Tag: http://www.visittheusa.co.uk/

America, Countries

Florida really does promise the Moon

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Everything they say is possible in the Happiest Place on Earth and America‘s most cosmic state but Florida really does promise the Moon, particularly this weekend.

As the four Artemis II astronauts head home after travelling farther from Earth than anyone in history.

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is inviting holidaymakers to enjoy a space adventure of their own – in Florida!

Where their mission started at the start of this month from the Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39B.

And where we’ve been seeing those out of this world pictures and feeds.

Now Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is, I don’t have to tell you, at an hour’s drive from Orlando, is the closest you can get to space without leaving Earth.

Where you can stand where real missions launch, though obviously not in live time (yet).

Fly me to the moon

Fab four: The cosmic crew

Guests can get a hands-on feel for the story of humans in space.

Through thrilling simulators, behind-the-scenes tours, interactive exhibits, and larger-than-life 3D space films.

From standing nose‑to‑nose with the legendary Space Shuttle Atlantis and feeling the rumble of lift‑off on the Shuttle Launch Experience.

To walking beneath the awe‑inspiring Saturn V Moon rocket at the Apollo/Saturn V Center.

The complex brings NASA’s most iconic achievements to life.

In The Rocket Garden, Heroes & Legends featuring the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame.

And the chance too to meet a real NASA astronaut.

The magic bus

Door to other worlds: Kennedy Space Center

Now while the showcase transport at Kennedy is obviously the rocket it is reassuring to see that there will always be a need for the humble bus.

And your Kennedy Space Center Bus Tour will take guests behind the gates of America’s most storied spaceport.

And offer you an up‑close look at the restricted areas where space history has been – and continues to be – made.

Guests travel through NASA’s working launch facilities.

Passing the Vehicle Assembly Building and the Launch Complex 39 – the very site from which Artemis II astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen left Earth.

For their ten‑day journey around the Moon, complete with their own loo challenges.

Then there is The Gantry at LC‑39, a reimagined observation gantry offering 360° views across active launch pads.

And NASA’s working spaceport, placing guests at the heart of the action.

Build your own rocket

To infinity and beyond: Buzz for kids & big kids

Visitors can design and virtually launch their own rocket at the Rocket Build Interactive, feel the intensity of a Test Fire Simulation.

For a glimpse what lies ahead, Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex showcases the spacecraft, missions and innovations defining the next era of exploration.

Guests can explore a range of modern spacecraft, interact with robotic explorers, peer into the James Webb Holotube, and board Spaceport KSC.

For one of four motion‑theatre ‘journeys’ to destinations such as Mars, Saturn and the Horsehead Nebula.

Thrillseekers can push the experience even further with the New Shepard Flight to Space simulator, the and Hyperdeck VR Mission Moon.

Which is a high‑intensity, multi‑sensory virtual reality adventure which sees four players compete with one another in a race across the lunar surface.

And all for very little of your Earth money

One giant leap: And this could be you

And new for 2026 is Fraggle Rock: A Space-y Adventure.

An original live show that brings the Fraggles face-to-face with NASA’s real-life space explorers.

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex also offers the closest public viewing of live rocket launches.

Giving guests the chance to witness real spacecraft lift-off from just a few miles away.

And all of this without breaking your piggy bank of earth money, with single-day admission at $77 per adult, $67 per child.

And a two-day ticket available for $91 per adult and $81 per child. For more information on Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

And, of course, Orlando is an airline hub and is well-served with other other-worldly attractions like Pluto who is still miffed that he doesn’t share his name with a planet any more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Countries

America250 back to the start and before

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And in the interests of pausing the inter-city rivalry we’re taking you on a special trip… America250 back to the start and before.

Now the East Coast’s great cities all have a claim on driving the Birth of the Nation.

And that has fostered competition that has lasted more than two and a half centuries.

Oft played out on sports fields, courts and rinks.

Better that we stay out of that one and just enjoy all of what Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Washington DC have to offer.

Collette you bet

Bustin’ for Boston: The skyline

Enter tour specialist Collette who has put together a nine-night odyssey through American Revolutionary history.

Now our old pals in Boston are full of beans about lighting the torch for the revolution.

Which is why visitors will always find Boston the most historic of American cities.

