Why be like the other sheep?
Just behind St Pancras Station there’s an old burial ground with lots of history and lots of literary connections. And a very macabre tree.
I’m off to Dorset at Easter. Mainly for a conference but, as it’s a beautiful part of the country and as I’m off work, it would be a wasted opportunity if I didn’t tag on a few days’ holiday.
Thinking of Dorset has made me think of Thomas Hardy.
Continue reading “The Hardy Tree in Old St Pancras Burial Ground”
Is it worth visiting the RHS Bridgewater Garden, Manchester’s latest attraction, in winter? I went along to find out.
When the Royal Horticultural Society opened a new garden in Salford back in May it got a lot of attention and a lot of visitors. Spread across 154 acres of the grounds belonging to the old Worsley New Hall estate, it’s more than just a new outside space. The garden has been designed to aid the environment and the health and wellbeing of the local community as well as providing food for the restaurant.
I got to make my first visit on a cloudy January day. There were far fewer people than there would have been in the summer, though it was still quite busy. For local people, it’s worth buying an annual pass which enables you to visit regularly and watch as the gardens evolve and change through the seasons. You can pop in for a quick walk or just for coffee and cake in the restaurant no matter the time of year or the weather.
But what if you live further away and so have to make a special effort to get there? And if you’re paying the £11.50 daily entrance fee you’re probably wanting to get more than a quick stroll for your money. So, if you’re not a local and you don’t have an annual pass, is it really worth visiting the RHS Garden Bridgewater in winter?
Continue reading “A Wintry Look at the RHS Garden Bridgewater”
A visit to Liverpool to see the Sickert exhibition at the Walker Gallery and a ride on a Big Wheel.
After so long with not really being able to see friends, it was lovely to have a friend come to stay with me at the beginning of December. We spent the Saturday in Manchester visiting the Christmas Markets and developing a habit of drinking coffee in posh hotels. On the Sunday we headed over to Liverpool to visit the Sickert Exhibition at the Walker Gallery.
Continue reading “A Day out to Liverpool to Visit the Sickert Exhibition”
I went to explore the Manchester Christmas Markets to see what effect Covid had had on them and discovered a new hobby of drinking coffee in posh hotels.
I’ve written about the Manchester Christmas Markets before and I’ve always claimed they are the best Christmas Markets in the country. Ok, I’ve not been to them all, but I’ve been to enough to call it.
I didn’t get to go last year, because Covid, so was extra excited about them this year, especially as I was going to be taking a friend who had never been to them before. Of course, I was a little concerned they might not live up to my usual expectations, after all there’s the Brexit effect to be considered as well as the Covid effect, but I still held out a lot of hope. So, did they excite and delight? Or were they more of a damp squid?
Continue reading “Manchester Christmas Markets and the Covid Effect”
Part 2 in a series of posts collating books about a particular place.
Rather a long time ago I had the idea to put together a series of reading lists for some of my favourite places. I love reading almost as much as I love travelling and I love reading books about or set in places I’ve been or by authors who are from there.
I put together what I thought was a pretty amazing, all-encompassing reading list for my all time favourite place – Shetland – and I was on a roll.
Except I wasn’t. I never got any further with my series than to write a list of places I wanted to compile a book list for.
But now in these strange days of self-isolation and social distancing when we can’t travel and have to all stay tucked away at home, what better time to catch up with reading about wonderful places around the world and reminiscing about them or dreaming of future travels to them.
So as my contribution towards helping people cope with the Corona pandemic here is number 2 in my reading lists to world series. This one is full of books all about ….
drum roll …
Continue reading “A Reading List for Orkney”
From Bonnie Prince Charlie’s cutlery to Dolly the sheep and from Lewis Chessmen to the St Ninian’s hoard, here are 9 reasons why exploring the National Museum of Scotland should be part of your Scotland itinerary.
The National Museum of Scotland might not be high on your list of must-sees when you visit Edinburgh, but you really should try to find the time to squeeze a visit in.
Here are 9 reasons why you should explore the National Museum of Scotland.
Continue reading “Exploring the National Museum of Scotland”
Get the lowdown on 9 very different coffee shops: there’s one in a crypt, one in Scotland’s oldest department store, one in library and one in a centre for Spiritualism. I also found coffee shops with Harry Potter and Outlander connections.
As I was in Edinburgh for the Festival and the Tattoo I spent most of my time dashing from place to place leaving little time for really exploring the the city’s coffee and foodie scene. However, as I do need coffee to function most days and I do like sitting in quirky coffee shops and people watching, I did aim to try at least one ‘interesting’ coffee shop each day. What I found made me realise I do need to spend more time exploring Edinburgh’s coffee shops as this city has a whole lot to offer on the cafes and coffee shops front.
Grab yourself a coffee and settle in while I share my findings with you.
Continue reading “Exploring Edinburgh’s Coffee Shops”
A kaleidoscope of colour and a cacophony of sound – everyone should go to the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo at least once in their life.
This year I was lucky enough to go to the Edinburgh Military Tattoo for the first time. It’s one of those things I’ve always intended going to, but during the dates it’s on I’m either far too north or in a completely different country. This summer I did things a bit differently and built in a few weeks holiday based around Edinburgh so I could go to the Festival and the Tattoo.
I’ve only ever heard people talk about how wonderful it is and not once come across anyone disappointed with it, so I was expecting it to be good. But you know what? Even with my expectations already high, I was still blown away by it. It’s one of those things that you really have to experience to appreciate it properly. If I lived in Edinburgh or if it was at a different time, I’d go every year.
In case you’re planning to go next year, or even if you’re not sure what the Tattoo actually is and are wondering if it’s something you might fancy doing one day, read on for my Beginner’s Guide to the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
Continue reading “Beginner’s Guide to the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo”
Venturing into rival territory, I spent a day exploring Manchester City’s ground on an Etihad Stadium tour and got to watch the first ever women’s Manchester derby.
I grew up as a Manchester United fan. In my teens I was pretty obsessed and spent hours reading and learning about the team, going to games when I could afford to and plastering my bedroom walls with Man Utd posters. I even spoke about the history of the team for the oral part of my O Level English exam.
Then I moved away and wasn’t able to keep up-to-date. By the time I eventually returned to Manchester the team I’d loved (and the game in general) had changed so much it was as though my team didn’t exist anymore.
Continue reading “When a United fan goes to City”
Exploring the Gospel Pass – Wales’s highest road – is a great way to get a taster of the Wye Valley when visiting the Hay Festival.
I’d seen the sign pointing the way to Capel-y-ffin each time I passed the narrow road on my way between the campsite and the festival site in Hay-on-Wye. I was there for the festival and had booked lots of events, but I made sure I also built in time for exploring some of the local area.
When I had pretty much a whole day free to explore I decided to turn up this narrow road and see what it had to offer.
It turned out to be a whole lot. I spent the day driving over and exploring the Gospel Pass and stopping off not just at Capel-y-ffin, but also at several other places as well. If you’d like to have a similar day exploring the Gospel Pass – Wales’s highest road, here’s what you can expect.
Continue reading “Exploring the Gospel Pass – Wales’s Highest Road”
