I have lived all of my life in either North Essex or Suffolk but have only recently discovered how beautiful the North Norfolk coast is for a holiday and less than 2 hours car journey away.

We have for the past 24 years lived in a village between Colchester and Bury St Edmunds and just 2 miles from the pretty village of Lavenham - a hotspot with tourists from the USA!

I'm sure that like most people we don't always appreciate what is on our doorstep.

Pippa

OK I live just outside Chesterfield the town of the FAMOUS Crooked Spire and a few miles away there is the equally famous Barrow Hill Engine Shed --the LAST working roundhouse in the country and it's open every Sat/Sunday FREE except when there is a gala on

To the North there's Sheffield and the infamous Meadowhall(called Meadowhell locally, well it is in a wheelchair) Shopping Centre

Of course there is the Peak District / Bakewell (you HAVE to visit the Pudding Shop) / Buxton / Chatsworth House , Gardens, and Park / Haddon Hall in the Peak there are lots of cycleways/bridleways made from old railway lines and there is Peak Rail, Matlock to Rowsley not forgetting Matlock Bath and it's Spas as well as lots of Stone circles and quite a few monoliths to the West of us

and

then to the East there is Creswell Crags (site of Neolithic dwellings) and Sherwood Forest and of course the Robin Hood Experience

and to the South
There is Crich Memorial (a lighthouse to guide the lost souls of the Sherwood Forresters lost in battle overseas) the Crown Derby Factory, the Midland Railway Trust, Ecclesbourne Valley Railway and of course just 18 miles there's Derby

and in that catchment there are so many pubs, restaurants, hotels, guest houses, Camping & Caravanning sites you can eat your fill and not worry about having to drive home

Sometimes I wonder WHY do we leave this place to go abroad with all this culture etc - - - -then the British weather steps in and reminds me why

Gray..you can't be too far away from me then..I live just North of Sherwood Forest right on the border with Yorkshire...

Sherwood Forest is just wonderful to go walking in..but then like Gray said..the weather is usually awful most of the time.

It alwasy amazes me when we go to Sherwood Pines just how many tourists are there. I obviously don't appreciate it with it being on the doorstop.

We live in North Wales, close to Chester, so loads of touristy things to do, largely un-appreciated by us! My sister lives in Windermere in the Lakes, a brother in Aberystwyth and the other brother in ............er.......Runcorn!

I live just south of Glasgow so we have all its museums and attractions close by. Within an hour's drive/train journey we have Edinburgh, Stirling, Loch Lomond and Burns Country and Ayrshire's other attractions. We have two very good child centred National Trust for Scotland properties within 10 minutes drive too.

Well, if you count a historic picturesquest town and a fantastic sandy beach 3 miles away, than yes, I do have tourist attractions on my doorstep Well, literallly on my doorstep the picturequest town I live here.

Born and bred London - where do I start?

However, moved to Essex/Suffolk border 29 years ago to a small village in the heart of Constable Country and in an AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty). Seven miles away is Long Melford - which has the longest high street in East Anglia (mostly antique shops and filming tv series Lovejoy). Kentwell Hall http://www.kentwell.co.uk/ a red brick tudor mansion which is open virtually all year round and famous for it's re-creation of tudor life. Also in Long Melford is Melford Hall http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-melfordhall (Beatrix Potter visited often as she was a relation).

Ten miles away is Lavenham - described as Englands finest medieval town http://www.discoverlavenham.co.uk/ . The market square was the main location for the filming of Witchfinder General (scenes also from Harry Potter & the Deathly Hollow were also filmed in Lavenham)

Then of course there is also Dedham Vale and Flatford Mill with Willie Lott's cottage made famous in the painting by John Constable.

Colchester - the Essex's oldest recorded town is just 11 miles away - with it's castle..and also Colchester Zoo which is really well maintained.

I don't live to far from the O2 in Greenwich and the company I work for has a corporate box there and if they have any seats left over for events, us everyday staff are lucky enough to use them!

I live close to Durham with it's beautiful cathedral, Beamish museum, and very close to Barnard Castle with Bowes museum, and Raby Castle. Also live about 15 minutes walk from Auckland Castle and deer park.

I live on the coast in the Scottish borders, half an hour from Edinburgh one way and close to St Abbs Head ,Fast castle and Bamburgh the other way. The coast line round here is very much like Cornwall and we have the Southern Upland way which is a walk from the East Coast to the West coast.

I love it where you live! It is a divers paradise in UK waters...very popular. The scenery is spectacular and I have spent many a pleasurable hour up there. In fact, it is one of my favourite places in the whole of the UK...I feel at total peace in St Abbs and Coldingham.

We aren't far from Summer Wine country, and it's murder! The Highways Dept have decided to alter the traffic system and lights in Holmfirth (1 set)) and if you want to see a traffic jam, that's the place. As Tom Jones sang, It's not unusal!
I was chatting with Ashley Jackson in the centre and another star stopped for a natter - Compo.
I asked him if he realised how lucky he was chatting to Ashley and me!

Summer Wine was also filmed in surrounding villages up to 10 miles away and I don't think I ever watched a full episode.

I really am a miserable old giffer!

Parky, you can't be too far away from me then.

Sanji x

Open all Hours was filmed not too far away from where I live either....

Open all Hours was filmed not too far away from where I live either....

Def on my doorstep
External shots were filmed outside a corner shop in Lister Avenue, Balby, Doncaster and the premises was a hairdressing salon given a make-over by BBC.

Not on my doorstep anymore, but just down the road from where we used to live, my cousin`s house was used for a film about 6 years ago, called A Jealous God, one of the people in it was Denise Welch. They needed a house that was still rooted in the 1950s, and his fit the bill to a T!!

We live in Edinburgh and last year stayed at home and became tourists for the week instead of a holiday. We had a wonderful time. Fife isn't far away by car or train and has lots of wonderful places to visit too.

cheshire -

chester zoo - definately reccomend
went to liverpool world museum the other day that was v good
walton hall gardens - thats lovely

theres lots to do