Adventures, road trips, music & gigs.
We decided not to head off travelling this weekend, but to stick around and explore some local haunts here in London. It’s handy living in a city where so much is going on. KINGS CROSS AND CAMDEN TOWN Our first stop on Friday evening was ….read more
There is nothing more satisfying than a trip that surpasses expectations, especially one booked at the last minute. …and there’s nothing quite like waking up with your body clock, eating breakfast in the morning sun, whilst overlooking fields of gold with nothing planned for the ….read more
Just a short non-travel post to record my mother’s 80th birthday celebration. We initially stopped overnight at my house in Southampton before continuing on to Barton on Sea to meet up with my parents on this gorgeous Sunday at the beginning of August. After a ….read more
So here we are in Sheffield, exploring both the grassroots Fringe and the more commercial Tramlines Festival music events. Quite how this happened I put down to serendipity, or perhaps the universe choosing a path towards new experiences, a concept I’ve become more accepting of ….read more
BBQ night @ Martyn and Julie’s We’ve had a few abortive attempts to get together with these wonderful people, so nothing was going to get in the way of this weekend’s get-together. Not even a near-20-degree drop in the daytime temperature from last weekend, and ….read more
Surprisingly, I have never been to Cambridge so, when we were invited to a wedding in the nearby village of Longstowe, we thought we’d make a full weekend of it. And what a weekend it turned out to be! MADINGLEY HALL AND GARDENS As we ….read more
Looking over towards Greenwich from our vantage point on the Isle of Dogs, we decided to head there for the evening after spending a day on the Wharf with Lofty, one of Emma’s good friends from Lancaster University. It was perfect weather for catching up ….read more
Given I only had one empty page left in my passport (for entry and exit stamps) and it was fast approaching it’s expiry date, I thought it wise to get the thing changed before I fell foul of an airport official… So off to London’s ….read more
Turn right from our front door and, within ten minutes, we’re smack bang in the middle of phone-snatch central, or Croydon, as it’s also known locally. Stab vests optional! Ten minutes in the opposite direction and we’re wandering the green fields and wide-open spaces of ….read more
It’s my first time exploring this region with Emma. We shall be back! Four days is nowhere near enough time to do anything other than scratch the surface! DAIRY COTTAGE – BOYNTON HALL (NEAR BRIDLINGTON) Perched on the edge of the Boynton Hall estate is ….read more
This is the BIG 6-0 year for many in my school year – including Mark James! His wife, Jo, had arranged a surprise gathering for friends and family in the Pen and Pencil, a bar in the Northern Quarter. So Emma and I travelled up ….read more
A lovely evening out with Emma, spending a voucher we’d bought for ourselves last year. When we first saw the offer, it looked far too good to be true, a five-course menu with a cocktail starter for just £22 each, rather than the usual £55. Yes, you read ….read more
With my 60th birthday looming large, and the English summer fast disappearing, we decided to squeeze in a weekend doing what we love best – a spot of camping. Our destination, a corner of a small field in Dorset. Well, specifically, a field in Myncen ….read more
With Hannah moving from her temporary digs in Withington to my sister’s place in nearby Stockport, we headed north to Manchester to lend a hand. For various reasons, both our cars had ended up in Southampton at the start of the trip, and both needed ….read more
A road trip spent with old and new friends Eight nights away, six different locations, visiting five counties in southern England. Gorgeous sunsets, wonderful catch-ups, and far too much wine! The initial catalyst for the trip was simple: pick up some house keys for one ….read more
The main reason for this post isn’t to gush about what was an absolutely fabulous night out with my cousin Eve and her husband Graham, though it really was. It’s to say that they live in one of the most gorgeous corners of Essex, just ….read more
A lovely short trip to Barton on Sea to visit my parents at their home on the south coast. We arrived without much notice, but as ever, were warmly welcomed and spent the afternoon in the garden catching up. Before sunset we headed up the ….read more
Strike while the iron’s hot, or in this case – the weather! We noticed that the recent UK heatwave was heading steadily northward, which meant that my favourite wild-camping spot (overlooking the Inner Hebridean “Small Isles” of Eigg, Rum and Muck ) was going to ….read more
