Now for some of you that believe the bad press about Manchester, there may be a touch of scoffing and a muttered ‘IF’ but I can assure you that it is very often beautifully sunny in this northern urban city, as those expatriated BBC staff will no doubt tell you 😉...

Author Barry McCann is a writer and expert on the horror genre, tradition and folk tales.  He appears regularly on BBC Radio sharing quirky tales of mystery and imagination in Cumbria and Lancashire.  Here are some of his favourite folklore stories from the Lake District. The shires and counties of...

One of the glories of Sweden is Fika … taking time out for coffee, cake and a chat. Heaven on a plate …  On a trip to the southern region of Skane (Skåne) I sampled a lot of VERY good cake as well as many more sensory delights.  It’s a land...

To visit to Prague in autumn is a real treat.  The city zings with colour, the thermometer has dipped from the heat of high summer and the chill of winter is yet to arrive.   Looking down from a gently sloping hillside, tall trees show off a melange of rich shades that would...

In our latest World Travel Blogger post, business woman Dorothy Dalton shares a Spanish travel secret. Ayamonte – photo Marc Ryckaert I was introduced to Ayamonte and Isla Canela in southern Spain in 2002 by two sets of old friends who had fallen in love with the area and decided to buy properties down...

The May Day Padstow  ‘Obby ‘Oss (Hobby Horse) procession is the oldest of its kind in the country, possibly dating back thousands of years. Its actual origins are uncertain, but it has the hallmarks of an ancient fertility rite, marking the coming of summer. There are two Padstow ‘Osses, one red...

“And the winner of the ‘Visit England Large Visitor Attraction 2011′ is … Chatsworth House.” This must have been sweet music to all the hard-working staff at this majestic, yet so welcoming house and estate in the heart of Derbyshire.  Home to the Cavendish family, Dukes & Duchesses of Devonshire for centuries,...