Bragging Rights is back for the latest episode rating city life. In this episode we explore the UK's best tourist attractions, but who comes out on top?
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00:00 Hello and welcome to another brand new episode of Bragging Rights, where the rules are simple,
00:05 I come up with a topic after a couple of pints, and then our journalists across the country
00:09 try and prove that their patch is the best place to be.
00:18 That's right, we are pitching our best and biggest cities against each other in a frankly
00:22 gladiatorial contest where rivalry is at fever pitch. And this week we're on the lookout
00:27 for the best tourist attraction, mainly because I need ideas for my next break.
00:32 So shall we hop aboard my virtual open-top bus and get on with it? The South were tasting
00:37 sweet success last time out with a delightful confectionery shed in Bristol. It's worth
00:41 seeking out if you missed that one. But can they score another sugar-coated shock this
00:45 time out with a little bit of mystical magic? Let's see.
00:50 Bristol is undoubtedly a magical city, filled with many tourist attractions, but perhaps
00:56 the most magical attraction is the Unicorn Trail. Unicorn Fest is a unique trail around
01:02 Bristol landmarks, featuring different custom-painted unicorns designed by local artists and schools.
01:10 The trail features 66 unicorns in key spots around the city. To decide which one to go
01:16 and visit first, it only seems right to do a lucky dip. Let's find out.
01:23 Number 44. Let's have a look at what number 44 is. Let's go.
01:29 So after a lot of looking, I can't find number 44. We are literally here outside the Richmond
01:36 building, which it shows us on the map, which is also the student union. I've asked the
01:41 members of staff in there and they've got no idea. So number 44 is still a magical mystery.
01:47 Okay, so let's try and find another unicorn. So let's pick a number. Okay, so this number
01:55 is number 20. So just as I was on my way to find number 25, I actually found number 44.
02:03 So it's in a slightly different location than it was on the maps. It's actually outside
02:07 the university's art society. So I'm very excited. And as you can see, I have just found
02:14 number 20. It's literally outside the Victorian rooms. As I've been standing here, just admiring
02:19 this beautiful unicorn, I have spotted two more over there by the art foundation society.
02:27 So I guess let's go and see what they are. Behind me, I have found number 35, which is
02:34 called Risa by Kate Ellickson. And Risa in Spanish means laughter. So this unicorn is
02:40 all about laughter and happiness and all the things that are a little more beautiful in
02:45 the world. So now we have found three, let's go and find our penultimate unicorn of the
02:50 day and decide which one that's going to be. Number 59. So behind me, this is number 59
03:01 and it is called Epod and this one symbolises everything to do with peace. So to finish
03:06 off our unicorn trail, we are at the first unicorn, which is an air hop and it's also
03:12 sponsored by Air Hop. And the unicorn is called Magic Hopper and it's all about excitement
03:18 and sports and creativity. And it really is a beautiful unicorn. Unicorn Fest creative
03:25 and technical partners are Rocket Fest, who have helped to bring the tourist attraction
03:30 to life in the city. And the team behind Unicorn Fest is Leukaemia Care, which is a blood
03:36 cancer charity, helping to ensure everybody affected will receive the best possible diagnosis,
03:42 treatment, care and support. Today, we have only visited a small handful of the unicorns
03:48 and foals, but with any magical adventure, there is always more surprises to find. Well,
03:55 I'm glad we found number 44 in the end. I was starting to think that magic unicorns
03:59 didn't exist. It's typical of them though, isn't it? You can't find one when you need
04:03 one and then three turn up. It's a bright and colourful start then. So let's head to
04:07 Birmingham for something equally sweet.
04:10 Why did people come to Capitol? They want to find out more about the Cadbury brand,
04:15 about chocolates, about Borgville. And I'm standing outside a replica of John Cadbury's
04:22 shop that was opened in 1824. And our visitors can sort of indulge themselves in a history
04:32 with a shot of this big Cadbury.
