The ocean called a siren song as I wandered along the narrow path on a perfect English summer’s day. Then there it was, shushing onto the sand in gentle curls, vibrant blue reflecting the cerulean sky.  A crinkle of land floated on the horizon; the Farne Islands, home to a...

The Quaker Tapestry is a modern day masterpiece of story-telling in stitches.   Elizabeth Fry It’s also one of the largest and most significant, imaginative and collaborative community textile projects in the world. Its 77 panels made by 4,000 people from 15 countries celebrate life, people, such as famous Quakers Elizabeth...

The plaque on the simple cross tells a tragic tale.  Two men sharing the same surname, both killed in war, but 25 years apart. Father and son crosses at Notre-Dame de Lorette M de Sars senior died in World War One in 1915.  His son Edmond was killed in 1940 in...

OK, I’d better fess up straight away. I was at the Gala Premiere of  ‘Postman Pat: The Movie’ at the Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal, in the midst of a horde of tiny tots straining their little necks to get a glimpse of an enormous figure in a (glitzy?) blue uniform...

Discover the fascinating history of Raffles Hotel. Named after the Scotsman who founded Singapore, this famous hotel was an innovator of change, created a classic cocktail, survived wartime occupation and today is an iconic haven of elegance, grandeur and luxury.

The contrast couldn’t be greater. One grave smothered in gold-embossed plaques, bowls of flowers, ornate urns and emotional messages. The other a simple white marble headstone, a couple of wooden crosses, fading paper poppies, a little Canadian flag  and a tiny rock plant struggling through the lumpy soil.  Yet this...

At the end of Morecambe Bay heading towards Carnforth there’s a delightful sculpture beside the promenade.  A sturdy, naked female seated on the grass appears to be swinging a small figure around in the air.  As you drive past you get an impression of exuberant playfulness but I bet you...