Otaheite, Tahiti is one of his most fascinating paintings due to the wealth of information he presents to the viewer. He has incorporated detailed descriptions of the geographic terrain, indigenous sailing craft and Tahitian culture. Such paintings combined the escapist appeal of traditional landscape painting with the Enlightenment thirst for knowledge.

View of Oaitepeha Bay, Tahiti 1776

Hodges' most famous Polynesian painting is View of Oaitepeha Bay, Tahiti . In this work, Hodges gave full visual expression to the romantic perception of Tahiti as a tropical paradise. Soaring peaks, swaying palm trees and carefree inhabitants are all included to fuel such a fantasy. However, on closer inspection, Hodges has included what appears to be a shrouded corpse to the far right, implying that death is present even in the most idyllic settings. In short, what resembles a utopia rarely is. Hodges exhibited many of his Polynesian pictures in London to great public interest. Today they remain important visual records of both British exploration and Polynesian life.

Thomas Daniell

Hindoo Temples at Bindrabund, East Indies 1797

Thomas Daniell (1749–1840)

As Britain's colonial and global commercial interests increased, so too did the opportunities for artists eager to stand out from their contemporaries. India was one country that attracted ambitious British artists in significant numbers.

Thomas Daniell (1749–1840) was one such artist. He obtained permission from the East India Company to travel to India in 1784 and was accompanied by his 16-year-old nephew, William Daniell (1769–1837), also a talented artist. Between 1786 and 1794 the Daniells toured India, making sketches of the subcontinent's distinctive architecture and natural scenery. On their return to Britain, both men produced paintings and prints inspired by their Indian travels.

A Caparisoned Elephant – Scene near Delhi (A Scene in the East Indies) 1832

William Daniell (1769–1837)

When Thomas Daniell was elected to the Royal Academy in 1799 he offered Hindoo Temples at Bindrabund, East Indies as his diploma piece, a work that distinguished him from his contemporaries and emphasised his knowledge and direct experience of India. His Indian subjects won him much acclaim, as reflected by a comment made by a contemporary who praised the artist for 'increasing our enjoyment by bringing scenes to our fireside, too distant to visit, and too singular to be imagined.'

David Roberts

Baalbec, Ruins of the Temple of Bacchus 1840

David Roberts (1796–1864)

The role of artist-traveller continued to be popular throughout the nineteenth century. Edinburgh-born David Roberts (1796–1864) was a highly skilled painter of interiors and architectural views. He fulfilled his desire for travel by first visiting France in 1824. In 1832 he travelled to Spain, an unusual destination for a British artist at the time. His adventurous spirit grew stronger and in 1838 he embarked upon an extensive trip to Egypt and the Holy Land.

Ruins of the Temple, Kom Ombos, Upper Nile, Egypt 1842/1843

His tour of the Near East lasted 11 months, during which time he produced sketches of ancient ruins, scenic views and city streets. The paintings and prints he produced from this trip cemented his reputation as one of the leading British artists of his day. His evocative depictions of ancient sites and desert landscapes brought many unfamiliar places to a large and appreciative audience for the first time.

Edward Lear

View of Beirut c.1861

Edward Lear (1812–1888)

Second only to Roberts as a great artist-traveller of the Victorian period was Edward Lear (1812–1888), best known for his nonsense poetry but also a talented landscape painter. Lear was epileptic, shy and prone to depression. Travel became a release for him and offered an escape from conventional society. Among the many countries he visited during his nomadic life were Albania, Greece, Egypt, Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon), Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon and India. His foreign landscape paintings, many of which are topographically accurate and replete with observational details, form a fascinating visual travelogue from one of the most well-travelled artists of the Victorian period.

George E. Marston

Looking East from Lookout Point, Men and Penguins, Elephant Island, 1916 1917

George E. Marston (1882–1940)

The little-known painter George E. Marston (1882–1940) was the official artist for Ernest Shackleton's Nimrod and Trans-Antarctic expeditions. The latter, although disastrous, proved to be one of the all-time great survival stories. In late 1914, Shackleton and his crew set off for Antarctica onboard the ship Endurance . A few weeks into the expedition, Endurance became trapped by ice in the Weddell Sea and eventually sank. The men took refuge on the uninhabited Elephant Island. While Shackleton and five other men set off to get help, Marston and 21 others sheltered on Elephant Island. Eventually, Shackleton returned on a rescue ship and all the men survived the ordeal. Marston painted a number of pictures showing the perilous conditions and inhospitable physical environment the men endured.

