Beer and Sunshine? It must be Greenwich’s Beer and Jazz festival!

Whether you are planning a short summer break or a day visit to this beautiful World Heritage Site beside the Thames in south east London, there are plenty of things for every age to enjoy, which are easy on the pocket and ensure a great value family day out.

This summer sees the first Greenwich Beer & Jazz Festival on the lawns of King Charles Gardens at the Old Royal Naval College between July 16 and 20. Celebrating London’s tradition and expertise in brewing fine real ales, and the rich brewing history of the College. So forget worrying about Greenwich mean time and wet your whistle with a couple of jugs of ale.

The jazz line-up features an eclectic mix of summer sounds; from chilled lunchtimes to energetic evening sessions, with the very best in traditional jazz, funk, blues and soul. Traditional jazz enthusiasts will love the line-up, which includes James Evans Giraffe Band featuring Trevor ‘Fingers’ Williams’, Gumbo and Gentleman Jim McIntosh and the Jazzaholics; while the contemporary vibes will be supplied by among others, Snake Davis and Zena James.

Also on show for day-trippers is the Greenwich Wheel, which at 180ft (55m) from the ground offers wonderful panoramic views beyond St Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London to the west, across the river and past Canary Wharf to the heights of Hampstead Heath, and east to the Olympic site in the Lea Valley.

Greenwich outdoor theatre will also be presenting afternoon and early evening outdoor performances by Rainbow Shakespeare of two of the Bard’s most popular comedies, the Merchant of Venice and the Taming of the Shrew in the Royal Observatory Gardens between 23 July and 3 August. There will also be a one-off performance of the opera Don Pasquale by the Garden Opera Company on 25 August.

If you have time the National Maritime Museum is definitely worth a visit. Entry is free and you can explore Britain’s seafaring heritage in the museum’s galleries from the times of early explorers and household names like Nelson, Cook and Shackleton to visions of the future and is guaranteed to keep children occupied.

You can also gain access to the Royal Observatory which was founded as a scientific institution for navigational research by Charles II in 1675 and was designed by Sir Christopher Wren. Among its most valued possessions are the clocks developed by John Harrison to determine longitude at sea. The Time and Space galleries also tell the story of time and help explain how we study the stars; you can stand in the courtyard astride the Prime Meridian Longitude Zero, which marks the division between the East and West hemispheres and from where world time zones have been calculated by international agreement since 1884.

Special places well worth a visit include the Fan Museum where a new exhibition, Fashion in the Palm of your Hand is running until 26 October and the Wernher Collection at the Ranger’s House which was brought together by the diamond millionaire Sir Julius Wernher, the collection of over 700 works of art contains Renaissance jewellery, old masters, Limoges enamels and an eclectic array of items.

Travelling there is easy as Maritime Greenwich is easily reached by South Eastern’s train service from London Bridge to Greenwich or via the Docklands Light Railway alighting at Cutty Sark. Alternatively there are several bus services coming through Greenwich or visitors can arrive by passenger boat at Greenwich Pier.

So when you're stuck for something to do this summer, head down to Greenwich and learn something about our wonderful country.

FemaleFirst - Ruth Harrison