In the run up to Christmas last year we took a trip to York. It was fabulous: a Christmas market, lovely hotel, lots of shopping and eating: an ideal way to prepare for the...
10 reasons to love Japan
After nearly a month in Japan, following the Scotland team as they played the pool matches in the Rugby World Cup, it’s fair to say Dougie and I are completely smitten with the country....
A visitor’s guide to toilets in Japan
Top of my Christmas list this year is a TOTO Washlet. No, it’s not a flannel for Dorothy’s little dog but a high-tech Japanese toilet. The all-singing, all-dancing lavatories we discovered in Japan were...
A tale of Typhoon Hagibis and the Rugby World Cup
It’s Saturday 12 October 2019. We’re in Tokyo waiting for Typhoon Hagibis to hit the mainland of Japan. The advice is to stay indoors so we’re sitting in our room, on the 22nd floor...
Miniatures in bronze: The sculptures of Joseph Hillier in Spalding
I’m always up for a bit of Backyard Blogging. It’s great to travel and write about our adventures away from home but it’s wonderful to explore my own neighbourhood and share those experiences. Having...
Holbeach Discovery Trail: QR codes unlock the town’s history
5th July 2012 was a special day for South Lincolnshire as the Olympic torch relay passed through the area on its way to London. To commemorate this event, local artist Fiona Gurney worked with...
Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival 2019
What would you rather do at 10.30 on a Sunday morning? Have a lie-in with the papers? Treat yourself to a bacon butty? Or maybe listen to Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland, discuss...
Slow travel in Sintra – visiting Portugal’s UNESCO World Heritage site in three days.
Why spend three days in Sintra? Most visitors to Sintra tumble out of buses and trains, eager to tick off as many of the town’s incredible attractions as possible, before heading back to Lisbon...