World War 2

This road has a long history studded with soldiers, cyclists and tourists

Tucked in the hills of the Lake District is a twisting road that is so steep and challenging it’s often brought up as one of the most dangerous in the UK. Hardknott Pass, between Eskdale and the Duddon Valley, links the Lake District with West Cumbria.

Often impassable in the winter due to snow and ice, it is also one of the steepest in the UK. It has a maximum gradient of 33%, and winds through the mountains with a series of hairpin turns that would put fear in any casual driver.

This steep gradient draws endurance cyclists from across the world. It’s steeper than any other mountain stage in any other European races, including the Tour de France.

Every year, cyclists flock to the pass to complete the Fred Whitton Challenge – an 112 mile ride around the Lake District.

From Romans to tank training

A version of what is now Hardknott Pass was built by the Romans around AD110 to link the coastal fort at Ravenglass to their garrisons in Ambleside. They called it the tenth highway, but it fell into disrepair in the early 5th century when the Romans left Britain. For years it was used as an unpaved packhorse route to transport lead and farming goods.

In the 1880s, the road was improved by the English Lake District Association – a group of hoteliers. They hoped that making the road better would encourage more people to travel there but by 1891 it had failed to attract the number of people they had wanted.

Instead, the route was popular with cyclists and motorists. Even then, it was described as a challenging road to pass, with the Guide to North-West England describing the old coach road as “difficult going West, cruel coming East”.

Fast forward to World War 2 and the remote mountain pass was in regular use by British forces who used it to train tank drivers, completely destroying what was left of the road surface.

After the war it was finally tarmacked and opened to vehicles.

The road today

Now, the road is a thrilling drive where anyone coming downhill must be prepared to reverse into tight passing bays to allow those coming up the right of way.

However, despite the challenge of driving the road, the views at its 393 metre summit are well worth the effort.

The peak of the mountain offers breathtaking panoramic views stretching toward the Scafell range.

As you drive along the route, you pass the haunting ruins of Hardknott Roman fort, where the same soldiers who used to travel the pass stood watch over the mountain wilderness.

A sunny island with beautiful beaches, cosy pubs and an easy drive from the UK ticked all of the boxes for a recent family holiday

I bet you – like me – have often dreamt of that perfect holiday destination that has it all within easy reach.

Good weather, a beach, great eating spots, cosy pubs, picturesque streets to potter around plus a hefty dose of history to keep the grey matter ticking over.

Sounds impossible. But I think I’ve found it and it’s St Peter Port on the tiny Channel Island of Guernsey.

With a population of nearly 20,000, St Peter Port could hardly describe itself as a city but it is the biggest town and main centre of Guernsey.

Thanks to generous tax allowances for residents, some quarters of the harbour town have a Canary Wharf vibe (plus seaside finance bros) but cast your gaze away from that and you will be met with nothing but bunting, cute cobbled shopping streets and harbour-front eating and drinking spots.

Guernsey has that hugely familiar British feel, with an ever so slightly French twist. There’s an M&S Food Hall but you can’t use your Sparks card (‘different franchise’ I am told) and even a Sports Direct. But beyond that you can feast every night on fresh crab, lobster and fish and you simply must find an excuse to indulge in some of the dairy produce the famous Guernsey cows produce.

Visiting St Peter Port as a family of four we were overwhelmed with options. Being history buffs we were in our element.

OPINION

Guernsey was occupied by Nazi Germany for most of the Second World War, from June 1940 to May 1945. Across the island, and in St Peter Port in particular, there is a huge amount to see and learn relating to that time.

If you spend a day on foot in St Peter Port, you can start with a ride on the Petit Train, which departs at regular intervals from the Albert Pier and gives you a chance to get your bearings around the steep and winding streets.

From the pier it’s around a 20 minute walk to the top of town where you must visit the German Naval Signals HQ. This is the top-rated attraction in the town and my kids – 10 and 14 – were unanimous it was their top sight for the week we spent in Guernsey. Entry is just £13 for a family.

Invisible from the street and air, this perfectly-preserved underground bunker was the centre for all German naval signals during WWII.

Restored using many of the original fittings and based on advice from the former Naval Signals Officer himself, a visit here was undoubtedly brought to life for us by the extremely knowledgeable member of staff – or private tour guide as he became.

You can see where signals were received, where officers slept and even where they went to the toilet. Then before you know it, it’s out back onto the street and you can barely find where you just were.

Walking back into town, the Guernsey Museum at Candie is worth a look to give you the fascinating history of life in times gone by on the island. Surrounded by the lush Candie Gardens, a picnic here is ideal, overlooking the scenic harbour.

