Adventures, road trips, music & gigs.
January, and this corner of North Africa is bathed in warm sunshine, a far cry from the sub-zero temperatures of the Alps last weekend, or the grey dreariness back home. But that doesn’t stop the locals from wrapping up for winter. In contrast, we saunter ….read more
As long weekends on the slopes go – this was just about perfect. We booked a budget flight to Lyon for £35 per person per flight, hired a car and drove the 2.5 hours to the huge ski resort on Italian/French border known as ….read more
Just a short post of Doreen’s 91st birthday meal at the Ivy, Covent Garden. A wonderful meal which was incredible value considering its location. Being her 91st Birthday we were treated by the Ivy staff to a complimentary glass of champagne each upon arrival, and ….read more
Our annual get together with Emma’s Lancaster University buddies and long standing friends found us doing what we do every year – drink far too much and have a blast. We tried to organise this before Christmas, but with diaries being jammed, and restaurants booked, ….read more
It’s been a relatively quiet Christmas for us this year, less partying with friends and more time with Emma’s family than ever before. Toby had travelled back from Melbourne, Australia with Mia. Ben rocked up from his university base in Cornwall, and Hannah (now living ….read more
This was our first visit to this central region of the Austrian Alps, just a 90 minute drive south of Salzburg. Being so early in the season, a ski holiday was always going to be a bit of a gamble, but on balance it proved ….read more
We were both looking forward to this trip into Germany and its world renowned Christmas markets. The first place we found was a charming little village along the River Rhein, whilst the second was in the heart of Bavaria. We spent two days and two ….read more
The first week of December proved to be very busy indeed, so I thought I’d consolidate our time back in the South of England into a single blog entry. Well, it was travels of sorts! Big screen movie night (Odeon Bloomsbury) The Holiday. One of ….read more
In October, CMAT (Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson) announced that her Brixton appearance was not going ahead due to an emergency wisdom tooth extraction, so Emma and Hannah had their schedule hastily rearranged. For me, I wasn’t too fussed, given the last time I saw CMAT I ….read more
Even at this time of year, when many coastal towns have shut up shop for the winter, it’s easy to see why Mallorca is so popular. It was my first visit here, so my expectations were shaped a little by social media: a mix of ….read more
I’ve been meaning to come here for a while, ever since Anne-Pierre, an ex-colleague, put this historical city on my radar. So when I saw a £16.99 flight on offer (each way), I just couldn’t resist. I booked my ticket, packed a travel bag, and ….read more
I’ve always wanted to visit this city but hadn’t got around to it… Why did I leave it so long? It’s an extraordinarily vibrant and bustling city, spanning both sides of the Bosphorus Strait. Unique in many ways: continental Europe on one side, Asia on ….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
We’ve just returned from an eight-day trip of two halves, offering two very different experiences. The first was a destination that’s become something of a regular bolt-hole for us, the quaint old town of Faro. Here we took time to relax during the day on ….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
Despite it being September, the heat still hit us like a blast furnace the moment the aircraft doors opened. It was Emma’s first time in this region of Türkiye, and I was eager to show her the sights, sounds, and flavours of the Dalyan region ….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
With Tony and Erin flying over from the Canadian Rockies, we managed to squeeze in a brief meet-up on the very first night of the first leg of their mini-European tour (UK, Switzerland, Italy). After their long flight from Calgary and a much-needed power nap ….read more
Festivals come in all shapes and sizes, but every so often you stumble across one that feels a little bit special. For us, that’s Bredy Farm’s BeCider Festival in Dorset. A micro-festival with a big-heart, it’s got all the right ingredients: stunning countryside, a single ….read more
A London catch up It was so lovely to meet up with Karen Bird for an evening in London last night. It hardly felt like five minutes since we’d last seen each other—though in truth it was many moons ago. Emma and I travelled up ….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
Not exactly travels, but it was a lovely experience in a county we usually travel through to go to other places. Sarah and Phil got married in a quaint place near the village of Mickleham, a venue called the Burford Bridge Hotel, along the Mole ….read more
OMG. This has been the most spectacular and unexpected find. A last minute cheap flight, and ridiculously great value accommodation brought me to the gorgeous riverside village of Dalyan for a few days. It was a reconnaissance mission to establish if this is worth coming ….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
Whilst on a trip to Pembrokeshire we popped over to see Chris and Clare, a lovely couple I know from my days in Southampton. They moved here a decade or so ago and have since retired. They are loving life and their new home in ….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
Early arrival ——— This festival has become a firm favourite of ours – not just for its eclectic and varied lineup, but the chance to reunite with friends from Sheffield, soak up the energy and step away from everyday life. This was our the fourth ….read more
