41st Annual Meeting of the Society for Invertebrate Pathology
and 9th International Conference on Bacillus thuringiensis

Regrettably, tours are not run by either the University or the Conference and you should therefore make your own arrangements. Travel in the UK is easy and most visitor attractions have websites, which makes planning and organising trips straightforward. Here are some useful websites:

• http://www.visitcoventryandwarwickshire.co.uk
• http://www.shakespeare-country.co.uk
• http://www.travelcoventry.co.uk
• http://www.warwick-castle.co.uk
• http://www.transport-museum.com
• http://www.stagecoachbus.com
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/coventry/index.shtml
• http://www.nationaltrustcottages.co.uk
• http://www.landmarktrust.org.uk

Harry Shaw - a local coach tour operator - has two day trips scheduled for the conference period - see 'Coach Tours' below. The UK is an excellent place for a vacation, and we hope that many delegates will be able to combine their participation in SIP with a holiday. The UK is well known for its rich history. Being a small country, many of our top destinations are easy to visit in a single trip. However visitors are often surprised when they discover that, for a small country, the UK has a wide diversity in both landscape and culture. You're also never more than 2 hours away from the sea. A good place to go for general information on the UK is the BBC website. The following books are also really useful:

• The Rough Guide to Britain
• Lonely Planet guides to England, Wales and Scotland (see website

Warwickshire is an ideal base for a holiday. There are many attractions close by, but it is also at the hub of the country's rail and road network. Here are some recommendations for places to visit:

• Warwick town, Leamington Spa and Stratford upon Avon.
• The Cotswolds - an area of outstanding natural beauty, begins outside Stratford and ends at the historic city of Bath, about 2 hours drive south.
• The Wye valley. Marking the southern border between England and Wales, this is one of the most beautiful river valleys in the country and is less than 90 minutes' drive from Warwick. The English - Welsh border is superb, unspoilt and uncrowded. It is one of my favourite places in the whole of the country.
• Worcester. Historic city at the foot of the Malvern Hills, and home of Worcester porcelain. 40 minutes by car.
• Ironbridge Gorge: the European Industrial Revolution began in this peaceful countryside setting, now a World Heritage Site and host to 10 different museums. Located an hour and 20 minutes away.
• Severn Estuary - the second highest tidal range in the world and home to the Severn Bore (this is a large tidal wave, not a big pig, it happens twice a day and, on large tides, people surf it up the river for up to ten miles), 90 minutes away.

For those looking to travel further:

• London, one of the world's great cities, 90 minutes by train from Coventry, Warwick or Leamington.
• Cardiff, capital of Wales, and eclectic mix of ancient and modern. Two hours drive away and gateway to the spectacular Welsh Gower and Pembrokeshire coasts.
• The southwest: Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and Dorset. The most popular holiday destination for Brits and considered by many the most beautiful place in the country. Great beaches, coves and villages. Few visitors realise that Britain has many excellent surf beaches, and the southwest coast is the centre of the country's large surfing scene.
• Edinburgh, capital of Scotland - 5 hours drive, 4 hours by train, or 50 minutes to fly. From here it's on to the Highlands and Islands, to take in Scotland's lochs, coast and mountains. The north of Scotland is one of Western Europe's last places of wilderness.