Going to the Boston party

Your two-night stop-off in the Cradle of Liberty starts at Lexington and Concord.

Where the ‘shot heard round the world’ signalled the start of America’s fight for self-determination.

Now living and working in Boston, as I’ve done, you might be forgiven for seeing the Freedom Trail your journey to work in Faneuil Hall.

A walking route lined with sites that helped catalyse the rebellion.

From the Hall, a hotbed of colonial protest, to the Old North Church, famed for its lanterns that heralded Paul Revere’s midnight ride.

New York, New York

Liberty: On the Hudson

Did you know though that the new nation’s first capital was New York City?

Which we are heading to next for two nights in the metropolis.

Back in 1776 NYC had been a strategic British stranglehold.

Yet colonial remnants remain.

Fraunces Tavern dates back to 1719 and is where George Washington bade farewell to his officers after the war.

You’ll be enlisted too, on a guided tour, showcasing NYC’s dual identity.

Philly loaded

On the Rocky road: In Philly

Before heading for crackin’ Philadelphia.

Where you can walk in the footsteps of the Founding Fathers in Independence Hall,

The very place where the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were debated and signed.

Before the obligatory selfie at the Liberty Bell.

The Museum of the American Revolution. is the catch-all for all things 1776, where interactive exhibits bring to life the personal narratives behind the war.

When you’re ready to dine, step aboard the Tall Ship Moshulu—a majestic vessel docked along the Philadelphia waterfront.

For an unforgettable meal that fuses culinary flair with historic ambiance.

Just capital

The King and I: With MLK

Now as we all know Washington DC was built as a celebration of the first President and to act as a compromise capital.

You’ll venture inside the U.S. Capitol to witness the legislative process and admire the art that honours pivotal figures in American history.

And then stroll along the National Mall, where towering memorials commemorate the nation’s past leaders, from Abraham Lincoln to Martin Luther King Jr.

No visit to Washington would be complete without exploring George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate, a picturesque property perched on the banks of the Potomac.

Roam the gardens, outbuildings, and mansion that once belonged to America’s first President.

A special farewell dinner offers a chance to reflect on the historical journey you’ve undertaken.

One that connects Boston’s rebellious spark to the global influence of modern-day Washington, D.C.

Top dollar

Hands across the ocean: With the American family

Collette will put on a variety of properties, from modern hotels near city centres to boutique stays that exude colonial charm.

And along the way, you’ll enjoy curated group meals that highlight each region’s culinary tradition.

Be it fresh seafood in Boston, hearty tavern fare in New York, or upscale dining infused with Revolutionary-era touches in Philadelphia.

And all from $4,499 pp*, with a saving of up to $300, and leaving on time on May 7.

 

America, Countries

Washington deserves a guided tour

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And because Washington deserves a guided tour instead of a dangerous midwinter barge Crossing of the Delaware.

We’d like to take him on a hop-on, hop-off bus around the city which bears his name.

Which, of course, we can do because we have the right connections.

Having bumped into George on the National Mall.

And then having been tour guided around the capital of the US by no less a figure than DC mayor Muriel Bower.

Hot in the City

Hail to the Chief: And Issy and Jimmy

Good luck on topping that but you’ve got more than a fighting chance this USA 250 year on board with City Experiences.

The 24-hour hop-on hop-off ticket gives visitors the chance to take in the capital at your leisure.

All the Smithsonians, the Capitol, your must-do selfie in front of the White House, and the monuments, memorials, and parks.

While, DC being the great cycling city that it is City Experiences are giving us a complimentary one-hour bike rental. And all starting from £44pp.

Now to borrow from Aleta Adams a minute.

We really should get there how we can for America 250 and when we do hop on the range of modes of transport and entertainment CE are offering.

New York, New York

Statue no limitations: Lady Liberty

Now one of the best ways to take in New York is on the Hudson and East Rivers.

And CE will take you on a signature dinner and dance cruise.

Where you can take in views of the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Brooklyn Bridge, and One World Trade Centre.

The two-and-a-half-hour cruise features a chef-prepared buffet, live DJ entertainment, a fully stocked bar, and open-air rooftop decks. Prices start from £63pp. 