Back down at the harbour the world is your oyster. A trip to the beach might be on the cards (but watch out for the high and very quick tides!) or if you’re into your sea swimming, you can take a dip in one of the uber stylish La Valette seawater bathing pools.

We didn’t try them ourselves on this trip, but there are four pools to swim in, each with a changing area and a cafe and toilets by the ladies’ and children’s pool (anyone can swim in any of the pools).

Our reason to pass by the pools was for our next historical stop-off – the La Valette Underground Military Museum. We visited during the May heatwave and the cool cave of this treasure trove was extremely welcome.

The tunnels were originally built as a fuel storage facility for German U-boats during the occupation and are fascinating in themselves as an architectural phenomenon. They are now used to house a vast range of exhibits from Guernsey’s military history, including a truck used in the film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Family entry costs under £30 and opened our eyes to precisely what the Guernseymen and women went through during the difficult period of Occupation in WWII. All of this is probably more than enough for one day but there is much more to see.

The jewel in St Peter Port’s crown is Castle Cornet, which has sat on a spur guarding the harbour for 800 years.

Time your visit to catch the firing of the cannon by period uniformed soliders at midday, then explore the brick alleyways, high walls, four period gardens and four museums on site. That’s before I’ve even mentioned the stunning views out to the islands of Herm, Sark and Jethou.

Another fantastic way to get under the skin of St Peter Port and Guernsey is by taking a guided walk.

We were lucky enough to join Elizabeth Gardener-Wheeler of Guided Guernsey on a clifftop walk from the stunning Fermain Bay back to St Peter Port. What Elizabeth didn’t know about life on Guernsey probably isn’t worth mentioning but her stories really brought our trip to life. From the bomb found in bluebell woods, to the private steep bathing steps for the former Governor of Guernsey, you will discover some truly hidden gems.

Of course we all enjoyed noseying at the seaview, premium properties – many of them thatched – along our walk too.

For our evening meal, we dined slightly out of town (ok, a five minute drive…) at Nineteen Bar and Grill, situated on the St Pierre Park Hotel, Spa and Golf Resort.

It’s ideal for a family trip because you can combine your meal with a quick round of Pirate Bay Adventure Golf – a notch above your usual crazy golf thanks to real-life rafts on pools of water…

The food here was excellent with a huge choice from fresh local produce like the Guernsey crab salad which I enjoyed, over to the classic burgers, pizzas and steaks. Everyone in the family was happy.

If you buy a museum Discovery pass, you can visit Castle Cornet, Guernsey Museum, Fort Grey Shipwreck Museum and the German Naval Signals Headquarters for just £24 per named adult with all accompanying children going free. The pass is valid for 12 months’ unlimited access.

We travelled to Guernsey with Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth on their overnight service, staying in a cabin with breakfast on arrival.

While on the island, we stayed for the week at the wonderful, family run, La Bailloterie campsite. Sparkling clean showers and toilets, plus fresh pastries can be ordered for breakfast every day. If camping is not your thing, the site offers safari tents and wooden cabins too.

Book the holiday

Brittany Ferries offers Poole-Guernsey routes from £374 in July and £405 in August, based on two adults and two children travelling in a standard car on a Super Saver ticket. Find out more and book at brittany-ferries.co.uk.

The island’s dark history of forced labour and harrowing conditions for prisoners of war has left a haunting legacy

In the late 19th century, this isolated Japanese island was a bustling town fuelled by its coal-mining industry. Today, it’s gradually being swallowed by the sea and reclaimed by nature, but given the island’s sinister past, perhaps it’s for the best that this once-thriving community has fallen into silence.

Hashima Island sits roughly 15 kilometres off Nagasaki, and was formerly a mining settlement. At its height in the late 1950s, the island housed more than 5,000 residents who lived in its towering apartment blocks — the ruins of which remain visible today.

Initially renowned for its undersea coal mines, the island also harbours a deeply troubling history.

The island was purchased by Mitsubishi in the late 19th century, and in 1916, work commenced on apartment blocks to house workers. There was a school, a kindergarten, a community centre and a hospital.

For leisure, residents could head to the cinema or visit the numerous shops, reports the Express.

Following the end of World War 2, Chinese and Korean prisoners of war were forced to labour on the island, either erecting buildings or toiling in the mines. These prisoners endured appalling and perilous conditions under Mitsubishi’s control.

Many perished from exhaustion and starvation — the precise death toll on the island ranges from 137 to as many as 1,300.

