Dove Stone Reservoir and the hills surrounding is a magical place that for me holds many memories. Being from Oldham it is where I cut my hiking teeth so to say, taken on wanders galore | Continue reading
If you are ever looking for a pick me up in the depths of winter then I’d highly recommend a visit to Kew Gardens’ Orchids Festival. Taking place between February and March, this festival brings | Continue reading
Having recently moved to Hampshire, I’m still discovering places to visit to go for a walk in the local area. One such place that I have now made several returns to is one of Andover’s | Continue reading
Today was the day of the annual York Ice Trail, said to be the biggest outdoor ice trail in Britain. Normally held at Christmas time it has now been moved to later in the Winter | Continue reading
Ingleborough stands at 723 m (2372 ft) making it the second highest mountain the Yorkshire Dales. The highest being Whernside where you will descend from before climbing Ingleborough if doing the Yorkshire Three peaks Challenge. A | Continue reading
This year is going to be a super year of variety and scenery. I will be using my Home from Home, the Swift Select 184 Motorhome for adventures up and down the country. From mountains | Continue reading
On a midweek January day it can be difficult to know where to go on a day out that you haven’t already been to several times before. It was my Mum’s birthday and the weather, | Continue reading
What better event to get you outdoors in the dark, cold winter nights in January, than the wonderful Winter Lights Festival 2019. The festival is taking place at Canary Wharf, East London from 15 - | Continue reading
January is here, cold nights and some cold and miserable days are upon us. However I have been noticing along my wanders that already, the unmistakable white and green of the Snowdrops are already growing | Continue reading
The RSPB’s Freiston Shore nature reserve is a beautiful location that is, I believe Boston’s best kept secret, it not only has some wonderful wetlands and salt marshland that attract precious wildlife but hides some | Continue reading
Three reservoirs situated between the towns of Oldham and Rochdale, Greater Manchester, above the village of Milnrow. A super walking escape that is not far to travel to, for the many who live in the | Continue reading
Mussels along with cream are a great combination. On a lovely couch trip around Jersey, sometime ago, I had the pleasure of seeing their wonderful Jersey cows for the first time. I wanted to include | Continue reading
I am not your long distance, endurance walker but I do love being outside and I have found a fabulous place to be outside! When I say I have found it – I am pretty | Continue reading
2018 was a challenging year for my home city of Salisbury. It’s been well-documented what went on and it’s become more important than ever that us local people help support the area and continue to | Continue reading
I recently had the pleasure of staying at The Salutation, nestled in the heart of Sandwich, Kent. New friends were made, great people were met, but all came together wonderfully thanks to the building that | Continue reading
Cave Dale is a Rugged Limestone Valley Overlooked by Peveril Castle, a ruined Norman fortification. The steep sided ravine begins in Castleton village in Hope valley, Derbyshire. The 50-metre-high vertical rock faces form the entrance | Continue reading
My ultimate dream would be to able to spend at least three months of every year on the Pacific island paradise of Rarotonga, with my mask, snorkel and fins, and camera, oh and a laptop | Continue reading
Around an hour’s drive south of Dublin, you will find the Powerscourt Estate which sits on the edge of the Wicklow Mountains National Park. As you approach the area you are greeted with the kind | Continue reading
No, you won’t see the bears on St Brelades Bay beach itself. You will, see them about five miles away at Durrell’s exquisitely landscaped 31 acre estate. The late, inspiring, Gerald Durrell founded Durrell Wildlife | Continue reading
New Year’s Eve in Allendale Town high on the Pennine Hills in Northern England and there was some strange goings on, The Tar Bah’l. Actually it was just a regular New Year Eve in Allendale. Every | Continue reading
A wonderful December mini break on the border of three counties. Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cumbria. When we last visited Hipping Hall it was in the heart of the summer. The heat wave at the end of | Continue reading
Over on the far western side of Catalunya on the border with Aragon lies el Congost de Mont-Rebei; the magnificent Mont-Rebei gorge. The gorge provides the scenery for some fantastic walking with narrow paths cutting | Continue reading
A doubly chocolatey treat, and two recipes to choose from, with optional ingredients, the choice of brownie recipe for a firm darker chocolate variety containing melted dark chocolate versus a slightly gooey brownie that uses | Continue reading