Richard Carline

The City of Samarrah and the Desert with River Tigris 1919

Richard Carline (1896–1980)

Richard Carline (1896–1980) studied art in London and Paris. During the First World War, he was commissioned by the Imperial War Museum to produce aerial views of the Western Front and locations in the Middle East. The recent invention of the aeroplane allowed Carline to establish this novel sub-genre of landscape painting, which posed new compositional challenges but offered exciting possibilities. He would sketch from the cockpit, often struggling with the ceaseless vibrations, and later worked up his studies into oil paintings.

Damascus and the Lebanon Mountains from 10,000 Feet 1920

Depicting places from the air required a rethinking of conventional perspective and Carline responded by using shapes, patterns and blocks of colour to convey the layout and appearance of cities from above. In his aerial view of Sammara in Iraq, he has shown the ancient city enclosed within its medieval walls. Other locations he depicted from the air included Jerusalem, Damascus and Baghdad.

Kyffin Williams

Lle Cul, Patagonia c.1969

Kyffin Williams (1918–2006)

Kyffin Williams (1918–2006) is best known for his impasto landscapes of rural Wales. Less well known are his paintings of Patagonia. Williams had spent much of his life painting the rugged Welsh landscape, but in 1968 he was awarded a Churchill scholarship to travel to Patagonia, where Welsh immigrants had settled in the mid-nineteenth century. 'I went to Welsh Patagonia', he later recalled, 'purely to record the land, the people and the natural history, much as an eighteenth-century watercolourist would have done. I never intended to produce works of art but if this did happen by chance, it was all to the good.'

Dyffryn Camwy, Patagonia 1969

Williams spent five months there sketching the landscape and descendants of the Welsh settlers. The dusty, often barren terrain was in stark contrast to the rain-drenched hills and mountains of his beloved Wales. But Williams, with his characteristic palette-knife style, created vivid records of its distinctive geographic environment and the humble existence of its people. Today his Patagonian landscapes belong to the National Library of Wales.

Travel, denied to us all at present, will continue to inspire and motivate artists as they seek to explore beyond the local and the known. Despite the proliferation of photographic representations of other lands, a work of art can capture the traveller's experience in a uniquely resonant and imaginative way.

Jonathan Hajdamach, independent art historian

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Enjoy some of the world's most iconic art with our dedicated range of art holidays. The range of itineraries we offer are imaginative, authentic, balanced and often include guest speakers. Whether you are looking for a short trip to learn more about art in the UK or a longer trip to discover more about Art Deco in New York then we have an art trip for you. 

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Highlights of Normandy: Monet’s Garden, Rouen and Honfleur

William the Conqueror, D-Day, atmospheric Honfleur, medieval Rouen immortalised by Monet plus delightful Bayeux. This...

Monet's Garden, The Loire Valley and Fontainebleau

If you are looking to visit one of the most beautiful regions of France, then our tour of the Loire Valley is ideal –...

Madrid, Salamanca and Toledo

from £1,129

It seems incredible that despite Spain being one of the most visited countries on earth, so much of it still remains...

Timeless Provence

from £1,429

Striking natural beauty, immortalised by Van Gogh and Cezanne, home of the Papacy and capital of Roman Gaul. Provence...

Florence and Tuscany

from £1,449

Its cities, Florence, Siena and Pisa, together with smaller towns and medieval villages like Lucca and San Gimignano,...

Save £100pp

Central Europe: Castles, Culture & Capitals

from £2,349

A must for any inquisitive adventurer, Central Europe is a treasure chest of cultural wonders and architectural...

Highlights of Romania

from £2,399

Immerse yourself in Romanian life, sample traditional food and meet craftsmen still mastering ancient techniques. This...

rest of the world

Marrakesh and The Atlas Mountains

Immerse yourself in a truly captivating city filled with intriguing souks, vibrant squares and superb architecture, plus...

Marrakech & the Sahara

from £1,049

Experience the grandeur of the Sahara as we journey from Marrakech across the High Atlas Mountains to the palm groves of...

Solo travel

Marrakesh and The Atlas Mountains for solo travellers

from £1,099

A visit to Morocco is like taking a journey back in time – it’s everything you imagine it to be and so much more. It is a...

Imperial Cities of Morocco

from £1,199

The very name Morocco conjures up an enduring fascination – geographically close to Europe but culturally, a world apart....

Istanbul, Ephesus and Troy

from £1,299

A city of great diversity, Istanbul is a combination of tree-lined boulevards, cafés and cosmopolitan restaurants set...

India's Golden Triangle

from £1,345

Discover the Golden Triangle – a classic route linking Delhi, Agra and Jaipur – on a pulsating tour that takes in...

Highlights of Morocco

from £1,445

Experience the very best of Morocco, from mazey medinas and lively souks to the broad-shouldered Atlas Mountains and...