The people who laboured here dubbed the island “Jail Island” or even “Hell Island” — a stark contrast to the tranquil mining town it seemed to be. By the 1970s, coal reserves had largely run dry and the industry was in terminal decline.

This prompted many residents to abandon the island, and by the mid-70s, the mine had shut its doors for good, leaving the island completely deserted.

In 2009, Japan put forward a request for the island to be added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The move drew sharp criticism from the governments of North and South Korea and China, with Seoul arguing it would “violate the dignity of the survivors of forced labour”.

Eventually, South Korea and Japan struck a deal allowing the island to be included on the list, on the condition that Japan provided information acknowledging the use of forced labour.

However, in 2021, it emerged that Japan had failed to honour its side of the agreement, having not displayed adequate information regarding the use of forced labour.

The museum in Nagasaki, which documents the island’s history, reportedly contains no testimonies from Koreans about forced labour or discrimination, and the sole Korean testimony on display actually denies that forced labour was ever used.

Very few have heard of the ‘phenomenal’ World War II drama on Netflix, as viewers call the powerful and engrossing series an ‘exceptional masterpiece’ that’s a ‘must watch’.

For years, the television drama Band of Brothers has been establishing the standard for war-themed dramas.

Crafted by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, the series is widely regarded as the gold standard of its genre, having elevated expectations considerably when it comes to war epics.

Now, another war drama is being lauded as a ‘phenomenal masterpiece’ – and it might well eclipse Band of Brothers.

Available on Netflix, the relatively obscure war drama limited series comprises three episodes running approximately an hour each, and acclaim for the programme has been widespread.

War Sailor, originally titled Krigsseileren, is a Norwegian war drama that was selected as Norway’s official submission for Best International Feature at the 95th Academy Awards – and audiences cannot stop praising it, reports Wales Online.

It first premiered as a film in late 2022, and when it eventually arrived on Netflix in April 2023, it emerged as a three-part miniseries with 30 minutes incorporated into its original running time.

Written and helmed by Gunnar Vikene, it happens to be the most costly Norwegian film ever produced, created on a budget of $11.1m.

The drama features Kristoffer Joner and Pål Sverre Hagen in leading roles, alongside Ine Marie Wilmann, Henrikke Lund Olsen, Armand Hannestad, and Leon Tobias Slettbakk.

The war drama draws from the genuine, real-life experiences of 30,000 Norwegian civilian sailors who participated in Allied convoys during the Second World War.

The war drama’s official synopsis reads: “Merchant sailors are caught in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean during Germany’s invasion of Norway and hijacked into working for the Allied war effort.”

Boasting an impressive 92% audience approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, War Sailor has been hailed as “heart-in-your-throat moving” by viewers.

An IMDB user review of the war drama says: “One of the best war movies I’ve seen. I thought I’d seen so many war and catastrophe movies I’d become numb to the emotional drama and could only be stimulated by history lessons and battlefield action but this one gripped me.”

While another viewer said of the series: “Intense but phenomenal. It’s difficult to sum up the experience of watching this film. It weaves suspense, devastation, love, hope, and the horrors of war together into a picture that will stay with me for a long time to come.”

Another audience review added: “Brilliantly written, directed and acted, this is a gripping, at times excruciating, film. The characters are beautifully, painfully individual, the story unexpected and painfully convincing. It takes us inside the actions of war but the unforgettable moments are the still ones in which nothing happens but meaning.”

While one viewer crowned it “a masterpiece”: “Wow – what an intense film. Excellent acting and period sets. A masterpiece.”

Yet another audience review said: “A sweeping epic. Structured like a sweeping epic, Krigsseileren tells about the efforts of Norwegian commercial sailors in the Atlantic theatre during WWII. A combination of authenticity, technical brilliance, and a clear artistic framework makes this into an all-encompassing viewing experience.”

While one fan described the drama as something that “transcends the ordinary”: “Something Extraordinary Finds its Way to Our Screens. Just when we thought nothing of quality is left, nothing worth our time, what we have left of it, War Sailor shows up on Netflix.

“As real a depiction of events which shaped our world as you are likely to see. Transportation to another place and time at a historic moment in history, for the price of your Netflix subscription. Empowering performances that transcend the ordinary. Highly recommended.”

Critics have branded the war drama “powerful and engrossing”, with one reviewer writing: “War Sailor is the best kind of war movie: a character drama that happens amidst war, focusing most on how the characters are changed by the atrocities over the years.”

Another critic said: “War Sailor offers some of the best ensemble acting seen in recent years. It’s been perfectly cast down to the smallest role.”

War Sailor is available to stream on Netflix.