Birmingham doesn’t always shout about itself. That’s one big reason why I like it so much. While London blares and Manchester struts, Brum gets on …
Birmingham, the city that built everything and brags about nothing
City Breaks
Cardiff for the curious, a capital with character
There are capital cities that feel like they are performing for you and there are others that simply invite you in for a chat and …
Top 10 reasons to visit The West Midlands, from Peaky Blinders to Cadbury bars
The West Midlands has always been a place of industry and invention, where things were hammered, smelted, cast and riveted with a kind of cheerful …
Bath and the art of soaking in history
There are towns where you feel the centuries in the cobblestones, and then there is Bath, where history practically runs a hot tap and invites …
Lincoln, a cathedral, a castle and a rather persistent imp
There are some places where history whispers. In Lincoln, it bellows from every cobbled street, turreted wall and medieval nook. Perched on a steep hill …
Fog on the Tyne and fire in the belly
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city that never quite does what you expect. One moment you’re standing by Roman ruins, the next you’re peering up …
How to look clever in 48 hours, spend a weekend in Cambridge
There are cities that whisper their history politely and there are cities like Cambridge that hurl it at you with a sense of giddy academic …
Glasgow from shipbuilding grit to cultural grit
Glasgow doesn’t always get the press it deserves. Edinburgh has the skyline and the castle and the festival that turns the city into a human …
Why Hull deserves a second look
Hull is the sort of place that gets described with a smirk or a shrug. People think they know it, or think they don’t want …
Legends, Lace and the Art of Getting Lost in Nottingham
Nottingham – rebels, royals and Robin Hood Nottingham is one of those places that arrives with its own myth. Say the name and up pops …