Jane Austen is one of England’s best-known authors. Her six novels are still widely-read today, more than 200 years after her death at the age of 41. Her second novel, Pride and Prejudice, has never been out of print, and it’s sold more than 200 million copies worldwide since its publication in 1813. If you’d like to […]
Review: The Gonville Hotel, Cambridge
Following on from my post about a things to see and do in Cambridge (read it here – What to see and do in Cambridge: 2-day itinerary) I wanted to write a separate post about the excellent boutique hotel that we stayed at in Cambridge: The Gonville Hotel. Where to stay in Cambridge: The Gonville […]
What to see and do in Cambridge: 2-day itinerary
Cambridge is known around the world for its ancient university. The compact city centre is packed with beautiful and interesting historic buildings, and it’s a great place for a short break. Cambridge is in the East of England, around 50 miles north east of London. I’ve been to Cambridge to visit relatives many times over […]
Things to do in Southampton with kids
The city of Southampton is in Hampshire on England’s south coast and has been an important sea port for centuries. Today Southampton is the UK’s leading cruise port. The Mayflower initially sailed from here for America in 1620, before stopping off at Plymouth. The Titanic sailed from Southampton in 1912, and author Jane Austen lived in the […]
Radisson Blu Hotel Birmingham review
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 […]
