Top 10 Spring experiences

All the joys of the season are here for your delectation, whether you wish to drive a classic sports car through the Scottish Highlands, learn afternoon tea etiquette in London or spend a day at Cheltenham Races.

1. Private Dance Lessons at Pineapple Studios London

Pineapple Dance Sudios - Debbie Moore OBE

Enjoy a private dance lesson at one of the most famous dance studios in the world. Pineapple is for everyone – from ordinary people to A-list celebrities and British royalty. Famous visitors have included David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Tina Turner, Madonna, Take That, Rihanna and One Direction. With its roots firmly embellished in a love of all things ‘dance’, Pineapple’s dance and fashion heritage has touched the lives of so many people in some way during its 40-year reign at the helm of Debbie Moore OBE.

2. Create your own dried flower buttonhole to wear to the Chelsea Flower Show

Chelsea Flower Show

IMAGE © RHS/Georgi Mabee

Dream Escape can arrange a private floristry workshop in a delightful shop in Chelsea for you to make your very own boutonnière or buttonhole to wear to the world's greatest flower show. Learn classic flowerarranging skills and be creative in a fun atmosphere, taking home the confidence to successfully arrange flowers for your home. Plus, with your own dried-flower boutonnière or buttonhole pinned to your jacket or dress, you will arrive in style to the world-famous RHS Chelsea Flower Show, sponsored by The Newt in Somerset (see our article on page 48). The 2023 show will shine a spotlight on restorative gardens and the ways in which gardening and gardens can contribute positively to our health and wellbeing, as well as to help the environment.

3. Discover your inner James Bond

IMAGE © JULIO CORONADO

The 26th official James Bond film is unlikely to be in cinemas before 2025, but that shouldn’t stop you from enjoying life through the eyes of a spellbinding secret agent. Dream Escape will take you on a private tour of Bletchley Park – once the top-secret home of the WWII code breakers – on an adrenalinefuelled driving experience in a formula racing car on the UK's fastest race circuit, and to a luxury hotel where you can sip a vodka martini during sundown. Dream Escape guests can even meet Dame Stella Rimington, famed for her former position as the first female Director-General of MI5. Stella is an inspirational speaker and will share her stories of her time in MI5 service.

4. Drive in a classic sports car through the Scottish Highlands

Cameron House on Loch Lomond

Step back in time and buckle up behind the wheel of a classic sports car on a sensational vintage trip. Dream Escape puts you in the driving seat, navigating dream roads through incredible Scottish Highland landscapes. You will be driving the likes of a Morgan, a Triumph, a Jaguar, or an Austin Healey through stunning scenery, and staying each night in some of Scotland's most beautiful accommodation, from The Balmoral and Cameron House to romantic Scottish castles in remote glens, such as Roxburgh Castle, Inverlochy and Floors Castle. Make your trip even more special with a helicopter transfer to your start point on arrival.

5. Experience an exhilarating Bond-style boat charter

MGB 81

Explore the harbour at a gentle pace before tearing through the waters of the Solent to the Isle of Wight at 40+ miles per hour for an adrenalin-pumped adventure. MGB 81, described as 'the Spitfire of the seas', has three new engines, and as the only surviving boat of her type is the ultimate high-speed, once-in-a-lifetime James Bond-style experience.

6. Find your creativity at museums in the capital

V&A Museum

With International Museum Week returning in May 2023, there has never been a better time to immerse yourself in city culture. With a collection spanning 5,000 years of human creativity, the V&A Museum is a great place to start. Explore creations that range from ancient ceramics to manuscripts, Raphael Cartoons and Alexander McQueen evening dresses, providing a glimpse into the world’s greatest creative minds. The Royal Academy showcases more major exhibitions in 2023, focusing on living artists and architects, art displays, and the institution’s two buildings – Burlington House on Piccadilly and Burlington Gardens – are linked with dedicated spaces for exhibitions and displays across the site, including an Architecture Studio. You might also enjoy the Cartoon Museum, where you can explore the wonderful world of British cartoons and comics. There's also the Tate Modern, Britain's national museum of modern and contemporary art, with temporary exhibitions by top artists from Damien Hirst to Gauguin, and restaurants offering fabulous views across the city.

7. Stay at ashford castle with vintage car tour

Ashford Castle

Your adventure begins inside the grand stone gates of a remarkable 800-year-old castle. As Ireland's first Forbes Five-Star Hotel and the former home of the Guinness family, Ashford Castle is truly a oncein-a-lifetime luxurious experience. From here, Dream Escape will showcase the world’s longest coastal drive; the Wild Atlantic Way, taking you off the beaten track and to the most beautiful parts of Ireland in a vintage car. Passing by towering cliffs and twisting roads, your excursions will range from helicopter flights to exclusive access to magnificent stately homes, and your trip is completed with the intimate and luxurious stay at Ashford Castle.

8. Learn afternoon tea etiquette in London

Jo in a London tea salon

Discover the history and etiquette of an enduring British tradition with a fun and unique afternoon tea masterclass with Jo Bryant. Jo Bryant is a British etiquette consultant, who appeared on television around the world for the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and was a commentator for Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding. The private Dream Escape session is arranged and hosted by Jo in a London tea salon – for example, Fortnum & Mason or a top London hotel. While enjoying afternoon tea together, Jo guides you through the etiquette with relaxed, chatty, discreet and informative teaching.

9. The ultimate alpaca experience

Bozedown Alpacas

Join an alpaca walk through the beautiful South Oxfordshire countryside – where the Chiltern Hills meet the River Thames. You can enjoy leading an alpaca around a farm as you learn more about these attractive, enigmatic creatures that originate from the High Andes of Peru, but are quite at home in leafy England. Bozedown Farm is home to Bozedown Alpacas – a family enterprise that has been breeding and selling alpacas since 1989, with more than 700 alpacas from truly exceptional Bozedown pedigrees. Stay in five-star bliss at the nearby Coworth Park, part of the Dorchester Collection. Set in beautiful Berkshire countryside with a luxurious spa, Coworth Park Hotel is an oasis of calm. Located in Ascot, home to royal races, parks and princes.

10. Spend a day at the Cheltenham races

Cheltenham Festival

IMAGE © Anthony Upton for The Jockey Club

One of the most important dates in the racing calendar, Cheltenham Festival – in the beautiful, rolling Cotswold Hills – has been a celebrated event for over a century. And, with Dream Escape, the 2023 season will be as special as ever. Nestled in the natural amphitheatre created by Cleeve Hill in Cheltenham, which flanks the course and faces the rising terraces that overlook the expansive racecourse and the green Cotswold hills beyond, Cheltenham Racecourse is known as the home of jump racing – and the Festival is the jewel in its sporting crown. At Cheltenham, there’s perhaps no better way to enjoy The Festival than from the Club Enclosure, which has spectacular views from the tiered main grandstand, as well as the expansive members' lawn where you can watch the racing up close and even get a spot by the winning post. With VIP box experiences, as well as access to the paddock and parade ring, these luxury experiences bring an added magic to spending a day at the races.

Find out more:

Annika Busam, Travel Design Manager

“Spring is one of my favourite seasons and, this year especially, we have so many new and exciting experiences to offer. We love to inspire and engage our clients with unique activities and off-the-beaten-track experiences, appreciating the chance to get outside, and enjoy the longer days. This Top 10 list is just a glimpse of the vast range we can organise for you.”

⬥ annika@dreamescape.co.uk