The second half of our Menorca excursion — and the main reason for the trip — took us to the eastern side of the island to meet up with Emma’s old university friends, the Lancaster Crew. The eight of us who came last year returned ….read more
The tiny city of Ciutadella is located on the western edge of the island of Menorca, it oozes old school charm. This was our first port of call during an eight day trip to the island. I came to Menorca for the first time last ….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
From London Bridge railway station, we did something we rarely do and hailed a Black Cab. Usually we travel everywhere in the City by bus or tube, but tonight was a little special; a long awaited and previously postponed night out with my cousin Evelyn ….read more
I really ought to take a few more pictures of the venues we go to and food we eat, but then it’s a sign of a good night when we think about this at the end. Emma and her old Lancaster University friend, Lofty, had ….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 beautiful sunny Friday afternoon and a nice trip to Brother Marcus restaurant in Borough Market. The place was heaving with day trippers and tourists enjoying the Spring sunshine. Being only 15 minutes from our closest train station its always nice to head here, especially ….read more
The Levellers always put on a great show, but this acoustic set at the end of their 2025 Spring Tour was better than most, and I’ve seen them a few times! The audience, who were mostly in our age group, initially sat in their allocated ….read more
I really wasn’t sure what to expect when we booked this trip to Kraków; on the one hand it has all of the wonderful sights stunning architecture and vibrant night life I expected whilst, on the other, it is alarmingly close to the epicentre of ….read more
This place never disappoints and these evenings are always great fun! We popped up from The London Underground at Oxford Street Station, wandered along an empty Regent Street towards the BBC, before hanging a right at Little Portland St. We found a cosy public bar ….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
This genuinely works. Building up credits is easy! My last flight only cost £10.50 (to Marrakesh) and I’ve flown countess times for similar prices simply by redeeming credits… How do they do it? Well, like many of us, I either book accommodation “direct” with providers, ….read more
I discovered 12go.com when I visited Vietnam and booked all of my overnight train journeys and sleeper coaches via this app. So I can thoroughly recommend it. They send tickets direct via email, or their app. You can simply download it, stick in your wallet ….read more
Well, this was a Christmas gift from more than a year ago that if I’m honest I was in two minds about … A little part of me was worried that this would be full of pretentious tosspots talking about ‘notes’ and ‘body’ and trying ….read more
A short trip designed to introduce Natty to the culture, sights, sounds and tastes of Morocco. Outside of skiing, it was the first with just the two of us for a few years. We visited two famous cities on this trip, with my favourite, ‘Essaouira’ ….read more
Sunrises on an empty beach, sunsets at our favourite bar and lazy days in between. This little stretch of the North African coast is ideal for a short break. This was a great escape from the January cold back home. It was also a great counter ….read more
Very POSH afternoon tea at the Lanesborough, an unbranded high end hotel located at the site of the old St. George’s Hospital in Hyde Park Corner in Knightsbridge. It’s a pretty awesome place. Top drawer elegance and service off the scale. It was Doreen’s 90th ….read more
Four days into the New Year and a fantastic ski trip involving most of our kids, my sister, their partners and friends. Thirteen in total. We arrived just about in time to catch the Christmas market in the village before it closed on 12th night. It ….read more
When you are abroad, especially in places like Morocco, it can be daunting hailing cabs. There are different types of Cabs, denoted by their different colours, some can operate out of city limits, other can’t. Petite Taxi These are usually quite small, operate mainly in ….read more
With all three of us suffering a little with the lurgy, we didn’t head off to the Brook until quite late where the Underdogs were in full swing. Within half an hour we’d decided to override our colds, sink a few beers and have a ….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
Final journey of the year and a four night budget trip to Morocco. Taghazout We spent the first day acclimatising, wandering the beaches and enjoying the winter sun. We traveled here via WizzAir again, on a flight sold at silly prices (details in hints and ….read more
So much love was in the air last night in Camden, so many beautiful people under one roof, generating a vibe I’ll remember for some time. Fat Freddy’s Drop have been on my playlist since May when we were introduced to them by Kathy and ….read more
A little more expensive than the public buses available from 12go.com, but significantly more comfortable is a little local company called Souk to Surf which operates between Agadir and Essaouira, stopping at locations in-between, the likes of Tamraght, Anza, Taghazout, Imsouane. The smallish (16 seat) ….read more
Italian – Marylebone Another gathering of Emma’s Lancaster Uni friends and their partners brought us this time to a lovely Italian restaurant called Caldesi. It was my second time here, and as usual with this group of friends, far too much vino was consumed! It’s ….read more
