It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas … With only a few days to go, there are festive decorations in every city, town and village throughout the country. Christmas cards keep landing on the mat; last night I spent a few happy hours writing cards to old friends and sticking...

The most famous site in Jordan is undoubtedly the breath-takingly lovely ancient city of Petra, magnet for visitors from around the globe, but on a recent visit to this wonderfully diverse country, I discovered many other world-class sights. Here are 5 places that will appeal to any lovers of history, art...

Elizabeth Gaskell published 'Cranford' in 1851 and based it on her experiences of life in the attractive Cheshire town of Knutsford before she was married. Today Knutsford celebrates this famous author and her feisty 'Amazons'.

Walt Disney must have visited Marienburg Castle or seen it in his dreams. It’s the epitome of a fairytale palace, all pointy turrets and rounded towers, set high on a hill amidst forested countryside in the heart of Lower Saxony, not far from Hanover (Hannover). Its story is a fairytale romance,...

Some time ago I wrote an article called 5 Reasons to be a Travel Blogger‘ It got a very enthusiastic response, understandably, given the nature of the role and the lure of travel for so many of us. Most people love to travel, if only for a holiday, and most...

On a shop-til-you-drop day out in Chester with a friend we combined an exploration of the streets, lanes and byways with an in-depth trawl through its department stores, boutiques and quirky independent shops. This Roman soldier seemed oblivious to the light rain dripping down his steel helmet as he chatted...

Flying into Knight Inlet Lodge by sea-plane on a May morning is like entering another world, where time stands still and bears rule the wilderness … Grizzly bear cubs at Knight Inlet   On our ever-noisier digital planet, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to hear nature’s voice, to tune in to...