Kildonan lies on the south east coast of Arran and is named after the Irish monk St Donan who is believed to have lived there in the 6th century. The village is a quiet little backwater, nicely tucked away with access via a smaller lane which loops down to sea level from the main coast road. Kildonan brings with her…
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From April to June, Combermere Abbey in South Cheshire opens its doors to the public for guided tours of its beautiful manor house. I recently joined one of those tours for a fascinating insight into the history of this remarkable estate and how the current mansion came to look the way it does. Read on for my thoughts on the…
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Stone circles, standing stones and rock formations have always fascinated me – the stories surrounding them, how the heck they came into being and the mysticism and romanticism that often accompany their sites. Not to mention the textures in the stone surfaces themselves, something I’ve always been drawn to in my artistic practices. On a recent stay in the Boroughbridge…
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Hastings is the site of William the Conqueror’s first castle in England with a history stretching back over nine centuries. Situated on high cliffs, the castle certainly has a strong defensive position overlooking the town and English Channel. Visited by kings, queens and statesmen, Hastings Castle has a rich and fascinating history. History of Hastings Castle Before 1066 The…
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It’s safe to say I will always remember what I was doing on the hottest day of 2022 – that crazy 40°C and the several 35°C+ days either side. I was in Hastings following a trail of ducks on the Follow That Duck sculpture trail. There are 30 of these large duck sculptures across Hastings, St Leonards and…
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Wigg Island is a local nature reserve and community park in Runcorn, North Cheshire. It consists of 23 hectares of reclaimed industrial land on a little island between the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal and is reached by a traffic light controlled single track bridge. Named The Old Quay Bridge, it is a Grade II listed swing bridge…
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The Big Hoot is the third sculpture trail that Ipswich has hosted to help raise money for local charity St Elizabeth Hospice. Following the huge success of Pigs Gone Wild in 2016 and Elmer’s Big Parade in 2019, The Big Hoot sculpture trail has gone even bigger, with 50 large owls taking up perch around the town from the…
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Lumb Hole Falls is an enchanting waterfall situated approximately 3 miles north of the town of Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire. Whilst there is an opportunity to park in a layby on Old Road to walk down to the falls, the nicest way of arriving at Lumb Hole falls is to walk via one of the numerous paths from Hebden…
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This month I headed down to Cardiff to chase Snoopys! That’s not a sentence I ever expected to say, but thanks to leading public arts organisation Wild in Art in collaboration with the charity Dogs Trust, this awesome Snoopy sculpture has been brought to life on a sculpture trail around Cardiff, Caerphilly and Porthcawl in South Wales. In just…
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The moment I found out about the WWT Washington Lego safari, I knew I had to visit. After watching Lego Masters Australia recently, I have become totally fascinated by big build Lego, so this was right up my street! What is the WWT? WWT stands for the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, a conservation charity set up to save wetland habitats…
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Sometimes the least planned days out yield the most surprises, joy, excitement and happiness. My most recent of these was the day I spent in Easingwold and Beningbrough towards the end of April. Having taken a girl’s weekend away with my mum to the sleepy little Yorkshire town of Easingwold, a quick look at the National Trust website showed…
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Over Easter I had my nephew staying with me and I always give him many options of things we could do, then let him choose some. After looking at several theme parks and what rides were there, Jacob chose Southport Pleasureland, so that was that. The weather forecast was great all week, so tickets booked and off we went. Southport…
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