With Emma being busy on back to back weekends, I grabbed the chance to head back to the beautiful North African country of Morocco for ten days. What’s not to love about this place? The people, food, weather, beaches, waves, blue skies, temperatures, value and ….read more
My sixth week of watching live music at venues across the South and abroad took me back to Papillon, the renovated church in Southampton. It was Emma’s first time here. We bought tickets to see Benjamin Francis Leftwich at the very last minute, jumping on ….read more
I wasn’t a huge fan of ‘The Wonder Stuff’ back in the day, they just weren’t on my radar. So when I got the opportunity to head back to Southampton for a night to see their front man Miles Hunt perform an acoustic set at ….read more
Last night saw us heading off to Camden to see Marc Broussard an American singer songwriter perform at KOKO. It was a packed house. He has a style is described as “Bayou Soul”, which is a mixture of all things “southern”. ‘Twas a last minute ….read more
I met Emma at Bedales after she finished work, Bedales is a nice little wine bar we’ve been to before. Borough Market was buzzing with tourists and people who had knocked off from work early. It’s a great place to sit and people watch. We ….read more
I’m not normally one for returning to the same place time and time again, but I’m happy to make an exception for this little corner of the planet, especially for a weekend. This is our third visit here in relatively short succession. We’ve always come ….read more
This weekend event in Southampton has been growing in both size and quality for a few years, and Saturday was just perfect – with the weather also playing ball too. I decided to spend the afternoon wandering around the pubs and clubs at just some ….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
Being only 150 miles south of Cornwall this place is so incredibly close, yet surprisingly, given how often I travel to France, this is my first time here. We stayed in the south west region of Brittany, a village called Plogastel-Saint-Germain, in the historic region ….read more
Festival camping in Dorset After dropping off my son and his friends at Reading Festival, we headed south west to Bredy Farm, near Burton Bradstock in Dorset. We’d booked tickets for their 19th micro-festival called “Be-Cider-Seaside” and encountered some of the friendliest people you could ….read more
A return to Six by Nico for a six course tasting menu in celebration of Sarah’s 30th Birthday. The menu this time was Italian, with an Amalfi spin. We chose the wine pairing option, six courses with five different glasses of wines selected to complement ….read more
Tonight, in the height of summer, it seemed like the ideal time to redeem a voucher we were gifted by my daughters and their partners at Christmas. They know us well. We arrived into Victoria by train and meandered our way towards our destination, via ….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
As soon as Fabrice told me he was heading over from Vietnam in order to spend some time in Brussels & Europe, that was my cue to book a Eurotunnel crossing and arrange to meet up to do something, somewhere. No idea what or where! ….read more
The sun is shining 😂 so we headed for Hyde Park to see Kings of Leon, Paolo Nutini and the Vaccines. After a chilly start it turned out to be great weather where the sun shone for the most part. We got an early entrance ….read more
How on earth do you start to describe a place like this? Words and pictures hardly do it justice. I had wanted to show Emma the wonders of Montenegro ever since my cycling trip here two years ago. So I booked a quiet lakeside apartment ….read more
Well it’s that time of year again, so we headed off to one of our favourite places. Bearded Theory Festival in South Derbyshire. We first came here two years ago and bumped into a bunch of beautiful people who are all connected in one ….read more
Now I don’t know what the correct collective noun is…. but Imagine an elegance of Marks and Spencer shoppers had ambled onto an aircraft… well that’s what an Airbus to Mahón, Menorca looks like. A collection of well dressed, well spoken individuals from middle England (‘twas a ….read more
We really REALLY love it here, it ticks all the boxes! On the islands of the Parque Natural da Ria Formosa we walked for hours along the golden sands without seeing a single soul… it felt like we had stumbled onto our own little corner ….read more
A trip full of contrasts, hidden treasures and surprises. We top and tailed a hiking trip to the High Atlas Mountains with visits either side to Marrakech and since we needed clothes for all seasons (+36° and -8°) we took hold baggage for the first ….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
I didn’t believe for a split second that somewhere else could compete against my last trip so soon…. but then I didn’t reckon on Prague. Stunning! OK, I got lucky with the weather which was as picture-perfect as it could be when I arrived with ….read more
Wow. Just Wow. Now if I’m being completely honest, Vienna wasn’t on my list of cities to visit, but now I’ve been here I can’t quite fathom out why… and mores the point, why Vienna isn’t raved about by more people and more often. It ….read more
Several years have passed since my last trip here, an island I had spent so much time visiting in a previous life.Returning to a place that holds so many memories was a little daunting at first, but I needn’t have worried, it turned out to ….read more