04:36 Cadbury World here in the model village of Borgville has an important role in the region's
04:40 history, as well as in the history of global trade. A family of Quakers who cared for the
04:45 well-being of their employees, eventually setting up shop here, just south of Birmingham
04:50 in 1878. George Cadbury wanted to build a village offering workers an opportunity to
04:56 leave the crowded city behind and enjoy a better quality of life. It would be impossible
05:01 to even scratch the surface of how much history exists within these walls. And coming along
05:06 to Cadbury World today offers visitors a glimpse like no other.
05:11 Upon stepping foot into Cadbury World, prepare to be transported into the enchanting Aztec
05:16 jungle. It's here that you'll embark on an extraordinary journey spanning a thousand
05:21 years. Your adventure continues through the fascinating evolution of chocolate in Europe,
05:27 leading you right up to the moment where the remarkable Cadbury story begins. Prepare to
05:32 be amazed as you discover the intricate process of chocolate manufacturing, with exclusive
05:37 opportunities for you to engage first-hand. Then you'll buckle up for the iconic Cadabroid,
05:43 where you travel on a bean mobile through a chocolate wonderland. As you venture further
05:48 into Cadbury World, you'll stumble upon a treasure trove of Cadbury memorabilia, a nostalgic
05:53 collection that celebrates the rich heritage and legacy of this iconic brand. And outside,
05:59 there's also more fun interactive experiences, including a 4D chocolate adventure. But perhaps
06:05 the main appeal of Cadbury World is indeed the chocolate itself.
06:10 What we do in Cadbury World is we make chocolate, we make the magic of chocolate come alive
06:16 and people can learn a little bit about the history of chocolate while they're coming
06:21 around visiting the attraction. It's popular with all ages, so from your little toddlers
06:29 right up to your older people. So yeah, everyone loves coming to Cadbury World. They're always
06:35 really happy to come round because it's a bit of a magical place really, isn't it? I
06:40 mean, as soon as they come through, they can smell the chocolate and that puts them in
06:43 the mood. They just love everything about it, the interaction, they get to play with
06:48 chocolate. You don't get to do that on a regular basis, so they get to write their
06:53 name in chocolate and then there's all the other zones that they get to go through when
06:57 they're here, you know, that children love. So there's quite a lot going on.
07:02 Whether you're a self-proclaimed chocoholic or history buff, this tour takes you on an
07:06 amazing journey, offering the chance to indulge your sweet tooth while discovering the incredible
07:12 story of Cadbury. I'll be honest, none of that chocolate looked
07:17 awfully appetising, did it? And let that film be a warning to you, that hallucinatory ride
07:22 on the Beanmobile isn't real. It's what happens if you eat too much sugar in a single afternoon.
07:26 Right, let's come down off the ceiling and explore something a little more traditional.
07:34 It's up to our audience to take what they want and decide what Wales means to them and
07:40 what form we'd like Wales to take moving forward. St Fagans is nothing short of an institution
07:46 in South Wales. We've all been there on school trips and family days out and have our favourite
07:51 buildings here. It tells the story of Wales from thousands of years ago all the way up
07:55 into the last few decades. There are open-air museums all around the world, but this was
07:59 the first ever to open in the UK and one of the first anywhere around the planet. Its
08:04 growth year on year makes it a real jewel in Cardiff's tourism crown.
08:08 Well, it's an open-air museum as well as a traditional glass case museum. It was established
08:14 in 1948 as the first national open-air museum in the UK and we welcome 550,000 visitors
08:23 a year. It's a 100-acre site. There's always something to do, whether it's raining or sunny.
08:29 You can wander the grounds, look at these amazing historic buildings that we've dismantled
08:33 from their original location as the only way to save them and bring them here and use them
08:39 to interpret life in Wales throughout the generations.
08:43 This magnificent site doubles up as both a museum dedicated to the history and lives
08:47 of Wales and Welsh people and a scenic day out where you can stroll around what feels
08:51 like a real village in the countryside.
08:54 The buildings, if you like, although they're really rare themselves, they provide a backdrop
09:00 to the lives lived inside. So the interiors are all set up to represent life associated
09:10 with that building. Last month we won WITCH's Best Free UK Day Out Award, which is staggering.
