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Category: Destinations

Satisfying My Inner Child at Junkyard Golf in Manchester

As a child, there was nothing I loved more than a game of crazy golf. On our annual family summer holiday, my parents would allow my brother and me to each decide the itinerary for a day. This has lead to some interesting experiences, the most memorable being a highly entertaining horse riding trek in Crete where I’ve never…

Potfest in the Park Ceramics Festival at Hutton-in-the-Forest

Set against the beautiful backdrop of Hutton-in-the-Forest on the edge on the Lake District National Park, I finally got to experience the exciting creative event of ‘Potfest in the Park’  back in 2020. This fabulous annual ceramics festival has been going since 2001 and it had been on my radar ever since doing ceramics as part of…

Amy’s Courtyard & Gallery: Macclesfield’s Hidden Gem

It’s not often that I venture into my old home town of Macclesfield since moving away 8 years ago. I mean – my parents live in the area so I’m always back and forth, but I don’t have much call to visit the town centre. Until that is: August 2020 came round, and I found myself in Macclesfield…

Visiting Speke Hall During Covid-19

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve visited Speke Hall over the last 8 years since it became my most local National Trust property. I’ve seen it in all seasons and all weathers and I still love returning. However, with the current Coronavirus situation I knew this visit would be very different…

Post Covid-19 Great British Staycation Bucket List

As we emerge from lock-down and pubs, restaurants and tourist attractions start opening up once again, not to mention in demand hairdressers, I’m sure like me you’re itching to get out and about a bit more. As foreign holidays are still largely off the cards for the time being, the Great British staycation is expecting…

Exploring Clock Face Country Park in Merseyside

Following on from my last post where I visited Sutton Manor Woodlands, I’m visiting neighbouring site Clock Face Country Park which is located on the southern edge of St Helens in Merseyside and has far reaching views across Merseyside, Lancashire and Cheshire. At 57 acres in size, Clock Face is a nice compact country park that is well worth…

Walk to The Dream Sculpture at Sutton Manor Woodlands, Merseyside

The ‘Dream’ sculpture at Sutton Manor woodlands is a 20 metre high sculpture that resembles a girl’s face located on the former site of Sutton Manor Colliery in St Helens, Merseyside. Constructed in 2009, it was designed by world-renowned artist Jaume Plensa and can be seen from miles around. It sits amongst newly established woodlands and…

Why I Love Staying at Best Western Hotels in the UK

After watching the recent 3-part Channel 4 TV programme: ‘A Very British Hotel Chain’ and I have to say thoroughly enjoying it, I decided to put together my thoughts on Best Western hotels and why I love staying at them so much. I’ve been a Best Western Rewards card holder for the last 5 years and in that…

Coping With the Loss of a Dog: Saying Goodbye with a Trip Down Memory Lane

Well, the last couple of months have not been a barrel of laughs that’s for sure and not just because of Covid-19. In my last post I discussed how I was coping with the Coronavirus lockdown situation and what I was doing to stay positive. Unfortunately less than a week after I published it, Mr TJG and I…

Exploring Brimham Rocks in the Snow

Surely one of the most magical things in the world is waking up to a scene you look at every day and seeing it covered in a blanket of pristine white snow. This comes from a place where snow is not a regular occurrence. Normally I’m in the camp where the thought process goes: “it’s beautiful as long…

Why You Should Visit Wakefield Cathedral

The iconic image of the city of Wakefield is the cathedral’s spire as it is visible from all over the city and from miles around. Yet there are many that are unaware that Wakefield is even a city, let alone that it has a cathedral. It certainly doesn’t rank high amongst the UK’s most popular cathedrals when…

Visiting the Wakefield Rhubarb Festival

It’s that time of year again where the city of Wakefield in West Yorkshire gets super excited as they welcome the fabulous Rhubarb Festival. Organised by Wakefield Council, the festival celebrates the city’s long history with the sour, sweet pink vegetable. It takes place every February and features a huge variety of market stalls selling a wide range…