Out on the Great Lakes

Chicago-go-go: Taking in the Second City

If that whets your appetite, and you are in some of these other great American cities, be our guests and go cruising.

On Lake Michigan, with a chef-prepared buffet on a two-and-a-half-hour cruise taking in panoramic views.

Of the orginal American Skyscraper City, or the Second City Chicago, including the Willis Tower and Adler Planetarium. Prices start from £47pp.

Frisco dancing

Golden trip: San Francisco

Or wine, dine and cruise for two and a half hours in Frisco.

In San Francisco Bay in the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge, Bay Bridge, and Alcatraz Island. Prices start from £99pp.

San Diego chargers

Whale of a time: San Diego

While if you want to enjoy too those who live in the seas, then City Experiences put on a San Diego Whale & Dolphin Watching Adventure.

Where your three-and-a-half to four-hour adventure will give you the chance to spot Grey, Blue, Minke, and Fin Whales, along with dolphins, sea lions, and marine birds.

Expert narrators from the San Diego Natural History Museum provide live commentary. Prices start from £50pp.

And again we say Washington deserves a guided tour and so do you, and particularly this America 250 year.

 

 
Countries

Hold a torch for all our Statues of Liberty

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Lady down, but after the collapse of an 80ft Brazilian replica in a storm a celebration here of the others, as we hold a torch for all our Statues of Liberty.

Particularly with 2026 in the Oo Es of Eh marking 140 years.

Since the erection of the first and most famous on Liberty Island in New York Harbor.

Army of Ladies

Picture time: With Lady Liberty

The enfant of French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and Gustave Eiffel, mais oui, that one.

Back in the days when the Americans and the French were the best of amis.

Now, we’re not sure if the 305ft Statue of Liberty is the most replicated statue in the world.

But there are hundreds of them. 

And wouldn’t it be a great game to go around getting selfies at all, or as many as we can, of them?

But clearly not when it’s stormy.

Two for the price of one

Buffalo fits the bill: Upstate New York

Now somebody’s obviously done it before and if they haven’t I’ve just blown it by giving them the idea.

But how about ticking off the two hundred or so in the Oo Es of Eh, with one Coloradan chum telling us of two in the Centenary State.

Of course, there is none quite like Lady Liberty, whose torch was a beacon of hope for millions.

Sailing in from the Old World, like my four uncles.

And the sight of which for any flyer on their first visit to New York, and I was just 17, is also truly stirring.

Stormy weather: In Brazil

Did you know though that upstate there are two Lady Liberties in the one monument and that they are 100 years old this year?

The two Liberties stand 333ft above downtown Buffalo.

On top of step pyramids at either end of a block-long building.

Each is 30ft tall and has an interior ladder that can be climbed to its torch.

Although disappointingly we aren’t allowed to do that any more.

Though disclaimer we were never up there to get into trouble, honest!

Get an eyeful of Paris

Paris match:With the Eiffel Tower

 

Now, it’s as it should be that Paris should have its own Statue of Liberty, but eight?

A present from the Americans in Paris to commemorate the centenary of the French Revolution, this one sits on its own island too.

And it’s the biggest too, at 37ft 9ins), a quarter as big as the one in New York.

Originally facing the Eiffel Tower it was turned around in 1937 to face the Big Apple.

The Lady and I: In New York Harbor

While among the others the Left Bank has its very own.

In the grand central aisle on the ground floor of the Musee d’Orsay on the Left Bank.

And, naturellement, the land of Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite there’s a a 40ft high version in Colmar and a terracotta replica in Lyon.

And one in Bordeaux, seized by Nazis in World War Two (and replaced many years later).

Been there, seen that

Yes we can: The Can of Beans statue


Now, it will come as little surprise to those who know and love the museum-loving Dutch that they will have their own kooky version of the Statue of Liberty.

With a 33ft replica of Lady Liberty holding a can of beans in Assen, which we’re reliably told is a thing in the region.

Or that in the village of Cadaqués in Spain which Salvador Dali called home, there is an unusual version on top of a small tourism office.

Arms and the Lady: In Spain

With both arms and hands up holding torches.

That Lady Liberty has spread her arms around the world obviously pleases this wide-eyed adventurer and idealist.

