Liverpool Pier Head at Dusk

We were back in Liverpool earlier this month, 43 years to the day after we left. I don't come back as often as I used to, but leaving never gets easier. "It's not the leaving of Liverpool that grieves me // But my darling when I think of thee" - The Dubliners We ate an exceptional meal at Cargo...

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The Ornate Ironwork of Crossness Pumping Station

I love hometown tourism, the idea that we don't need to travel far to discover hidden treasures. Despite my lofty aspirations, it took me far too long to visit Crossness Pumping Station, which is practically located in my back garden. The pumping station has been hailed as a "wonder of Victorian...

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Walking the Darent Valley Path from The Chequers to Dartford

Here's a little known fact about me: I get inordinately excited when planning walks and adventures. It makes sense, because I subsist on the memories of those adventures for days afterwards until I can start planning the next one. I was very busy with work in the week before we walked the Darent Valley...

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A Bookish Afternoon in Montevecchia

I want to share one of my favourite days in Italy last June - though, to be honest, every one of those five days felt like a favourite - but this one was especially good....

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A Sunday Morning in Westerham

If you’re searching for the perfect brunch spot in Kent, you really can’t do better than the charming town of Westerham. Quintessentially English and steeped in history, this little gem is full of big names and fascinating stories. Westerham proudly claims James Wolfe, the British Army officer famed...

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