Jordan and Petra Tour

from £1,899

Jordan is a remarkable country, with extraordinary landscapes of red-hued dunes and windswept sandstone, and world-class...

A Week in Jordan

from £1,909

Experience Jordan’s star attractions in just one week, each illuminated with the expert insight of our local tour leader....

Highlights of Northern India

Fine Art Travel Photography – Defining a New Genre of Photography

Fine art travel photography is a term I coined almost ten years ago, a way to describe this emerging forms of art, if only to myself. But recently, I’ve been less hesitant to use it more openly.  It’s a term that blends three core photography specialties, each with their own distinct legacies and legendary practitioners.

What is Fine Art Travel Photography?

The more I use this term, the more I hear the question, “What is fine art travel photography?”

Fine art travel photography presents pictures of landscapes and travel destinations with high artistic quality. These photos will use strong tonal and color choices and striking composition to produce works of fine art while depicting cultural sites, events, and landscape features typical of travel photography.

I’ve put together more of my thoughts on the term below, making a public declaration of sorts for this genre of photography that I care deeply about. Hopefully, this helps raise public awareness and appreciation of this fascinating genre.

The Components of Fine Art Travel Photography

To understand this new genre of photography, we have to understand the movements that led to its creation. When you look online for photography, you’ll find three core genres:

• travel photography
• landscape photography
• fine art photography

Often, these terms overlap, but they work well enough to define certain photographers and their approaches.

Travel Photography

Typically, travel photography involves going to new, often exotic locations. Travel photographers work with a sparse technical set-up to travel light, sometimes only bringing a handheld camera and film.

Their work blends shots of local subjects (e.g. people, animals), cultural elements (e.g. festivals, local food), and culturally important sites (e.g. temples, monuments).

Their lack of elaborate equipment allows for candid snapshots of far away places, bringing a sense of adventure and human connection across expansive oceans and cultural differences.

Landscape Photography

Landscape photography , as the name suggests, refers to work directly focused on features of the landscape, whether near or far from the photographer’s home.

Landscape photographers often use much more elaborate set ups, as they aren’t trying to capture the quick action of people or animals. Rather, they try to capture the way the sun peeks through the clouds onto the desert below or how Autumn colors burn across rolling hills.

That subject matter explains why tripods and extra lenses are essential elements of their toolkit, and it’s why their process is deeply connected to climate, weather conditions, and time of day.

Fine Art Photography

Fine art photography is the most general term of the three so far. It can encompass elements of both the landscape and travel genres. Though fine art photographers are much freer, working in color and black-and-white, examining the human body, and experimenting with more abstract approaches.

Fine art photographers often play with geometric shapes and shadows of both natural and man-made environments. Still others work exclusively in indoor studios creating phantasms of color, smoke, and sculpted sets.

Compared to landscape and travel photography, the fine art genre is loose and open, as it doesn’t exclude based on subject matter. It really only insists that the photographer is looking to create “fine art” every time their shutter opens.

The Missing Link: Fine Art Travel Photography

After looking at these three aspects of photography, we can see there is a fourth one missing. Fine art travel photography is that missing link. It is an attempt to blend elements of all three genres in a single practice.

If you do research on the topic, you might notice there isn’t a suitable record of it in any major publication or online platform, aside from the odd post that might glimpse the topic.

This lack of use as a term and lack of exposure leads to public ignorance, making fine art photography a kind of unwanted child of the photography world. And yet, this hybrid style has so much to offer. It blends attractive subjects with a high level of precision using the best available set-up — resulting in stunning prints of captivating scenes.

Unlike commercial or fashion photography, this style is looking to create fine art, not meet the expectations of a client or brand. That means the photographer is free to create based on deeper principles, all while using the subjects and techniques of travel and landscape photography.

You could think of fine art travel photography as:

• 50% travel photography
• 25% landscape photography
• 25% fine art photography.

How to Be a Fine Art Travel Photographer

The fine art travel photographer’s work involves traveling great distances, wandering through new locales, and investing long hours on location — all while carrying the more elaborate equipment of a fine art or landscape photographer.

But unlike fine art or landscape photography, this hybrid style is compelled to explore during the days and nights, driven by curiosity and an openness to the unmet, unknown, and undiscovered. There is also no line between the landscape and human world, between the natural and cultural subjects. Rather, for the fine art travel photographer, the adventure itself guides the subject matter of the work.

Such a practice is not for everyone. It is demanding and requires endurance. Generally, you are shooting high resolution images with heavy tripods, lugging around a bag full of lenses and batteries — equipment that require care.