With temperatures well into the upper 20s we headed for one of my favourite English towns – Rye. This is a very special place – England at its very best. So much history here, with this small coastal town forming part of the original confederation ….read more
On the way back from Wales we stopped over at a small campsite on the outskirts of Bath. We headed to the city centre via the park and ride for a few hours before driving cross country for to visit my eldest daughter Lauren. Being ….read more
A trip with my parents. The last time I visited South Wales with my parents was back in the late 1970s, when I was just a child. On that occasion, we stayed in a caravan, and it rained solidly for an entire week. Not this ….read more
It makes a pleasant change to spend some quality time back home, especially with the weather improving. I had planned a few camping trips, but with my car conking out on the way back from Anglesey, it meant that was completely out of the question. So ….read more
Menai straights and Beaumaris . This trip to Anglesey (Ynys Môn), in North Wales (Cymru), brought us to an isolated Manor House called Henllys, a few miles from the Menai Bridge, tucked away in the hills above the quaint little village of Beaumaris We checked ….read more
A supersaver, “two together” railcard ticket took us to Stockport/Manchester for £30. When we got there, we were collected and hosted by my sister, Sandra, and her husband, Paul, who looked after us for the weekend. Wall to wall sunshine and relatively warm temperatures meant ….read more
A few months ago an old friend, Tony, got in touch to say he’s coming back to the UK for a few weeks and fancied a wee trip ‘up north’, possibly encompassing Scotland and the English Lakes. So Cumbria, The Trossachs, Glencoe, Isle of Skye ….read more
At the end of the 433 bus route, and only a few hundred yards from ‘Riff Raffs’, is a shopping precinct which sums up this corner of Croydon. For well over a decade, town planners and property developers have seriously screwed things up. Brexit and ….read more
The old coast road between Arisaig and Mallaig is one of my favourite ‘go-to’ places to relax and enjoy nature at its very best. It’s a really special place. I found it a few years ago on the recommendation of some bikers I got chatting ….read more
The last time I attempted Helvellyn it was two years ago, I was with Emma, and we were unable to reach the peak given the appalling conditions (ice, snow, gale force winds). We did the sensible thing and turned back about 400m from the summit. It’s ….read more
We thought we’d add this to our travel-blog, although strictly speaking this wasn’t a destination we’d chosen to travel per-se, as the main purpose for the trip here was to celebrate the wedding of a couple of Emma’s long standing friends. However, the surrounding area ….read more
Our second camping trip of the year found us back at a place we’d visited in the Spring of ‘22 near Battle in East Sussex. The campsite is really quaint, stuck in the middle of nowhere, but close enough to Crowhurst mainline train station to avoid ….read more
Our first proper camping trip of the year coincided with this little corner of southern England experiencing some hot sunny days and warm sticky nights. We arrived at “Fleets Paddock” our campsite for the weekend with plenty of time to set up the bell tent ….read more
A weekend away in a country house at Sibton Park, Kent. This HPB location is tucked away in the countryside and ideally located to explore the many historic castles and villages of the area. We booked it a while ago in order to give Doreen, ….read more
With summer well and truly over and Christmas fast approaching, we saved a date in the diary for a gathering of our six kids and their partners, in an AirBnB, in the city centre of Salisbury. With no particular plans other than to meet up, ….read more
We don’t often get to spend time exploring the local area, so during October we thought we’d not travel too far, but explore some of the local villages and towns close to my Southampton home. Hampshire is a beautiful county of England, and much overlooked. ….read more
A last minute trip to visit an old friend in Scotland ended up taking me on a detour via the Lake District, Northumberland and Scottish Borders. The weather played a big part in most decisions which is why I ended up zig zagging across northern ….read more
A few weeks ago I found myself travelling along the B2139 through England’s newest National Park for work. The scenery was so stunning that I took note of the location and made a promise to myself to come back and explore. Well, with the weather ….read more