It was a beautiful day, we a couple of hours of time, so it was a perfect time for a spontaneous walk in the fresh air. Otley was our destination and a walk over The | Continue reading
Set in a tranquil spot of rural Hampshire, you will find one of the jewels in the National Trust’s crown, Mottisfont Abbey. As you approach the site you pass by small villages with chocolate box | Continue reading
Set in a tranquil spot of rural Hampshire, you will find one of the jewels in the National Trust’s crown, Mottisfont Abbey. As you approach the site you pass by small villages with chocolate box | Continue reading
I was recently fortunate enough to visit the beautiful city of Rome with hubby. It was for a special occasion (30th Anniversary – how time flies!) and he was keen to go – happy days | Continue reading
There are always plenty of cake recipes available and as a cake maker I am more than familiar with a lot of them but this spicy pecan tray bake is really quick and easy to | Continue reading
It is that time of year, when the nights are long, that we all look upwards in the night sky and see more of the moon. We are all more than aware of the many | Continue reading
When we decided to go on a holiday this summer we had no real plans on where to go. We thought we’d take pot luck and see if we could get a bargain on flights. | Continue reading
Our walk began on a bright and sunny morning in the Peak District, Hope village to be exact. It was some years ago now, but the memories are like yesterday. It was one of those | Continue reading
When I discovered York had its own Gin I was delighted. York is a place I live and I love. It is a beautiful little city and has quite a history so it was about | Continue reading
I’m starting this journey on a Greyhound bus travelling along the coastline of Far North Queensland, from Cairns to Townsville. It was a journey of five hours, passing banana plantations, spotting Cassowaries darting into the | Continue reading
Ambleside looks like a chocolate-box Lake District town at Christmas – adorned with twinkling lights, bursting with good restaurants and full to the brim with present inspiration, with its mix of outdoor and independent shops. | Continue reading
A weekend break in Northern France led to an afternoon exploring Leffrinckoucke beach and the multitude of bunkers and blockhouses on the beach or amongst the dunes along the coast, grim reminders from WWll beside | Continue reading
Vanilla Star Biscuits - A lovely soft baked biscuit covered in fondant. Great for teacher's thank you gifts or stocking fillers or for enjoying at home with your family. A great festive treat that the children will | Continue reading
Slimline wine, Pure Class in a Glass, ‘Zero sugar - Zero carbs’. Quite a promise! Having seen this advertised I thought I would give this a try. Who doesn’t want to reduce one’s sugar intake | Continue reading
It was a very cold and fresh November morning, but that was not going to stop us. Today was the day that we were off, as a group, taking on the 17 miles of the | Continue reading
Like many people, I've dreamed of having a horse all my life. I collected Brier Horses and remember playing with them often. Occasionally I would ride a friend's horse when I had the opportunity, and | Continue reading
During the colder months it is nice to treat yourself to a pudding once in a while. These butterscotch puddings have a lovely flavour complimented by the accompanying sauce. They are so easy to make and | Continue reading
As I get older I am finding the words 'pardon'? and 'say again'? are increasingly coming into my daily vocabulary. When I am out hiking or travelling by car or plane I may seem in | Continue reading
A walk from the French border and into Belgium on a family short break was a delight, our walk began in Bray Dunes in France, very close to the Belgian border. Just a short walk | Continue reading
As I am always on the go, be it hiking, travelling or out and about, it is never practical to always carry around a system camera or DSLR. That means, especially for impromptu social media | Continue reading
During the colder months I love a hearty and warming soup. This roasted tomato and red pepper superfood soup has a wonderful fresh flavour unlike the tinned variety we all know and love. Don’t get | Continue reading
This Saturday, Rusty, Paul Taylor, I and some great people are going to be taking part in a special walk. A March for Men in aid of Prostate Cancer UK. We shall be walking the length | Continue reading
The walk up the Kvačianska Valley to The Oblazy Mills in Slovakia is certainly a day I shall not forget in a hurry. It is absolutely beautiful and inspiring all the way along. From huge sights | Continue reading
High Peak Junction is nestled beside the Cromford Canal and was an industrial hub of activity back in the days of canal haulage, the High Peak railway was the one of the worlds earliest long-distance | Continue reading
This vegetarian filo parcels recipe is fairly easy to create and very tasty and it makes a nice light alternative to a pie by using the filo pastry. For a starter, serve one per person or | Continue reading