Fine art landscape and travel photography requires the artist to consider a unique balance of concerns. Because of the fine art elements of the style, there is less hand-held shooting than in conventional travel photography. And because of the setting, there is less control of elements than in an indoor fine art photography studio.

This new genre has great potential in the coming years, if people choose to take up these challenges. Travelling has become more accessible in the past few decades, just as high resolution cameras have become more affordable. Creating professional fine art travelling photography is easier than ever.

Not so long ago, a 50/100 Megapixel camera could cost north of $10,0000 . Today, you can get one for less than $5000 . Now, if you only shoot for online publishing, the file size won’t be as much of an issue, but you still need all the gear and lenses in order to get the desired shot.

It isn’t all inexpensive, unfortunately. This kind of work also includes lodging and luggage and the related expenses that come hand-in-hand with life on the road. But given the savings in other areas, it is not as prohibitively expensive as it once was.

Terminology, struggles, artistic concerns, and expenses aside — travel fine art photography is a beautiful form of art. It borrows the best elements of travel and landscape photography and blends in that mysterious approach of fine art.

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Latest News

Dressing up shakespeare: a volunteer story into tudor costume creation.

Discover the art of Tudor costume making as told by Stratford Upon Avon DFAS volunteer Kay Anderson

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Throughout the summer of 2023, members of The Arts Society South Devon set about creating a Children’s Trail in the Roman Catholic Cathedral Church of St Mary and St Boniface in Plymouth.

Hammershøi and the Life of Interiors

New Year and a fantastic new start to the Horsham Arts Society year 2024!  After the storm, the flood and the snow, w

On the right track: Tom Sliwinski's animation supported by The Arts Society Guildford

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The Arts Society Tours offers a range of quality cultural and art holidays through carefully selected independent tour operators. These specialist tour operators often include some of our Accredited Lecturers, helping you get the most out of your holiday. Our Travel Affiliates offer specialist support for The Art Society Tours, as well as a personal and friendly service for those wanting to travel on their own or with family and friends. 

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With us, your art goes on a journey...

International art shipping company, +49 (0) 4131 - 69 71 200.

Our philosophy

We have made it our business to transport and ship all kinds of art objects. We transport your "treasures" from A to B with the utmost precision. In doing so, we proceed with the highest degree of professionalism.

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Every item that we transport to you is delivered to you with our high standards. We only use high-quality and DIN-standardised packaging materials to ensure that your goods reach their destination undamaged.

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Whether private or business. Whether a small piece of jewellery or a large cabinet from the Biedermeier period. Whether delivery to kerbside only or delivery including assembly. We deliver weekly throughout Europe. We can also fulfil short-term forward transactions.

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With over 25 years in the student travel industry, we've seen a few things. If you're ​l ooking for a travel partner you can trust? Look no further!  Fine Arts Travel has the best travel team in the business! 

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You don’t have to break the bank to deliver a dream trip to Walt Disney World for your group.  With two night packages starting at just   $449.95  per person, there is no better time to register than right now! Call us today to see why so many directors rely on Fine Arts Travel for their student travel needs.  

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UK Art Museum announces Rachel Hooper as Curator

Director Stuart Horodner, echoing the sentiments of the Museum staff and the search committee, states, “Rachel impressed us all, and she brings a wide range of curatorial and educational experience as well as a personal warmth and intelligent energy. She has a historically grounded point of view, knowledge about experimental photography, and excellent writing and presentation skills. We are all excited to work with her, and I have no doubt that she will hit the ground running and help us continue achieving our mission on campus and beyond.”

Her appointment represents a homecoming for Hooper, whose responsibilities include curating diverse exhibitions, organizing the Robert C. May Photography Lecture Series, and helping to shape the permanent collection of approximately 5000 objects. She writes, "I first fell in love with art sitting cross-legged in front of Julien Dupré’s  In the Pasture  on a school field trip to the UK Art Museum, and the quality of the museum's programs are a particular point of pride for me as a seventh-generation Kentuckian. I am honored to join a dedicated museum staff as they produce exhibitions of international significance at Kentucky's flagship institution."

Hooper received her B.A. in Art History from St. Olaf College, her M.A. in Art History from Williams College, and her Ph.D. in Art History from Rice University. She was Associate Curator and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Fellow at the Blaffer Art Museum at the University of Houston from 2007-2011; and was a Visual Arts Curatorial Fellow at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis from 2006-2007. From 2018 to the present, she has taught courses on modern and contemporary art at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, GA.

