Just a short ferry ride from the mainland, the Isle of Wight feels like England with the edges softened slightly. The pace slows down, the …
The Isle of Wight, England in soft focus
Hidden Gems
Staffordshire, where England does pots, peaks and the odd rollercoaster
Staffordshire is one of those quietly varied counties where you can go from rolling countryside to industrial heritage to adrenaline rides all in the same …
Bedfordshire, a gentle county with deer, dukes and the odd lion
Bedfordshire is one of those counties that often sneaks under the radar. Wedged between the busier worlds of London, Cambridge and the Midlands, it sits …
Cambridgeshire is where England gets quietly clever
Tucked into the east of England, Cambridgeshire is one of those counties that manages to feel ancient, flat and faintly intellectual all at once. The …
Worcestershire: more than just a sauce
Tucked between the Cotswolds and the Malvern Hills, Worcestershire is one of those counties that does not demand attention but rewards anyone who stops to …
Shropshire is where England hides some of its best bits
Tucked along the border with Wales, Shropshire is one of those counties that people often forget about, which suits the locals just fine. It is …
Birmingham, the city that built everything and brags about nothing
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 …
Six London “towns” that make you forget you are in the capital
Greater London is more than the bustle of Oxford Street or the queues for the London Eye. It is also home to pockets of green, …
Autumn on the Isle of Bute – where the Clyde meets colour
The Isle of Bute has long been the quiet achiever of Scottish islands. Sitting neatly in the Firth of Clyde, it is close enough to …
Essex is where England is not quite what you expect
Say the word Essex and people tend to picture nightclubs, fake tan and reality TV. Which is, frankly, a little unfair. The real Essex is …