We expect the boys (and girls) from Brazil will get Lady Liberty back on the plinth in Guaiba, Rio Grande do Sul.

And were we there we’d be putting our hand up to help too.

 

 

 

America, Asia, Countries, Flying

Avoid air tax hikes and fly through Dublin

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It’s music to the ears. Avoid air tax hikes and fly through Dublin.

With British travellers feeling the pinch of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ money grab for their air pounds many are looking to their neighbours.

Just like they did when there was a rush on Irish passports after Brexit, Britons are looking to cash in on Ireland’s easier relationship with the world.

It’s all talk: Rachel Reeves

Particularly when they are flying transatlantic.

Which we’ve been advising here for all Bandanini and Bandanistas to do since we moved back from Ireland.

Because, of course, as well as being exempt from the tax, unique to the UK, Ireland boasts pre-clearance for visitors going to North America.

Dublin for the night

Catching up with friends: With Teresa, Eoghan Corry and Sharon Jordan in Dublin

It’s a route I know well and confession time here there is a right way and a stressful way of doing things here.

And you won’t be surprised to hear that your Accidental Tourist has more often than not chosen the stressful option.

Through on the day connections from Edinburgh to Dublin and then the States.

Only however many hours you think you have on your side ‘domestic’ flights will usually let you down.

And you may well find yourself rushing through customs and finding yourself still catching your breath on board for your connecting flight to Chicago.

Even if your lemon suitcase takes another four days to join you.

So you might consider a stop-off in the Irish capital the night before and what’s not to like about that option.

Particularly as you’ll still be in pocket through the money you would have spent on those extra Rachel Reeves surcharges.

Turk an overnighter in Istanbul

With Onur: In Istanbul

So you’re going long-haul the other way to Asia or Australia and New Zealand.

Travel expert Simon Calder of the Independent, advises, as we do, Istanbul as your stop-off point.

Where again you can take advantage of the rules by taking a 24-hour plus break in your journey to avoid those extra costs.

Which you won’t regret as you cross continents on a boat trip on the Bosphorus, count your blessings in the Blue Mosque.

Hamam bam: Lie back and think of Turkey

And detox from your kofti and Antalya wine in the Cagaloglu Hamam, just like Florence Nightingale, John Travolta, Oprah Winfrey et al have done.

So while all these Rachel Rates have been taxing Britons this week and for years to come, stick with us.

To avoid air tax hikes and fly through Dublin and the jewel of Turkey.

And we’ll keep you straight and with more cash in your pocket through our Holidos and Holidon’ts tips.

 

America, Countries, Culture

Party like a pioneer in Plymouth on Thanksgiving

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The people of Massachusetts feel more blessed on this day than any neighbour which is why they party like a pioneer on Thanksgiving.

Because, of course, legend tells us that it was in Plymouth where the Pilgrims and the people who were already there first broke bread and wine in 1621.

Some 53 Pilgrims and 90 Wampanoag, led by Chief Massasoit, feasting on fish, shellfish and veg.

The table is set: What it might have looked like in 1621

Now talk around whether everything happened exactly the way we play it out today keeps a whole industry of historians in work, which is no bad thing. 

Of course, the best place to immerse yourself in everything Thanksgiving is where it all began, in Plymouth.

Where they are feasting like it’s 1621.

Pilgrim’s Progress

Free the turkey: And vote for Thanksgiving

Our Plymouth pals direct us to the Pilgrim Hall Museum, Plimoth Patuxet Museums, Plymouth Rock and the National Monument to the Forefathers.

And as we’re channeling 1621 then first off is the Pilgrim’s Progress, a procession to Sabbath worship.

The Donald will: Even if he gets his feathers ruffled

On the site of the original fort/meetinghouse where psalms are sung.

And passages are read by ‘Elder Brewster’ from Governor Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation or other sources.

The First Nations

Everyone’s invited: For Thanksgiving

Now Thanksgiving Day, on the third Thursday of November, should be as much about the indigenous population as the settlers.

And Plymouth doesn’t forget them with a National Day of Mourning March and ceremonies at Massasoit Statue, Cole’s Hill.

Now Plymouth is only 40 miles from Boston and should be part of every American history fan’s odyssey.

