“Daddy, it’s alive, it’s breathing smoke!” The little boy shrieked with delight as the huge black engine chuffed under the bridge into the station. There was something supremely elemental about it as the steam hissed noisily, fire roared and smuts flicked over the admiring passengers. I was on the Keighley and...

For those of a certain age, St Moritz is synonymous with the uber-cool jet-setters of the Swinging Sixties. Renowned playboy Gunter Sachs epitomised this hedonistic era when he married French pin-up movie star Brigitte Bardot. and made Switzerland their winter playground. The Gunter Sachs Lodge and The Dracula Club, overlooking the Olympic Bob Run course, are where people...

North East Wales is an area of fascinating history and beautiful scenery. Its towns, villages and people offer a warm welcome to visitors from around the world. It’s also got some unique tea rooms and quirky cafes. Here are a few that I can recommend, having tried them out during...

Swallows swirl around the violet sky as the sun sets, a trio of trees are reflected in the calm waters of the canal. The air is still, scented with freshly cut hay. Ice jingles in glasses as we sip cocktails and chat quietly, absorbed in the tranquil scene, the cares...

They were very well-behaved, standing quietly by the bench as their riders enjoyed a drink in the summer sunshine. Three horses standing beside their riders. They’d come out for a hack in the country lanes around Silverdale and Arnside and had stopped off at Wolf  House Gallery Cafe for a rest....

If you were brought up on the charming little books of Beatrix Potter, you’ll understand my delight in seeing her original drawings at the National Trust Beatrix Potter Gallery.  It’s in the disarmingly pretty village of Hawkshead, slap bang in the middle of the Lake District World Heritage site. On display this year...

Where can you experience what it was like to be imprisoned in the Victorian era? See intriguing contemporary art and discover some of Wales’ finest craftsmanship? Find a fine example of Carrera Marble sculpture? View the only Prime Ministerial Library in the UK? In North East Wales. Here are five...