Picture Yourself There

PGA European Tour

OK, so golf isn't necessarily the most glamorous of sports. Look what it did for Catherine Zeta Jones (from glamour to granddad in one easy step). But another Hollywood heart throb has been getting into the swing of it lately (sorry) - it has been reported that Hugh Grant is practically obsessed with the sport.

If it's good enough for the A-list, then it's good enough for us, we say. If you think a club is your favourite sandwich and a wedge is a kind of shoe, your golfing knowledge maybe needs a little polish and you'd do well to check out the PGA European Tour which begins today. With top golfers competing until 3rd June, you'll soon know your birdies from your bunkers.

Don't want to disappoint, but Catherine and Hugh might not be there. But it'll be a good day out anyway. Get the NavPix here...

Navman Loves - Grindelwald in Switzerland

Even if you were the kind of child who was banned from recorder lessons, an event beginning tomorrow is guaranteed to bring out the music lover in you. Featuring some of the finest jazz, rock, soul and blues acts from across the world, the Montreux Jazz Festival is bound to get your toes tapping, and is taking place at various venues across Switzerland until 31 July. Have a look here for more details...

But if you decide to visit, don’t forget that there are a whole host of European NavPix on Navman’s library – why not have a peek and see if there’s anything else you’d like to see in the area? Grindelwald in Switzerland featured recently in our Top Ten Secret Agent NavPix, and we think it would be well worth your while to check out this beautiful village.

Nice. Have a look at the Top Ten Secret Agent NavPix here…

New Greenwich Observatory

It hasn’t been a fantastic couple of weeks for the people of Greenwich. Just a week after fire devastated the iconic Cutty Sark, residents have learned that they may lose the famous Henry Moore sculpture that has stood in Greenwich Park since 1979. Fearing that the landmark may be susceptible to graffiti, the Henry Moore Foundation has ordered that it be moved into storage. However, help may be at hand from unlikely – and other-worldly – sources…

Brown dwarfs, in fact. And possibly little green men. You see, the world’s leading boffins have just announced the discovery of 28 new planets outside our solar system – seven of these are believed to be brown dwarfs, or failed stars. And what better inspiration to get stargazing yourself, at the new Greenwich Observatory? After a £15 million regeneration, the Time and Space project should put stars in the eyes of Greenwich residents again.

Get the NavPix here…

Big Brother House

Expect a riot tomorrow evening, as Channel 4’s most notorious offering returns to our screens… yes, Big Brother is about to begin, and we’ll all be wondering who will be walking through those famous gates this time. The seminal show has come a long way since series one, when all the contestants were, frankly, quite dull and everyman Craig became king – now, against the outlandish antics (and dress sense) of old favourites like Kemal and Kinga, Nasty Nick’s playground pettiness simply pales in comparison.

Face it – the only reality here is that for the whole summer, we’ll be glued to our screens in a bizarre mixture of delight and horror. Switch on, and remember that, after all, your own flatmates aren’t really so bad…

If you want to go and see the circus for yourself, get the NavPix here.

West Lodge Rural Centre

Another week, and another email from a Navman customer with a highly recommended location. Robert from Kettering has written to let us know about the West Lodge Rural Centre, where he somehow found himself in the middle of a piglet race...

'If anyone is looking for a fabulous day out with the kids, then you can't go wrong with this place. It's a great place for children to learn about different animals - we loved Goat Mountain, where you can have a look at the pygmy goats, and our little ones were rapt in Duck Corner. I'm not quite sure how, but I ended up herding a bunch of little pigs around a racetrack, much to the amusement of the family...'

Get your wellies on, and get the NavPix here...

Colchester Zoo

What do Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have in common with Carlos and Fernando, the only gay flamingoes at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust in Gloucestershire? That's right, they're all proud parents of adopted babies. While Brad and Ange scoured the globe for their sprogs, the two proud and feathered dads found their little bundle of joy a touch closer to home - they have rescued a youngster abandoned by their neighbour, and taken it under their kindly, pink wings.

A heartwarming story for this week's Navman Loves post, then. If feathered and four-legged creatures make you go all fuzzy inside, why not check out some of the zoos and great animal parks available on the NavPix library? We like the Colchester zoo, which is a brilliant day out for little and big kids alike.

Get the NavPix here...

Kew Gardens Mediterranean Summer Festival

Make the most of it - they say today is going to be the best day of the bank holiday weekend, and we're set for rain on our extra day off. Typical. Why not enjoy the weather while it lasts, and soak up the Mediterranean Summer at Kew Gardens, which begins today.

Along with a beach - yes, you heard it right, a lovely golden beach right next to the Pavilion restaurant - and an olive grove, you'll find a huge pizza made of flowers and herbs. Sadly not for consumption, tasty as it looks. For those who like it even hotter, the display of more than 100 chilli plants is not for the faint hearted.

Pretend you're on holiday, and get the NavPix here...

Star Wars Convention, LA

Admit it. You tried it yourself. Thirty years ago, you sat in your bedroom on your own and tried to move a pencil sharpener using only your Jedi powers. If, at the time, you were surprised and disappointed by your lack of success, you were perhaps a little bit too involved with the iconic Star Wars series, which turned 30 yesterday. And those graphics don't look a day over 29.

But even if you didn't quite make the grade as a Jedi Knight, don't despair - you can relive the magic of a galaxy far, far away at the biggest ever party for the fans of the world's favourite sci-fi saga (not counting the last three films). As well as celebrity guests, live entertainment and - of course - costume competitions, Star Wars Celebration IV will be the ultimate adventure for die-hard fans.

It's all happening in LA this weekend - get the NavPix here...

Madonna on the market!

We hadn't planned to write about Madonna today. But to be touched by greatness is a wonderful thing and when we, on our way through central London, discovered that the queen of pop herself was on our path, our best laid plans became small in comparison.

Madge is apparently busy directing a short film about East London (we know she's not a real Londoner, but humour her). She and her crew descended onto Exmouth Market in North London at midday today, and while we didn't actually see her we did see a lot of film equipment and several paparazzi. The person next to us did, however, manage to glimpse the star, and remarked that although she was wearing a green velour tracksuit, she did look 'really rather good'.

OK, so she'll probably be gone by the time you arrive. But with its fab little coffee shops, gorgeous restaurants, cool bars and incongruous old-man-pubs, we think Exmouth Market is fit for a celeb anyway.

Get the NavPix here...

Chelsea Flower Show

Even though Chelsea’s popular flower show opens today, there have been some disgruntled noises from the green-fingered community about the event. What could have caused this horticultural discontent? Have the organisers come down with a nasty case of hay fever? Has a plague of aphids descended onto the prize rosebushes?

No. Bees have been banned from the gardens. One designer who had planned to invite 70,000 of the creatures to stay in his creation has expressed his disappointment that he now has ‘a garden full of flowers perfect for bees and not a bee in sight to enjoy it’ (read more here). Now, call me a pansy, but I’m not sure I’d be so keen on the prospect of a bee army massing around me while I’m just trying to have a peek at the gerberas.

The picture above shows Sarah Eberle's award winning Bradstone Garden, which won a Gold Medal last year - which will be the most impressive entries this time? Get your antihistamines ready and download the Flower Show NavPix here…