Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall Humpty Dumpty had a great fall All the king’s horses And all the king’s men Couldn’t put Humpty together again. We all know the nursery rhyme of egg-shaped...
Riverside Walk from Leamington Spa to Warwick

What makes a good walk? Here’s a list – in no particular order – of a few things that, if they can be added to the usual views, scenery etc, can persuade me to...
Heading for the hills in Edinburgh

Have you ever tried ‘munro-bagging’? The idea is to climb one or all of the 282 Scottish mountains over 3000ft high (914m). I can’t say that’s ever been on our agenda. We love walking...
Come on, Eileen! Finding the weird and wonderful in museums

Who doesn’t love a museum which is a little bit weird and wonderful? Not for me a boring traipse around some dry old exhibits, usually accompanied by long-winded information on signage boards. I much...
Trekking with Nidderdale Llamas

“Stop that, Barney!” says the patient llama-handler, as the frisky creature continues to make mischief by knocking the top off a metal post with his head. We’re standing in a barn in the North...
Revisiting a Kingdom by the Sea

The green cover of the book was instantly recognisable. A Kingdom by the Sea, written in 1967 by a London Journalist, Betty James, might have gone unnoticed by other visitors to Barter Books in...
Kerrycroy: self-catering accommodation in Perthshire, Scotland

Last summer I had a yearning to travel after being constrained by the first lockdown. As soon as we could, we made plans to go to Scotland. We have great friends, Marion and Henry,...
Wings of a Dove

Take time for your pleasure And laugh with love Take the hand of another And sing for the wings of a dove Whoa, whoa, for the wings of a dove Whoa, whoa, for the...