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...
Dipping my toe back into blogging

The last time I updated this blog was 12 March 2020. We all know what happened after that. Covid. Lockdown. Stay at home. Wash Your Hands. Social Distancing. At a time when travel was...
Mum’s Gone to Japan: Kobe

After six nights in Tokyo and four nights in Hiroshima, our Rugby World Cup trip itinerary moved on to Kobe. Our team, Scotland, already bruised by their battering from Ireland in Yokohama, would be...
Mum’s Gone To Japan: Miyajima Island

If you’re looking for a day trip that involves as many forms of transport as possible, try this jaunt we took from Hiroshima to Miyajima island in Japan. We took a plane from...
Mum’s Gone To Japan: Finding peace in Hiroshima

At 8.15 am on 6 August 1945, an atomic bomb, code-name ‘Little Boy’, was detonated above the city of Hiroshima in Japan. The explosion caused thousands of deaths on impact and thousands more in...
Mum’s Gone To Japan: Things to do in Tokyo

A bucket list trip? Yes. A retirement present from my husband to himself? Absolutely. This was always going to be the trip of a lifetime. A holiday in Japan coinciding with the 2019 Rugby...
Cobh Heritage Centre and Titanic Experience

If you’re ever in Ireland and planning to visit Cobh, let me give you a tip. It’s pronounced ‘cove’ not ‘cobb’. A big thank you to the woman at Cork station who sold us...
Ayscoughfee Hall Cafe has the recipe for success

If you live in Spalding, or visit as a tourist, you’re bound to make a beeline for Ayscoughfee Hall. It dates from the mid-15th century and is a Grade I listed building. Whilst the...