09:19 We've got 100 acres of parkland and woodland. Everything's accessible and it's free to get
09:24 in so you can just wander around to your heart's content.
09:28 The museum is constantly growing with new buildings being built every few years. The
09:32 newest is a set to be the Vulcan, a proper classic Cardiff pub that many of us will remember
09:36 sitting just by Adamstown by the railway line. After being torn down, it's now almost finished
09:41 being rebuilt brick by brick here in St Fagans, meaning this village finally has its pub.
09:46 My favourite at the minute obviously is the one we're building now, which is called the
09:50 Vulcan Hotel, which we dismantled in 2012 after a campaign to try and save it was unsuccessful
09:57 unfortunately. That'll open next summer. It's got a really long history. It's seen Cardiff
10:06 grow to become the industrial powerhouse that it was and then the decline of the community
10:12 around it, which was forced to disperse it. It covers lots of stories in one building
10:20 really. On such a massive scale with buildings spanning
10:23 literally thousands of years of history, it's no wonder St Fagans is constantly rated among
10:28 the best places to visit in Wales and will definitely stay as a real favourite. Here's
10:32 Pete Watkins, Local TV, St Fagans. Right, full disclosure, I have visited this
10:39 place recently and spent a perfectly pleasant day there, although to find out they were
10:42 building something to remind future generations of what a pub was like was quite sobering.
10:48 Let's not dwell on that too long. Instead, let's head to Manchester where some people
10:51 believe is the home of football. It's controversial. Football is more than just a game. It's more
10:57 than just a sport. It's an entire culture in and of itself.
11:00 The National Football Museum has been recognised as custodian to the world's largest collection
11:06 of football objects and archives. Based in the Urbis Building in Manchester city centre,
11:12 the National Football Museum attracts tourists worldwide with its exhibitions and the 2,500
11:18 items on display. Having moved from Preston in Lancashire into its new home in the heart
11:23 of Manchester in 2012, the museum showcases the amazing stories from the nation's favourite
11:30 sport. The National Football Museum is a huge attraction
11:33 in our city and arguably one of the best places for tourists to visit. Whether you want to
11:38 have more knowledge about the sport, a chance to see some of the most incredible and historic
11:43 trophies up close, or you want to get involved in some interactive challenges and games,
11:48 there is something for everyone, football fan or not.
11:52 We consider the Football Museum to be the home of football history. We tell the story
11:56 right from its very beginnings in terms of the laws of the game from 1863 right up to
12:02 the present day. We have an incredible collection via the Football Heritage Collection of really
12:08 fantastic shirts, balls, medals. We have the 1966 ball, the Jules Rimet trophy. We've got
12:14 all the things that you might expect to see from a football museum. And then we have other
12:17 elements as well. So we consider ourselves very progressive. We are very proud to promote
12:22 LGBT causes and social causes. One of our most popular exhibits is the Marcus Rashford
12:29 banner. Very proud as well to champion various other causes that come through our doors as
12:34 well. The museum is free for Manchester City Council
12:37 residents and if you live outside of this area, you can buy a ticket and visit as many
12:42 times as you like within 12 months. The National Football Museum is popular with international
12:48 tourists as well as people from across the country.
12:51 It's a really popular place to come. I think it's a cornerstone for many international
12:55 tourists. Obviously, the city is home to two of the biggest clubs in the country, in United
13:01 and City. So we draw in an awful lot of international visitors from there as well. And they will
13:06 often come here and explore a little bit more about that wider football history rather than
13:10 just United and City. If you're a football fan, we've got everything you could possibly
13:14 want and more. It's a really great family day out. So we have an awful lot of interactive
13:19 games. You can go and take a penalty on the Pannish Ureter Interactive. You can do keep
13:24 you ups. You can test your reflexes on the Goalkeeper Interactive. We do have a new exhibition
13:29 coming as well, which is all about toys and games, which is incredibly family friendly.
