As one of the larger villages in Cheshire, Tarporley resides right in the heart of the Cheshire countryside and towards the west of the infamous Cheshire Plain which is a predominantly flat, rural and fertile farming area. It is populated with dairy farms, cow-dotted meadows, pasture and woodlands and broken up by snaking countryside back lanes, the odd black…
I can’t think of a better way to spend a few days in January than relaxing on a spa break. The cold miserable weather and infamous post-Christmas blues is not conducive to continuing great spirit, so what better way to banish the doldrums than curling up in front of a roaring fire with a good book at one…
I can’t think of a better way to beat the January post-Christmas blues than to head to a spa for a treatment or two and a day of pure relaxation! So, on a recent 3 day stay at The Welcombe, a Hallmark Hotel just north of Stratford-upon-Avon, my Mum and I spent a day in their…
Garden Centres are great places aren’t they? Cream teas and coffee catch-ups, gifts and local artisan products. I rarely go to buy compost, plants or anything for my actual garden. As a child I used to get dragged round a variety of garden centres by my parents as they searched for the perfect bulbs or garden tools. Only…
If you’re not lucky enough to live by the sea, I can imagine that you’d want to save your precious days off to visiting a coastal destination during the warmer summer months. But why should the summer months claim all our visits? On a beautifully bright winter’s day the coast can be at its most alluring…
October arrived and the trees where I live were refusing to change colour. I wondered if autumn proper would ever arrive. Then the temperatures suddenly plummeted and the leaves decided to start changing very quickly and in lots of cases just fell off the branches missing that stage completely. I was very aware that if I didn’t get out…
Back in 2016, Tate Modern held an impressive Georgia O’Keeffe exhibition. There are no paintings by O’Keeffe in any British collection, so this was an exciting opportunity to see a major collection of her work all in one place. Note: Photography was not permitted in this exhibition so all my images are taken from the official Tate…
For many years, I’d heard people talk about the impressive Ingleton waterfalls, and like many things in life once I’d finally experienced them for myself, I couldn’t believe I’d not walked the trail sooner. There is a well known trail that takes in all the waterfalls in Ingleton, situated on the Western edge of the Yorkshire…
The Millennium Galleries in Sheffield are one of the three galleries that make up the Museums Sheffield Charity and a must on any Sheffield itinerary. On my visit last week, I spent a fair bit of time exploring the many small galleries that make up the museum and was impressed with the variety of exhibitions on and their pertinence to…
One of the best and free things to do in Glasgow is to tour the City Chambers, home to Glasgow Council. The Glasgow City Chambers building is one of the most notable pieces of architecture in the city. It is certainly one of the most photographed buildings, standing proud on George Square. It has been the council’s municipal headquarters…
Over the years of travelling, I’ve done a number of sightseeing bus tours. I think it’s one of the best ways of seeing a city and getting a feel for a place, especially on one’s first visit. I’ve done tours in New York, Madrid, Barcelona, London, Bath and most recently in Liverpool and Paris this…
Haigh Hall and Country Park When I visited Haigh Country Park in Wigan, Lancashire last week, I have to say I was a bit perturbed by all the disruption currently happening at the site. For regular visitors this wouldn’t be off-putting as they would have been aware of the undergoing work, but for newbies like myself: please look…