Birmingham is Britain’s second largest city, and is currently going through a multi-million pound programme of renovation. The success of the BBC’s BAFTA-winning Peaky Blinders series (which is watched avidly in our house) is boosting visitor numbers to both Birmingham and to the West Midlands area. If you’re looking for a stylish, modern hotel in […]
How to go seal watching in Winterton, Norfolk
On a January trip to Norfolk to visit a friend I was amazed to see some seal pups on the sandy beach at Winterton. My friend is a volunteer seal warden at the beach, and she explained that these pups will have been born in December. Their mothers will have stayed with them on the […]
How to explore the Pilgrims’ Way by car
The Pilgrims’ Way is an ancient route in the South of England, connecting the shrine of St. Swithun in Winchester Cathedral with the shrine of the martyr St Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral. It’s impossible to know how many pilgrims followed this route in medieval times, but historians believe that as many as tens of […]
7 great outdoor activities in the New Forest
If you’d like to have an outdoor adventure in the UK, the New Forest makes an excellent destination, as I found out on a trip there in January. The New Forest is a ruggedly peaceful National Park and you can reach it in just 90 minutes from London by train. Protected since William the Conqueror […]
New Park Manor luxury spa hotel review
I really enjoyed visiting the New Forest for a winter break. Although it’s only around 100 miles from where I live in southern England, I’d not really explored this area much at all, and I was intrigued to learn about its history. While I was there I took part in some outdoor adventures – you can […]
Review: The Malvern Spa Hotel
As I drive up to The Malvern Spa I assume that my SatNav has brought me to the wrong place. I’ve been to a fair few spas in my time, and all of them have been either in country house hotels, or on the coast or in swish city centre locations – apart from the […]
How to visit the places in the Winnie-the-Pooh books
I’ve loved A. A. Milne’s stories about Christopher Robin, Pooh Bear and friends ever since I was given paperback copies of Winnie-the-Pooh and When We Were Very Young as a child. I still have those books – according to the back cover they cost 20p each. The books were originally published in the 1920s but […]
Rewind Festival review – Henley 2017
When my sister invited me to go to the Rewind Festival with her and a group of friends this year I said yes straightaway. She went to Rewind a couple of years ago and from what she’d told me about it I thought that I’d enjoy it – plus it was a chance for some […]
Exploring Puzzlewood, Forest of Dean
Walking along the winding paths of Puzzlewood is an enchanting experience. As I weave my way along the tracks between the ancient woodland’s moss-covered limestone rocks, watched over by aged yew trees, I feel like I’m in an otherworldly place. Puzzlewood Puzzlewood lies in the Forest of Dean, on the border of England and Wales, and its […]
7 great outdoor activities in the Forest of Dean
I spent a brilliant spring weekend in the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean. The area sits on the border of England and Wales, and I was invited there by the local tourist association. I was one of a group of bloggers who were there to experience some of the local outdoor activities. Here’s my […]