Thanks to Aer Lingus

Fair wind: And now we’re flying

And like everything American for us travelling from these next rocks at the eastern end of the Atlantic.

We advise to travel through Dublin.

Irish-Americans all: Thanksgivings in Dublin

With Aer Lingus with pre-clearance.

We found a random return flight for next month from €634.42.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE 

 

 

 

 

 

Countries

Lighting a candle on my Dad’s 100th birthday

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Now as you can see here’s a man who loved to blow his out…  so seeing he’s somewhere else now I’m lighting a candle on my Dad’s 100th birthday.

Where to start? Probably 100 years ago in a tenement in Denistoun in the east end of Glasgow.

Where James Gerard was born, the third of what would be five children, with one not lasting past four years, to joiner George and homemaker Mary.

The Two Jims: Sitting it out

Whether rich chocolate cake would have been the order of the day then is doubtful.

More jeely sandwiches (jam sandwiches) and tea and, on special occasions, biscuits, but food was always on the table for the Murtys.

And James, or Jim, as he was always known did the same for us.

While gleefully reminding us spoiled kids that he used to eat bread and dripping (the fat from the meat) as a kid.

The patisserie chef in Norfolk

Chip off the old block: In later life

Jim Murty, whose name I proudly carry on, was a self-made man.

Educating himself at night in his 20s after his day job with the corporation.

And then working jobs outside his medical course and then in the summers down in Norfolk.

Where he cheekily boasted to us that he had been a patisserie chef, and sending money home to his family.

Later in life my Dear Old Mum would take him back there to Sheringham where alas the hotel had gone.

Inevitable really as they had lost the best patisserie chef they ever had.

Spain, Portugal and the Irish homeland

Ireland calling: In Donegal

The trappings of a doctor’s life, and he also did out of hours work for the police, meant.

We would be among the tranche of early package holidaymakers to Spain and Portugal.

Although with my Dad’s memories strong of his childhood days when every penny had to be earned the hard way.

That was only after camping holidays.

Where my Dear Old Mum never tired of reminding him that she used to have to wash my nappies.

The best holidays of all were in Mum’s heartland of Brockagh, Co. Donegal.

Where the McNultys, who ran the hamlet, or townland’s hotel, held fort.

And where pictures of her 12-strong family cover the boards to this day in the Isaac Butt Heritage Centre.

Empty nesting

The Great Wall of China: With Mum

As the baby of the family it was my good fortune to get my parents to myself when my brothers were all growed up.

And although they never told me, they must have been pleased when I too took off allowing them to go out and see the world.

America, where Mum’s four brothers had emigrated, was a favourite.

And it was a love for the US and my Irish-American family that I have inherited.

Canada, where Dad’s own father had lived for 20 years and fought for in the First World War too.

And his brother Joe had taken his family out to live and my own brother who married out there and worked too before returning to Britain.

There was Mexico, South Africa too, Russia, India, China and Australia, and only some of them I have got to in the years since.

Glasgow belonged to him

What the Doctor ordered: Never off duty

But as much as he enjoyed all those adventures it was home where this proud Glaswegian was happiest.

With his beloved Teasy, who is now reunited with him.

And we, God willing, will one day.

Although not too soon.

DOUCEMENT DAD

 

Countries

La La Land goes AI Land

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It’s where we all go to reimagine our world which is why it’s almost inevitable when La La Land goes AI Land.

And not only because of the factory that is Silicon Valley up the road, which churns out these mad robotic tech-bro geniuses.

Who, never shy to flaunt their wares, are opening up a new AI museum, Dataland, in the City of Angels.

To show us the future of the human race.

Jimmy the angel: In Los Angeles

And if you’re hearing echoes of floaty hippy Joni Mitchell ringing in your ears it’s not AI feedback.

‘They took all the trees and put them in a tree museum and charged all the people a dollar and a half just to see them.’

Only don’t be surprised if the tech-bros of the Oo Es of Eh are working on putting all the people in a people museum.

Some like it hot

Lying with Marilyn: West Village Morturary

Of course, in LA, you find out quickly that little is as you expect.

From the West Hollywood waiters who are not waiting for you.s

But canning the room for Martin’s Scorsese or Greta Gerwig to walk in.