Her research on museum history has been supported by the  Brown Foundation ,  Luce Foundation/American Council of Learned Societies , and the American Philosophical Society. She was recently awarded two prestigious fellowships; she will be a summer scholar at the Institute for Advanced Study at Indiana University with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, and has been named a Robert L. McNeil Jr. fellow at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and Library Company of Philadelphia. Both of these are in recognition of her scholarship on Black-owned art collections in the U.S. Civil War era and will allow for researching up-to-date methods for presenting historical collections to museum visitors. Hooper is a member of the Association of Historians of American Art (2013–present) and the College Art Association (2008–present).

About the Museum: The University of Kentucky Art Museum, part of the UK College of Fine Arts, promotes the understanding and appreciation of art from diverse cultures and historical periods, providing meaningful encounters for audiences of all ages. Through our temporary exhibitions, educational programs, and permanent collection of approximately 5000 objects, we are a resource for the campus community and a cultural destination for citizens of the Commonwealth and beyond.  Our Free Admission policy removes any financial obstacle that might stand in the way of opportunities for contemplation and connection. We are proud to be accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, meeting standards for excellence and professional practices.

7 Ways Myrtle Beach Is an Undeniable Arts Center

It's the culture trip you never knew you needed.

Read on to see why this beach within reach is a haven for aficionados of all kinds—from fine-art lovers to dancing queens.

Fine art is widely celebrated.

If it's a pictorial smorgasbord you seek, feast your eyes on the Franklin G. Burroughs-Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum , one of the most notable visual-arts museums in the state. Here, 11 rotating galleries exhibit artworks that include paintings, textiles, sculptures, photography, video, ceramics, and collages. There's also a permanent exhibition of local Southern artists. And should inspiration strike, you (and your kids) can hone your skills at one of the museum's art or pottery classes .

Your dance card will be full.

One of the many interesting facts to file about Myrtle Beach: It's the home of the shag , the official state dance of South Carolina since 1984. If you're unfamiliar, the steps are similar to those of the jitterbug, but with a Southern-style swing and a slower pace to match the relaxed beach lifestyle. Introduced in the 1930s, the dance quickly grew in popularity until shag clubs and competitions sprouted along the Grand Strand. Today you can still see die-hards busting a move at Fat Harold's Beach Club on Main Street in North Myrtle Beach , which is keeping the tradition alive and well on its sawdust-sprinkled dance floor.

The greenery is anything but garden-variety.

The natural beauty is not limited to the beach. Take Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet, which combines flora and fauna and structural art spread across 9,000 acres. Stroll through the nation's first public sculpture garden, home to more than 2,000 works by 430 artists; amble under the shade of 250-year-old live oak trees; or take a walk through the zoo and wildlife preserve, where native animals like red wolves and foxes roam. (All of the animals here were either born in captivity or have sustained injuries that left them unable to survive in the wild.)

It strikes a harmonious note.

Have an ear for classical music? The Long Bay Symphony will set your stay to the tone of Brahms, Bach, or Beethoven. Founded more than 35 years ago, this is the official symphony of the Grand Strand; musicians in the professional orchestra, the youth orchestra, and various ensembles take to the stage to perform 25 to 30 concerts each season. If contemporary music is more your speed, don't miss a Pops Series show, which features a rock band with vocalists performing tracks from contemporary artists.

There's a walk to remember.

Some 13 miles south of the heart of Myrtle Beach is the charming fishing village of Murrells Inlet , renowned for its half-mile-long boardwalk, the MarshWalk . Follow the rhythm to hear free live music nightly at any of the 11 bars and restaurants lining the way, such as Dead Dog Saloon , Bubba's Love Shak, or Wahoo's Fish House. This area is also known as the seafood capital of South Carolina, so sampling some of the Lowcountry's most treasured cuisine is a must. Tuck into Wicked Tuna for its epic iteration of shrimp and grits, or sample fresh-off-the-boat seafood with golden-brown hush puppies at Drunken Jack's .

You'll feel the beat on every street.

Whether your jam is rock, soul, country, contemporary, or classic, the live-music scene in Myrtle Beach creates an inspired soundtrack everywhere you turn. North Myrtle Beach is home to the Alabama Theatre , founded by the band Alabama. Catch concerts from chart-topping acts like The Temptations and The Beach Boys, or see "Iconic," the venue's musical revue, which takes visitors on a melodic time warp through the history of music itself. Broadway at the Beach , a shopping, dining, and entertainment complex, also has a host of clubs and restaurants with live music that never sleeps. And the Boardwalk , a 1.2-mile-long promenade in the downtown area, offers free evening family concerts as well.

It's all immersive.

