“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...

They were very well-behaved, standing quietly by the bench as their riders enjoyed a drink in the summer sunshine. 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. That’s what I love about this...

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...

The sound of seabirds calling echoed across the scrubby grass towards Fleetwood and Blackpool. A pale sun glimmered round the drifting clouds, casting a pewter glow across Morecambe Bay, A dog barked with delight as it dashed across the rocks to splash into the shallow water. I was parked at...

Lancaster Canal in Carnforth It’s such a joy coming home after a trip away. In my job as a travel blogger, I get about a lot, both in the UK and around the world. I very often go by train, either heading off to an airport or to get to...

“Our Slow guides to British regions are the foremost of their kind, opening up Britain’s special places in a way that no other guides do. Discover the spots that aren’t normally publicised, meet the locals, find out where the best food can be enjoyed indulge in a little cultural foraging...