The annual Six Nations championship matches are the biggest of the year at Twickenham, attracting guaranteed 82,000 sell-out crowds and resuming international rivalries that have continued for decades. England welcome Wales and Ireland for matches in 2012.
Held every two years, the Guildford Spring Music Festival is a week-long mix of performances, workshops, recitals and masterclasses. Many of the musicians, like co-president, tenor Philip Langridge CBE, are local with a zeal for promoting music in the city.
A honey-coloured Palladian mansion, Basildon Park is a National Trust property, with lovely parkland overlooking the Thames Valley. The 18th-century house has some notable plasterwork and an elegant staircase, as well as the unusual Octagon Room.
From small beginnings, the 350 acres of Beale Park have been transformed into a garden with nature trails, summer river cruises and a deer park. Most impressive is the aviary walkway where you can see a number of rare birds.
More than a theme park, Alton Towers is a British institution and one of the biggest tourist attractions in the country, with three million visitors every year. Large-scale white-knuckle rides abound, but there's plenty for the faint-hearted too.