13:34 17 different interactives in there. The National Football Museum is unique because
13:38 it's great for older generations who can reminisce. It's great for younger generations who can
13:43 come and learn a little bit of their history, but also engage and play. It's got something
13:47 for absolutely everybody. And I don't think there are too many places in the country that
13:52 can really say that and that we can do it through the nation's most popular sport just
13:58 makes it that little bit better, I think. That was never Manchester. The sun was shining.
14:03 That museum though, it looks like it's come a very long way since the Preston days, offering
14:06 a truly inclusive day out for everyone. Now, everyone knows that Leeds isn't the home of
14:11 Leeds, so let's see what else they have to shout about.
14:16 As the most complete Cistercian ruins in the country, Kirkstall Abbey is often high up
14:21 on the list of things to see by Leeds tourists, but lots of Leeds locals take in the tranquility
14:26 and history of the site all year round. The Abbey was established in 1152, so it's
14:32 nearly 900 years old. And it was actually established for monks to come and live and
14:38 work and pray here. A local Norman landowner called Henry de Lacey was on his deathbed
14:45 and he prayed to God and said, "You know, if I recover from this illness, I will secure
14:48 land and I will give money to the monks of Fountains to establish a brand new monastery."
14:53 And that's exactly what he did. It was closed down by Henry VIII in 1539 as part of what
14:58 is known as the dissolution of the monasteries. The Abbey passed through various private hands
15:03 and eventually it was auctioned off in 1899 and bought by a man called Colonel North for
15:09 ÂŁ10,000 and donated to the city of Leeds. When I came here it had only just opened.
15:15 Lots of people seemed to have forgotten about us. We only sort of had about 20,000 visitors
15:19 a year. Lots of those were adults. They were people who were real history buffs who wanted
15:24 to come and see such an iconic landmark. And over the last 15 years our visitor profile
15:30 has massively changed so we get many more families and lots of foreign visitors too.
15:36 For the monks the Chapter House was really important. It's where they met daily to listen
15:41 to a chapter of the Rule of St Benedict. So they would have a reading every day and then
15:46 the monks had the opportunity to confess their sins. And if you confessed, you got a lighter
15:52 punishment than if somebody else had to tell on you. Today the Chapter House is one of
15:58 our visitors' favourite places to go. We do have three coffins at the back of the Chapter
16:01 House. We know they've never been used. Archaeologists have tested them. We wouldn't put something
16:05 on display that had human remains inside. I think it's a real privilege to see people's
16:10 reactions when they first walk in, particularly into the cloister and then into the church.
16:15 It is a really major attraction. I would call it a really iconic landmark within Leeds.
16:20 And obviously it was given to the city in a public park for the people to enjoy. That
16:24 was the entire point. One day I'll be working with toddlers and we'll be playing with bubbles
16:27 and the next day I'll be working with university students learning about the dissolution of
16:31 the monasteries. So every day is totally different. But I always think the first view into the
16:37 cloister, the first time people walk through what's quite a small little gate from the
16:41 Solarium and then they get this enormous, really peaceful, tranquil space in front of
16:47 them. They've just come off the A65. It's busy, it's noisy, it's Leeds and then you've
16:54 got this beautiful tranquility and just that wow moment. That's always my favourite part
16:59 of any day. It is really wondrous to think that it's standing to its original height
17:04 and it was built in the 12th century. I think people are full of awe for this building and
17:08 feel very protective about it and have lovely memories of coming here. And as I said, it's
17:14 an iconic building in Leeds. So I hope people feel like they want to preserve it for another
17:18 900 years. They don't build them like that anymore, do they? It's sometimes easy to forget
17:23 how lucky we are to have such history in this country, to have tourists come from all over
17:27 the place to marvel at our rich past. It's something to be rightly proud of. Now, lastly,
17:32 let's head north for an astonishing angelic attraction. The Angel of the North has to
17:38 be one of the most iconic landmarks in the North East. The Angel is now celebrating its
17:44 25th birthday and local schools have been celebrating in the lead up to the big day.
