Lake District Gifts for Christmas When looking for an extra-special present, whether it’s for Christmas or any other occasion, it’s sometimes difficult to choose. I’m fortunate to live near the Lake District, which is home to a huge number of creative businesses, producers of top quality food and drink, plus...

Winter is coming … The mornings have been thick with frost, the car takes a while to warm up, fields are covered in hoar frost and my woolly scarf is unravelled from the drawer of winter things. It’s getting colder as the inevitability that winter is coming becomes a reality....

Barrow-in-Furness from Walney Island When you think of Cumbria, you may well conjure up charming images of the Lake District, sheep grazing on the fells, mighty mountains and quaint villages within this beautiful Lake District World Heritage Site. You may not think of Barrow-in-Furness, an industrial power house with a...

Of all the seasons, Autumn is my favourite, with its vibrant colours, last days of heat and hint of winter. It’s a great time to go Leaf-Peeping as the Americans call admiring autumnal foliage, and of course we have Hallowe’en and Bonfire Night to look forward to. Hallowe’en is synonymous...

The sunset is luminously peaceful, the water of the pool reflecting the umbrellas, sunloungers, tables and chairs now empty as guests get ready for dinner. But they are missing one of nature’s most beautiful shows, as the sun sinks slowly behind the dusky islands outlined across the sea, which is...

Sunset at Sirindhorn Wararam Phu Prao Temple  – NE Thailand Mind, Body, Spirit Travel? Sounds a bit fancy-schmancy doesn’t it? Do you mean you go all over the place namastaying, sitting in the lotus position and eating mung beans? Well, no, it most definitely doesn’t. Though I’m more than happy...

A slight breeze ruffles the silvery-grey olive leaves. A bird calls high above. In the distance a goat bleats and the sun beats down onto a scene unchanged for hundreds of years. A giant T-shaped stone stands in the middle of a circled stone wall, another T-stone leans tipsily against...

David Hockney looking at a picture of fellow Yorkshireman Alan Bennett – photo Salts Mill You may have heard of, or even been to see, the new David Hockney exhibition at Tate Britain in London. One of this country’s most loved and respected artists, Hockney was born in Bradford in 1937,...

It looked a lot bigger than I had imagined. It also looked a lot prettier, covered in views of Canada’s splendid scenery. “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. Once you get on the road, you’ll soon forget its size and be enjoying yourself behind the wheel.” I was at the Cruise Canada pick-up centre...

With his hands clutching his long, flowing coat tightly around him, Sir William Hillary (1771-1841) stands high above Douglas Harbour, ready to face everything the weather can throw at him.  As founder of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution he was well aware of the changeable  meteorological temperament of his home,...

In this article in the World Travel Blogger series, photographer Angus Matheson describes The North Coast 500, a memorable road trip he did with his wife in the Highlands of Scotland. North Coast 500 – the greatest motoring adventure in the British Isles North Coast 500 In 2015 the North Coast...

The Toy Train to Shimla As we clattered along the narrow track, the mountains gradually emerged like shy ballerinas peeking out from behind a curtain of lush green foliage. Glimpsed intermittently at first, the foothills of the mightiest mountain range on earth rose amidst tiny hamlets and towering pine trees....

“No offence, but I want to be THERE, not here.” This was the response from Amber, a participant in one of my recent ‘Introduction to Travel Writing’ Workshops. The group had been given a table covered in travel magazines and I was asking them what had made them choose the one...

In our latest ‘World Travel Blogger‘ article, Canadian writer Cindy Baker shares her favourite things to do the beautiful city of Lisbon, capital of Portugal. The clatter of old trams, the smell of sardines on the grill, the haunting melancholy of fado music. In Lisbon, these traditions combine with a...

Barry McCann explains the history of a northern tradition that dates back centuries and illustrates it with some of photos from this year’s celebrations. Mayor of Preston in Guild Hall Procession There is a saying in Lancashire that goes “Once every Preston Guild” which is probably unfamiliar to anyone outside the county....