Stretching from Little River in North Myrtle Beach to Murrells Inlet and Pawleys Island is the Myrtle Beach Arts & Gallery Trail , a visual journey running along the coast with more than 100 ways to experience the area's art scene—through museums, galleries, and public art pieces. At the Little River Waterfront, you'll find loads of local color. Check out Patio’s Tiki Bar & Grill, known for its Reuben sandwich. Nearby is the Wishing Tree at Vereen Historical Memorial Gardens , with its hanging oyster shells that shimmer in the sun: According to legend, your wish will come true if you hang one from the tree's limbs. Whether or not that's true, the display is worth seeing.

Head to VisitMyrtleBeach.com to plan your trip to this arts and culture hub.

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Election latest: Tories 'facing electoral extinction', says pollster - as candidate says he agrees with Nigel Farage

A new poll suggests the Tories could be left with just 72 seats - less than half the number they won in their worst election in 1906. Amid a growing threat from Reform UK, a candidate told Sky News that it is "crazy" Nigel Farage is not in the Tory party.

Sunday 16 June 2024 06:24, UK

• General Election 2024

• Tories 'facing electoral extinction' as two polls show support cratering
• Amid Reform threat, Tory candidate says he agrees with Farage on most issues
• Most people back NHS funding going up - even with tax rises
• Starmer doesn't say where funding for NHS will come from
• What did IFS say about Labour's NHS promises
• Questions over Labour claim on '10 million NHS waiting list'
• Will Jennings: What the polls tell us about what will happen on 4 July
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• Check parties' manifesto pledges:  Conservatives | Greens | Labour | Lib Dems | Plaid Cymru
• Trackers:  Who's leading polls? | Is PM keeping promises?
• Campaign Heritage:  Memorable moments from elections gone by
• Follow Sky's politics podcasts:  Electoral Dysfunction | Politics At Jack And Sam's
• Read more:  Who is standing down? | Key seats to watch | How to register to vote | What counts as voter ID? | Check if your constituency is changing | Your essential guide to election lingo | Sky's election night plans

Welcome back to the Politics Hub.

As it's a Sunday, Trevor Phillips will be questioning politicians from 8.30am.

Coming up this morning, we'll be hearing from:

• 8.30am : Labour shadow health secretary Wes Streeting;
• 8.55am : Conservative transport secretary Mark Harper;
• 9.20am : Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay;
• 9.30am : Labour peer Lord Mandelson.

We'll also be hearing from our panel throughout the show.

Today, this consists of former chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, former head of Channel 4 News Dorothy Byrne and FT columnist Miranda Green.

Thank you for joining us for live coverage of politics today as the general election campaign continues.

It was a slightly calmer day on the campaign trail, with national and international events taking Rishi Sunak 's focus.

Sir Keir Starmer and Labour had a health focus this morning, and are continuing to promote their pledge to fix the NHS.

Join us again from 7am for the very latest political news.

And tune in to Sky News from 8.30am for Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips , where we will be hearing from:

• Mark Harper , transport secretary;
• Wes Streeting , shadow health secretary;
• Adrian Ramsay , Green Party co-leader;
• Lord Mandelson , former cabinet minister.

Our flagship Sunday morning show, hosted by  Trevor Phillips , will be live on Sky News from 8.30am, and we have a packed line-up for you after this eventful week of the campaign.

Trevor will be chatting to:

On Trevor's expert panel will be:

• Nadhim Zahawi , former chancellor;
• Dorothy Byrne , former head of Channel 4 News;
• Miranda Green , columnist at the Financial Times.

Watch live on Sky News and in the stream at the top of this page - and follow updates here in the Politics Hub.

Watch  Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips  from 8.30am every Sunday on Sky channel 501, Virgin channel 602, Freeview channel 233, on the  Sky News website  and  app  or on  YouTube .

The Labour Party are tonight hitting out at "fantasy" claims they say the Tories are making about their plans, insisting their policies are fully costed.

The Conservative Party is continuing to claim that Labour has secret plans to raise a variety of taxes, and is tonight demanding that Labour explicitly rules out raising council tax, arguing that because it is not in their manifesto, the door is open for it to be raised.

But a Labour spokesperson said in a statement that they are "not going to spend the next two weeks responding to whatever fantasy plans the Tories are making up".

"They would be better off considering how they were meant to be the antidote to Liz Truss and ended up becoming nothing more than the latest instalment of her disastrous approach," they added.

Former immigration minister Robert Jenrick has penned an op-ed appealing for the right-wing of British politics to pull together to avoid ending up in a "one-party state" under Labour that will "change our country for the worse".

Writing in The Sunday Telegraph, the likely Tory leadership candidate (should the Tories lose next month and Mr Sunak step down), admitted that the "right-wing common sense majority is fatally divided between the Conservatives and Reform", which could give Labour "a majority so large, they can change our country for a generation".