An exceptional night out at the Canary Wharf venue. Our second time at this small niche restaurant chain, the last time we visited the Fitzrovia venue. We started with some “pre’s” near Kings Cross where we found a lovely wine bar called “Bar Rioja” which ….read more
We are back in Gargellen, a picture postcard Austrian village, the jewel in the crown of the Montafon valley and just a stones throw away from the Swiss border. This place is almost always above the snow line and this year being no exception, and as ….read more
I used to buy a local SIM at the destination airport before leaving the baggage hall, or airport proper. This is often the cheapest way of avoid high data roaming charges. However, it’s often not the most convenient (long queues and competing, confusing services) and ….read more
—- Introduction to Anza —- I really didn’t know what to expect about this place, so I came here with a completely open mind… …it blew me away! Anza, is about 30km from Agadir in the southern half of Morocco. It’s one of those ….read more
PIE AND MASH – VARIOUS Cockneys of Croydon G Kelly – Bethnal Green F Cooke – Broadway Market As I am from London I couldn’t stick a post on here without a mention of my favourite East End dish, Pie and Mash. Now the problem ….read more
With the temperature range between -1°C and -17°C the snow that had settled on the day of our arrival stayed around all week, creating near perfect conditions for the rest of our stay, especially when the sun came out after the second day. We stayed at ….read more
A Great New Years Eve celebration at the Brook, Southampton, with Emma, and where we met up with Kaz and Gez, a lovely couple, and old friends who I haven’t seen for an age. The Brook is within “staggering” distance from home, so ideal for ….read more
Another night out with Emma and Hannah, this time with a quick visit to Wembley Arena to see Noel Gallagher high flying birds. This is not my favourite location for music, especially if seated, but if you get standing room and there isn’t a huge ….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
Paddington, Regents Canal. Well this was a little quirky! A floating restaurant on the Regents Canal in Paddington. The weather was kind to us as we walked along the towpath in search of the barge. Emma had heard of this place from a friend on ….read more
Watched Matt Maeson at the Electric Brixton, an American singer songwriter doing an acoustic tour across Europe. Great evening with Emma and Hannah. The layout to the Electric in Brixton is similar to the Brook in Southampton – but much much larger. TOP TIP for ….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
We spent the week exploring the remote and unspoilt eastern corners of Andalusia and its neighbouring region, Murcia. This part of Spain has much to offer, from its Moorish influence and Roman ruins to its mountains ranges and beautiful beaches, which rival any in the ….read more
This has got to be our favourite Indian restaurant – hands down! The menu here is nothing like you’d expect in a more “traditional UK based” Indian restaurant. It appears to draw from influences from all over the place. The main dish in the centre ….read more
I’ve always loved the colours, dance and music of Notting Hill Carnival – and this year, the warm weather and blue skies made everything even more vibrant. We’ve not been able to make it here for a few years, so when the opportunity arose last ….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
The final night for this old Blues band at the Platform Tavern Southampton. A great intimate venue by the waterfront just along the road from the Red Funnel terminal.
We headed for the small market town of Saffron Waldron and the English Heritage site of Audley End House, Cambridgeshire where OMD, Heaven 17 and Soft Cell were playing on a stage right next to a stunning 17th century country house. Peroxide blondes and slap ….read more
A weekend away at Ynot music festival in the middle of the Peak District with Emma, Hannah and Rachael. It was the first time we’ve tried this one, and with about 30,000 people it is a little larger than many of the festivals we generally ….read more
Wow. Blur knocked it out of the park last night in a packed house at Wembley stadium. It’s the first time they’ve played here, and you could see how much it meant to them – and the audience! It was pretty emotional with Damien Albarn ….read more
With no plans or fixed agenda, we took our time exploring the hidden corners of Venice (including Lido-Pellestrina, the beaches of Punta Sabbioni, and the islands of Burano and Murano). Our base for the week was a small one bedroom apartment in the centre of ….read more
This short four day trip saw us head for Paris via the stunning town of Arras, where we stopped a couple of hours for a late morning coffee and brunch. Arras is only an hour south of Calais and so was ideal for a leisurely ….read more
So here we are again at Bearded Theory festival in Derbyshire, along with the group from Sheffield we met here last year. The pirate ship corner has been taken over by a green man with a mushroom head – but with infectious sounds, it still ….read more
The Shard, London Bridge Now this was an experience to remember. The views across London are spectacular and I’d certainly recommend it for a special occasion. It’s not your average place to dine. Don’t blink or you’ll miss the journey on the super fast lift ….read more
After a fabulous trip to the Mekong, I left Fabrice behind in his home in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) and headed north for the final phase of my Vietnam trip. I was travelling on a standard 1 month tourist visa entering Vietnam via HCMC ….read more