To Marilyn Monroe, who greets you on the Walk of Fame.

The real Marilyn is, of course, at rest in Westwood Village Mortuary, where Playboy Hugh Hefner pushed in next to her.

Because, money buys you access in LA and the Next Big Thing which was what Marilyn was.

When Hefner bought nude pics of her to put on his first edition.

The Next Big Thing

Newsflash: The museum

The Next Big Thing we are told now is Artificial Intelligence.

And, of course, it very helpfully offers to write my life every day.

Although, I doubt if they could replicate my thoughts, words or deeds as I don’t even know them myself.

Which is the way it should be for all of us.

But because to be forewarned is to be forearmed.

I reckon I’ll pop by Dataland, the world’s first museum of AI Arts, which has Refik Anadol‘s fingerprints all over it.

When I’m next back in the City of Angels to see who I’m being replaced by.

Of course, it’ll cost more than a dollar and a half.

The tree museum

Right side of the tracks: Joni Mitchell

And as a sample of what’s on offer in Dataland, and we’re not making this up is what Joni was predicting.

Biome Lumina, the first collection powered by the Large Nature Model.

A generative AI system trained on 2.4 million ethically collected images of flora, fauna, and fungi.

Along with rainforest sound recordings, pigment analyses, and biosensor signals.

Dataland’s researchers have, of course, collected its 16 rainforest sites.

Equipped with LiDAR, photogrammetry, and environmental sensors that measure the heartbeat of the forest.

Billed as ‘a bold new frontier in generative art’.

Do the Data

Fake smile: Artificial life

Collectors are told they will be able to engage in dynamic conversations with the artwork.

Through a generative AI interface trained on environmental knowledge and datasets.

Now if you see a Bandanaman in Dataland at the Grand LA in Downtown LA.

We can’t guarantee that it’ll be the authentic but we promise you the real one wouldn’t be found dead there.

Because I have my heart set on the plot the other side of Marilyn Monroe

Our transatlantic airline carrier of choice Aer Lingus fly from our local airport here in Edinburgh.

Through Dublin with pre-clearance on a sample date from £675.

 

Countries

New Orleans a wonderful musical world

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And jazzing it up today, we’re happy to sing the praises of New Orleans a wonderful musical world, on the occasion of it being awarded a UNESCO Creative City for Music award.

Nawlins, as the natives pronounce it, is, of course, known for its jazz.

And as the hometown of the great trumpeter Louis Armstrong.

Harry’s game: Harry Connick Jnr

But The Big Easy has also spawned Blues, R&B and Soul greats Fats Domino, Irma Thomas and Dr John and crooner Harry Connick Jnr.

While leading hip-hop light Lil Wayne has also brought the Big Easy sound into his music.

A-Z of Cultural Cities

I think to myself: Louis Armstrong

It feels like an oversight that New Orleans is only now joining the 407-strong pantheon of cities globally.

From Abu Dhabi to Xalapa in Mexico.

And also including my home city of Glasgow and favourite English city of Liverpool.

Although they’ve yet to bestow a ‘Z’ so maybe time to step up Zurich.

All the colours: At Mardi Gras

New Orleans’ enrolment on World Cities Day 2025, sees it join Charlie Parker and Burt Bacharach’s back yard, Kansas City, Missouri.

The mantle of Creative City gives local musicians prestigious global recognition.

And opportunities with other named cities.

The Biggest Rock Band on Earth

Building on this designation, January will see New Orleans welcome the Biggest Rock Band on Earth.

Which we don’t have to tell you but is the Rockin’1000, to the US for the first time.

Having gained rave reviews across Europe.

To perform on the floor of the Caesars Superdome.

Rockin’1000 is a collection of 1,000 singers and musicians from around the world who perform in unison.

All of which is a Godsend for the New Orleans economy which means we can roll out our take… the cents come marching in.

And all that jazz

Give it some blow: New Orleans at its finest

With apologies, of course, to the jazz exponents who have long entertained us in host American cities at the travel fair IPW.

When the New Orleans Preservation Hall Jazz Band have marched us into their gatherings.

In time-honoured fashion then we’ll raise a brunch Sazerac to our friends in New Orleans.

And say, as a proud Glaswegian, welcome to the band.