As a result, he is making an appeal "to heads over hearts".

He said he has "immense sympathy for those natural conservatives who feel let down and drawn to Reform" - and that he shares "many" of their "frustrations".

He pointed to high taxes, the "soft" criminal justice system, and public services that are "too inefficient".

Touting his own credentials, he noted that he quit the cabinet due to disagreements with Rishi Sunak's government on immigration.

But he repeated the party line that "a vote for Reform will only give Labour a blank cheque to take our country back to the 1970s".

"Some voters feel so angry with the Tories that a Labour landslide is a price they are willing to pay. Again, I have great sympathy with their frustrations and know that we must meet the British public's expectations.

"That is the task I have dedicated myself to since resigning. But don't be fooled by Labour’s cautious public posture."

Mr Jenrick went on to attack Labour, saying they will raise taxes, expand "expensive and unaccountable government quangos", and bring in "toxic diversity, equity and inclusion policies that divide and discriminate against hard-working people".

Concluding, he argued that Reform UK "cannot be the answer", and appealed to natural conservatives to vote for the Conservative Party.

Rishi Sunak has given an interview in which he accepted full responsibility for his party's performance in this general election, and spoke about how he is carrying on through the disastrous campaign.

Speaking to The Sunday Times, the PM said he is not frustrated that voters are not rewarding him for steadying the ship after the chaotic 49-day Truss premiership, saying his faith carries him through.

He told the paper: "In Hinduism, there's a concept of duty called dharma, which is roughly translated as being about doing your duty and not having a focus on the outcomes of it.

"And you do [your duty] because it's the right thing to do, and you have to detach your self from the outcome of it."

He said it is "not an easy thing to do", but that he was raised with it, and said it gives him "the strength to deal with" the challenges he is facing.

"I get fulfilment from just doing what I believe is right."

Following a series of terrible polls - including one from YouGov showing Reform UK overtaking the Tories for the first time, Mr Sunak was asked if Liz Truss is partly to blame for the party's position.

But he rejected that, replying: "I'm ultimately responsible for what I'm doing and no one else is. It rests on my shoulders."

He went on: "Look, we have had a tough time. But I really think that after a lot of hard work and resilience from everybody, we've got through the worst of that, and we've turned a corner."

By Dr Hannah Bunting, Sky News elections analyst, and Joely Santa Cruz, data journalist

This week, the leaders were selling their visions to voters as they launched their manifestos, and Sunak and Starmer went head to head in Grimsby at the Sky News live election special The Battle For Number 10.

Watch their journeys in the latest week in our animated map below.

This campaign is being fought on new electoral boundaries, with many constituencies undergoing significant changes since 2019.

For the purposes of this analysis, we use notional results based on calculations by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher, Honorary Professors at the University of Exeter, which estimate the 2019 election seat results if they had taken place on the new constituency boundaries.

Read the full piece below:

Beth Rigby has revealed how she decided on a "narrative" before quizzing the Labour and Tory leaders at Sky News's special event - and how a morning run almost scuppered everything.

Sir Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak took turns for a 45-minute grilling at Sky News' Battle For Number 10 in Grimsby, with questions coming from a representative audience.

First to interrogate both leaders was political editor Rigby, who has lifted the lid on what it's like to prepare, execute (and almost miss) the big event.

"Kay Burley told me when I first came into telly 'fail to prepare, prepare to fail'," she told former Labour MP Margaret Hodge on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast.

"So, I took these two mottos into this very intense interview prep… you get loads of information and you start to try and work out what's the narrative that you want to tell."

The secret, she said, is to look at everything and then "distil it" until you have a clear "narrative arc".

"With Starmer, the thing really was - how can you trust this guy? That was the premise," she said.

"But for Sunak, it was like, you say you've got a clear plan, you say you're going to deliver… so, what's the Conservative record? But more importantly, what's your record?

"Because you've actually been prime minister. You made five pledges, and then there was a broader question about what were the betrayals to the British people."

But disaster almost struck before the event had even started.

"The night before, I woke up at, like, five in the morning, fully awake," she said, adding she could "feel the adrenaline".

So, she decided to go for a run.

"I just saw I'm coming to the end of the road. And I went to turn round, and, as I turned, I nearly ran into a moving car. So, I nearly got run over," she explained.

Not the kind of car crash anyone would have expected that day.

Listen to the full podcast here:

👉  Click here to follow Electoral Dysfunction wherever you get your podcasts  👈

Email the team [email protected], post on X to @BethRigby, or send a WhatsApp voice note on 07934 200 444.

By Tom Cheshire, Megan Harwood-Baynes, Mary Poynter, online campaign team

How bad is the Conservative brand?

