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 […]
2-week itinerary: Sydney & Great Barrier Reef with a teenager
I used to live in Sydney in the 1990s and absolutely loved my time there. My children have grown up hearing stories of big skies, wonderful scenery, sea and sunshine. It was hardly a surprise when my 16 year-old son Max declared his burning desire to go to Australia when we were deciding on a […]
Free things to do in New York City with teenagers
New York City is one of the most expensive cities in the world for travellers – and it’s also one of the most popular to visit, especially for teens. If you’re exploring the Big Apple with teenagers, and you’d like to keep your costs down, I have some tips for you. There are plenty of […]
Top things to do in Sicily with teenagers
As a family, we love Sicily, and it’s not just because half our ancestors come from there. The “ball” being kicked by mainland Italy’s “boot”, Sicily has so much to offer and also feels very different to the mainland. If you’ve visited Italy before, Sicily will be familiar but will also feel very different to […]
4-night Budapest city break itinerary
A few years ago I was a frequent visitor to Budapest. My husband was sent to the Hungarian capital for a year’s work, just after our daughter had started secondary school. Rather than relocate the whole family, we decided that he should go there alone, and that the kids and I would join him during […]
Best places for vegan food in Budapest
Traditional Hungarian food seems to always contain meat – the most famous national dish is goulash, a beef and vegetable stew. But these days I find that cosmopolitan Budapest has plenty of places which cater for vegetarians and vegans – you just need to do some research to find them. When my vegan daughter and […]
60 free things to do in London with a teenager
If you’re visiting London with a teenager, there’s a huge range of fun, interesting and quirky things to see and do in the city for free. From world-class museums to unique festivals to outdoor activities, there really is something for everyone to enjoy in London – without paying a penny. There are also some hotels […]
How to take part in a beach clean up
Have you ever taken part in a beach clean? It’s a really easy way to make a positive impact on the world. Every single piece of litter which you collect from the beach makes a difference – because it’s one less harmful thing to be eaten by sea creatures and to pollute the environment. You […]
Guide for parents: how to choose a secondary school
How do you choose a secondary school for your child? For my kids, I looked at the websites for schools in our area, read their Ofsted inspection reports and went along to open days. I also asked the advice of my children’s teachers and talked to other parents. I tried to think about what would […]
Where to find Mary Poppins film locations in London
Mary Poppins author P. L Travers lived in the fashionable district of Bloomsbury when she first moved to London in her twenties. She later made her home in Chelsea, another affluent part of the city. Her book Mary Poppins was published in 1934, and Travers then went on to write eight books over fifty years. […]