What better way to spend Hogmanay than with a ceilidh in a Gothic/Baronial style castle by the side of a Loch, in the Highlands of Scotland? It was bitterly cold with snow still on the ground when we arrived at Tigh Mor, the log fire ….read more
A busy few days, starting at an idyllic sandy beach in Cornwall, a few miles south of the popular beach of Bude. The sea, tide and weather conditions were just perfect for a morning and evening kayak along the coast from our base with some ….read more
Spent the week exploring the East Sussex coastline from our base at a campsite hidden away in the rolling hills and forests near the village of Crowhurst. Over the five days we visited Battle, Bodiam, Hastings, Rye and Eastbourne, explored castles and historic buildings, walked ….read more
A few days away with some spectacular scenery in and around Ullswater in the Lake District. The trekking started on Sunday when we broke off from our cycle ride from Pooley Bridge to Glenridding and headed up to Gowbarrow Fell via the waterfalls at Aira ….read more
Step 1 London Bridge to Tower of London. Walk along the river past HMS Belfast and walk across tower bridge. Once at the other side of the river wander the Tower of London site for photos. If you have time there is a footpath along ….read more
Just the two of us, on a near empty beach, exploring the many ancient shipwrecks exposed by this week’s spring tide at Sandwich bay. This part of Kent is a beautiful part of the world and a nice way to extend the holiday feeling earlier ….read more
…a cracking weekend with the kids (I include myself in that description) exploring the Wye Valley during the daytime and playing games back at the campsite well into the night.Hardly a phone signal here, let alone 4g, so a great place to check out and ….read more
Hiking, biking, kayaking and camping in the Highlands and Islands of west Scotland. No Emma this trip 😞 just me.I had to pinch myself at times to remind myself that this is only a car journey away and not a long haul flight to some ….read more
After the wonderful family weekend just passed, and with great weather forecast, Emma and I continued the fun from our base in the Southwest. We fitted in some cycling in Exmoor, kayaking in Salcombe and hill walking above Porlock Weir. We found breathtaking scenery, discovered ….read more
Some weekends stand out, and this has been one! No real plans going into it, and nothing but great memories coming out. Started off by watching the sunrise at Stonehenge, which meant a 4am start – it was magical! Then a cycle around the Wiltshire ….read more
After the weekend of rain, a short mid-week break in the sun. We headed west! A stop over in the cottage in Somerset followed by a jaunt to my favourite coastline. Lucked out with the weather, and the sea conditions. They almost mirrored the time ….read more
As long weekends go, this was just about perfect! Emma and I headed off to explore the area around Faversham Creek, Sandwich and its nearby Bay. Camping of course. Lots of outdoor exercise and al fresco eating. The local Kent scenery is simply jaw dropping ….read more
We decided to take advantage of the amazing weather and head off to the cottage in Somerset for a quiet but active weekend. I know I’m so lucky to have this on my doorstep, but I still pinch myself on occasions as this region is ….read more
Taking advantage of the empty streets, we took a few lockdown walks and cycles. Starting off at Blackheath Common (where you can park the car for free nearby), cycle to Isle of Dogs via Greenwich pedestrian tunnel, then onto tower bridge and into tourist central. ….read more
With our choice of holiday destination somewhat limited this year (Covid), Natty and I decided to explore the English coast instead of our usual trip to Europe, and we are so glad we did. We headed for Porthcurno and the nearby coastline. We found a ….read more
Lockdown diary #1 – MARCH 29th 2020 A weekend for taking stock and preparing for the months ahead. Like many of us, I spent time in the garden doing the things that needed to be done after a long, dark and wet winter… And of ….read more
A lovely weekend in Pembrokeshire, Wales at Valley View Cottages with Clare and Chris. It’s everything I imagined it to be. Spent the day walking the coastal paths between various points starting a Mwnt, finishing at Ynys Lochtyn. Breathtaking scenery. Drank a few too many ….read more
A wonderful weekend in Jersey! Out of season, this British Isle is amazing. It is only a short 30 minute flight from Southampton and cheaper than a return train ticket to London. Amazing weather, superb restaurants, £1 notes, great local ales, daffodils everywhere and only ….read more