Bad enough for dozens of its own candidates to avoid using it, according to research from Sky's Online Campaign Team and Who Targets Me.

We looked at the adverts published on Facebook and Instagram by 521 Labour and Conservative candidates from 1 May until 12 June.

Of these, 376 adverts contained official branding (logos and colours), 104 had some form of partial branding, and 41 had no branding at all.

And the vast majority of those with no branding - 38 - were Conservative.

Read more here:

On Wednesday, Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer faced a grilling from Sky's political editor Beth Rigby  and our live audience in Grimsby on their plans for government.

The two men were questioned on their pledges to the electorate, their trustworthiness, their records, and whether they are suited to lead the country as it faces challenges on many fronts.

If you were not able to watch the programme - fear not, because we are airing an hour-long highlights show live on Sky News now.

You can also watch live in the stream above, and at the link below.

You can watch Sky News free wherever you get your news.

Sky channel 501, Virgin channel 602, Freeview channel 233, on the  Sky News website  and  app  or on  YouTube .

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Brits in Spain during the Euros warned over £500 fine for supporting England or Scotland

Football might well come home, just make sure your bank account does too without taking an unnecessary hit.

Tom Earnshaw

Euro 2024 is almost here and with it, a fresh warning to Brits enjoying the month long tournament in Spain. And it's one that could cost your bank account dearly.

Kicking off on Friday (14 June) and ending exactly a month after then, the UEFA competition could well be Gareth Southgate's last attempt to bring football home through his England side that has revitalised the national game right across the country over the last eight years.

England aren't the only side from the UK heading to Germany for the competition, with Scotland facing off against Germany, Hungary, and Switzerland in the group stages. Outsiders with the bookies, not that that'll mean anything to the Tartan Army.

Given the tournament coincides with the arrival of summer, thousands of Brits cheering on either team will be across the world on their holidays as they look to enjoy a week or two in the sun ahead of the school holidays rush.

And for those in Spain, take note. Experts are now warning those visiting Spain risk being fined up to £500 for breaking new public rules that have come in to force this year.

What could you be fined for?

Tourists risk being fined for smoking, drinking booze and wearing their football shirts (or rather, taking it off celebrating), warn travel insurance experts at One Sure Insurance .

Reports show Spanish authorities are clamping down with fines for wearing unsuitable clothes as well as tightening alcohol regulations in some popular Spanish locations.

The UK Foreign Office has issued warnings to travellers asking them to adhere to foreign laws or risk penalties.

A spokesperson at One Sure Insurance said: “As the Euros kick off this month, we are seeing increasing numbers of British tourists head to their holiday destinations to enjoy matches in the sun. This has meant increasing bans on specific clothing items including football shirts and novelty wear to promote a more respectful environment.

“Majorca has seen multiple restaurants targeting clothes associated with drunken tourism. We’ve also seen that wearing just a bikini or being bare chested with swimming shorts away from the beach could land tourists fines of up to £500 in various locations.”

Booze and smoking bans

There are big restrictions on alcohol, with restrictions in place across Majorca, Magaluf (Calvia), Playa de Palma, Ibiza, and San Antonio (San Antoni de Portmany). The focus in these places is on resort areas popular with tourists.

Happy hours with discounted drinks; open bars including all-you-can-drink deals; alcohol vending machines; self-service alcohol dispensers; pub-crawls; party boat trips; and off-licences selling booze between 9.30pm and 8am the next day have been prohibited .

A smoking ban in public spaces, such as beaches and restaurant terraces, is also in place with fines of up to €2,000 (around £1,700).

You can be fined £650 for having an alcoholic drink on the beach. And if you discard a cigarette butt or litter from a moving vehicle, can land a fine of four licence points and €200 (170).

Balcony behaviour

Holiday goers are also at risk of fines for dangerous behaviour on the balcony, where the Foreign Office has advised that hotels and other establishments are obliged to evict customers who behave dangerously on balconies.

Local marine wildlife conservation efforts have led to the introduction of a £560 fine for using soap or shampoo at the beach when rinsing off.

“We are urging all travellers to familiarise themselves with these regulations before departing to ensure a safe and enjoyable holiday experience," the spokesperson at One Sure Insurance added.

Topics:  Europe , Football , Sport , Travel , UK News

Tom joined LADbible in 2024, specialising in SEO and trending content. He moved to the company from Reach plc where he enjoyed spells as a content editor and senior reporter for one of the country's most-read local news brands, LancsLive. When he's not in work, Tom spends his adult life as a suffering Manchester United supporter after a childhood filled with trebles and Premier League titles. You can't have it all forever, I suppose.

@ TREarnshaw

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