CFBA organisers Sue Coulson, Janett Walker and Sophia Newton – photo Victoria Sedgewick ‘I gotta feeling’ by the Black-Eyed Peas rocked out from the speakers as Sue Coulson, Janett Walker and Sophia Newton stepped onto the stage to announce the start of the very first Cumbria Family Business Awards. Sue, whose company,...

Razor-sharp beak pointing towards the sky, the blue-footed booby flaps its wings in a couple of wide-angled swooshes, then returns to preening its brown and white feathers. Its bright blue feet seem to be suckered onto the rock, never slipping as it grooms and turns about, having a good wash. Beside...

Relaxing beside Grasmere The stone hits the water with a splosh and rippling arcs curve further and further out towards the fells in the distance. Light peeks through darkling clouds as the weather god makes up his mind whether to shower Grasmere with sunshine or a wee bit more rain....

Brontë Parsonage Museum The ‘Pillar Portrait’, half way up the stairs of the Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth, says it all. The most famous sisters in the world gaze enigmatically into the distance, dressed in simple Victorian dresses, drab colours reflecting what might be perceived as their drab lives. They were...

Okanagan Lake Canada It was at delightfully named Peachland in British Columbia, that I knew I was hooked. Sitting on a folding chair, ham salad on lap, gazing out across tranquil Okanagan Lake, surrounded by mountains, the early summer sun shining, all was right with the world. Our motorhome waited...

David Hockney looking at a picture of fellow Yorkshireman Alan Bennett – photo Salts Mill You may have heard of, or even been to see, the new David Hockney exhibition at Tate Britain in London. One of this country’s most loved and respected artists, Hockney was born in Bradford in 1937,...

Snowmobile in Finland You may not automatically think of Scandinavia when you the consider things to do around Valentine’s Day. A proposal on the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, a romantic dinner in Rome, a luxurious hotel in the Lake District or maybe a gentle stroll along a...

“No offence, but I want to be THERE, not here.” This was the response from Amber, a participant in one of my recent ‘Introduction to Travel Writing’ Workshops. The group had been given a table covered in travel magazines and I was asking them what had made them choose the one...

David Hockney looking at a picture of fellow Yorkshireman Alan Bennett – photo Salts Mill You may have heard of, or even been to see, the new David Hockney exhibition at Tate Britain in London. One of this country’s most loved and respected artists, Hockney was born in Bradford in 1937,...

With his hands clutching his long, flowing coat tightly around him, Sir William Hillary (1771-1841) stands high above Douglas Harbour, ready to face everything the weather can throw at him.  As founder of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution he was well aware of the changeable  meteorological temperament of his home,...

The Toy Train to Shimla As we clattered along the narrow track, the mountains gradually emerged like shy ballerinas peeking out from behind a curtain of lush green foliage. Glimpsed intermittently at first, the foothills of the mightiest mountain range on earth rose amidst tiny hamlets and towering pine trees....

In this article in the World Travel Blogger series, photographer Angus Matheson describes The North Coast 500, a memorable road trip he did with his wife in the Highlands of Scotland. North Coast 500 – the greatest motoring adventure in the British Isles North Coast 500 In 2015 the North Coast...

It looked a lot bigger than I had imagined. It also looked a lot prettier, covered in views of Canada’s splendid scenery. “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. Once you get on the road, you’ll soon forget its size and be enjoying yourself behind the wheel.” I was at the Cruise Canada pick-up centre...

In our latest ‘World Travel Blogger‘ article, Canadian writer Cindy Baker shares her favourite things to do the beautiful city of Lisbon, capital of Portugal. The clatter of old trams, the smell of sardines on the grill, the haunting melancholy of fado music. In Lisbon, these traditions combine with a...

Rain drifts gently down from a milky grey sky. There’s not a breath of wind and the sound of footsteps is all that can be heard. Ahead loom two huge pillars thrusting upwards through the drizzle. a standing figure gradually comes into focus between the pillars, resting like Samson against...