A Laughing Holiday in Britain?

Want to tickle your funny bone? Fly off to England and grab a copy of the country's first 'comedy map' that will direct you to landmarks connected with the nation's best comedy talent

The UK's first ever 'comedy map' directs people to landmarks connected with the nation's best comedy talent and its favourite shows thus enabling people to have fun all the time.

Some of places that feature in the tourist trail include - Torquay, the setting for 'Fawlty Towers', or Holmfirth in West Yorkshire, home to 'Last of the Summer Wine'.

Others, such as Slough, the setting for 'The Office', have never before found their way on to the visitors' map.

Idyllic settings such as the tiny Buckinghamshire village of Turville, where the 'Vicar of Dibley' was filmed, and the village of Pluckley in Kent, the setting for the 'Darling Buds of May', have previously been little known outside the world of location scouts.

The map also includes individual properties with strong comedy connections, such as the Cricket St Thomas estate, which featured in 'To The Manor Born', and former Warners Holiday camp in Dovercourt, Essex, made famous in 'Hi di Hi'.

The map also identifies statues and plaques honouring famous comedians such as Eric Morecambe, Tony Hancock, Terry Thomas, Charlie Chaplin, Stan Laurel and Willie Rushton. Even Benny Hill's grave in Hollybrook cemetery in Shirley, Southampton, gets a mention.

England is renowned for producing some of the very best comedy in the world and our sense of humour is a trait that the English are famous for," the Telegraph quoted Laurence Bresh, of Visit Britain, as saying.

"Comedy is an integral part of our heritage and culture and the Comedy England campaign will encourage visitors to explore some of the regions, locations and attractions which have contributed to this, and further increase the 100 million trips that Britons take in their own country every year," Bresh added.

Alongside the map is a comedy calendar, which includes the World Gurning Championship in 'Egrement, Cumbria; the World's Biggest Liar competition', in nearby Holmrook, and the Bognor International Birdman contest, which this year takes place in Worthing.

Britain's comedy films are also celebrated. The map features the vilage of Monkton Combe, which was the setting for the 1953 film 'The Titfield Thunderbolt', and the Boatman Inn, which appeared in 'Four Weddings and a Funeral'.

Source-ANI
RAS/L