17:50 The Angel of the North means to me, it reminds me of loved ones and it reminds me of when
17:59 it was built. Why does it remind you of your loved ones? Because if it's an angel, my loved
18:05 ones are in heaven. It reminds me of home as well because when you see the Angel of
18:12 the North, some people take it as a sign that we're nearly home. The Angel of the North
18:18 to me means like, whenever I see it, it means like I'm home because I live here in the North
18:24 East and it's really important to me that it's here as a landmark, as a symbol of the
18:31 North East. It's been here so long and I've been here with my family, I've had memories
18:39 here, lots of them, and it just makes me happy that it's here and it makes me feel proud.
18:48 Projects and events have been taking place across Gateshead for local people to learn
18:52 more about the Angel of the North and also celebrate its history.
18:56 So we started in January, we're working with six primary schools in Gateshead, two of them
19:01 are up there on the hill behind me, and they've been paired with an artist from the North
19:06 East and using the Angel as, I suppose, the catalyst for their own creative expression.
19:12 So some of them are visual artists, some of them are writers, and the children are just
19:17 creating work that responds to how they feel about the Angel. The thing that's really struck
19:23 me is that the children we're working with have never known then not to be an angel,
19:28 which I kind of love.
19:29 Local councillors were also there to celebrate the iconic landmark's birthday.
19:33 We're proud it's in Gateshead, but it's in our ward, which makes it extra special for
19:40 us, so we're here to join in the celebrations, and Jane thought, "Get a balloon for the Angel!"
19:47 It's a party, so we're having a little party here because we're so proud.
19:50 I think I sometimes still call it the Gateshead Angel when it is the Angel of the North, because
19:55 it is the gateway to the whole of the region. There's people from all over the world, not
20:01 just all over the country, who recognise it. I've just been told that apparently somebody
20:06 in Australia has made a mock angel. Now, I haven't seen a photograph of it, I'd be very
20:11 interested, but that's how far the effect that the Angel has on people all over the
20:18 world.
20:19 Some events to celebrate the Angel's birthday are still ongoing, but it wouldn't be a birthday
20:23 celebration without a sing-along.
20:25 Happy birthday, dear Angel, happy birthday to you.
20:26 Hip hip, hooray! Hip hip, hooray!
20:27 Hip hip, hooray!
20:27 It's an incredible sight, and one which has had to work so hard to win the public over.
20:46 Like a lot of modern art, I remember the outcry when it was proposed, but my goodness how
20:50 it's worked its way into the hearts and minds of the locals ever since, and cemented its
20:54 place as a true icon.
20:56 So that brings our staycation sojourn to a shuddering stop, but they don't just do it
21:00 for fun and games, there are points to be had, and they go a little bit like this.
21:05 Leeds can have a point for their magnificent monastery. Fascinating as it is, I'm not sure
21:09 it's reason enough to tempt me to get on a train all the way to Yorkshire.
21:13 Manchester can have two points for their footy museum. I'm afraid you're pitching at the
21:17 wrong man here. I like a game as much as the next man, but a day of facts and figures could
21:21 potentially bore me to tears.
21:24 And I'm afraid I'm not a massive fan of chocolate either, so while Canterbury World looks like
21:27 a half decent day out, a glaring lack of umper lumpers is an unforgivable miss in my opinion,
21:33 so just the three points for them.
21:34 Unicorns, well they were bright and colourful and cheered the place up a bit, and they give
21:38 you a good reason to properly explore a city, so four points to Bristol.
21:42 Wales can have five for their open air museum of history. The effort of dismantling buildings
21:47 and recreating them is such a labour of love, and a monumental attempt to preserve the past.
21:53 And so that means the North East take all full six points for their beloved Angel of
21:57 the North. The initially much derided sculpture must have taken such bravery to permission
22:01 and persist with, and now it's one of those sites that defines the country, and one which
22:05 fills the locals with pride as they head home on the A1.
22:08 And head home we must too. Don't forget you can catch up on any episodes you've missed
22:12 on our YouTube channel, but for now, thanks for watching, and join us soon for another
22:16 episode of Bragging Rights.
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