A festive “grape harvest day” in Cheverny – Meanderings through France n° 197
By Annick Dournes & Frédéric de Poligny For the ninth consecutive year winegrowers and winemakers of the Cheverny DOC organize a wine festival on Saturday 7...
Harry’s Ramblings Eastbourne Seafront
This is an hour long stroll along Eastbourne’s seafront from the pier to the bottom of Beachy Head, called Holywell. It is all on the flat, is about 4...
A Place to Stay. Hotel Bon Sol & Spa, Majorca
I spent two nights at the Hotel Bon Sol Resort and Spa, five miles from Palma, Majorca. Mallorca (or Majorca – both spellings are acceptable) is still a virtually unspoilt...
A Place to Stay. The Bonham, Edinburgh
If you’re looking for a hotel in Edinburgh do have a look at The Bonham in Drumsheugh Gardens. Lying in the City’s vibrant west end it has been recently...
Rachel’s Wanderings in Spain – 7 – Summer Nights, Capers and Caperberries
So August is here. The earth is hard baked and any ground foliage golden brown but there is one wild plant that is resplendant at the moment and...
A Place to Stay. Hadlow Tower, a Wonderful Place for a Weekend!
Hadlow Tower, in Hadlow village, near Tonbridge in Kent, known as May’s Folly, is a Grade 1 listed building and it is up for sale for £2 million, you...
Exploring the National Herb Centre
Photos by Rob Tysall, Tysall’s Photography Ann Evans explores the delightful National Herb Centre in Oxfordshire The culinary and medicinal use of herbs...
Blois, much better than a history book for a glimpse of French Royals’ life – Meanderings through France n° 193
By Annick Dournes & Frederic de Poligny Blois is only a two-hour drive from Paris and an ideal starting point to explore the Loire Valley and...
How about taking part in the day-to-day life of Alsatian winemakers? – Meanderings through Francece n° 191
By Annick Dournes & Frédéric de Poligny All summer and autumn long Alsatian winemakers organize an amazing great number of events during which tourists are invited...
Holland Park’s Safestay Hostel. Is it London’s Cheapest Place to Stay?
I was surprised to find a hostel right in the middle of Holland Park. It seemed to have been dropped there one dark night. It just didn’t belong there....
Harry’s Ramblings. Idyllic Madeira holiday
Madeira is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, about a thousand miles off the northern coast of Africa. Don’t ask me to be specific, it’s not particularly relevant. Many...
Holland Park, Leisure & Pleasure hidden in the Heart of London.
London must be one of the greenest cities in the world. There are parks and gardens everywhere, if you know where to look! Sometimes you get a nice surprise...
FOOD, DRINK AND GARDENING!
Photos courtesy of Rob Tysall, Tysall’s Photography and BBC Gardeners World Live. Ann Evans highlights some products and people that caught her eye at the BBC’s Good Food...
500 years ago, Chateau de Chambord’s birth, Leonardo’s death – Meanderings through France n° 190
By Annick Dournes & Frédéric de Poligny If leaving today no doubt that François 1er would have made tabloids headlines very often. In 1519 the 25...
TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE
Photos courtesy of BBC Gardeners World and Rob Tysall, Tysall’s Photography. Ann Evans is all set for the BBC Gardeners World Live and the BBC Good Food...
Midlands Air Festival
Photos by Rob Tysall, Tysall’s Photography. The Midlands Air Festival returned to Arbury Hall and Ann Evans went along to enjoy the action. Crowds descended...
HALF TERM HOLIDAY FUN
It’s half term week and Ann Evans has a few suggestions of how to keep the family happy. Pirate Adventures at Hatton If...
Medieval Michelham Priory
I recently visited Michelham Priory, near Eastbourne, East Sussex. I discovered it many years ago on a school trip, and I fell in love with it as I was...
INSPIRATION AT RHS MALVERN SPRING SHOW
Photos by Rob Tysall, Tysall’s Photography Ann Evans visited the RHS Malvern Spring Show, and found a world of inspiration Never mind the weather, gardeners from all...
Malta Diary Malta always on the go – an island that never sleeps?
ALBERT FENECH e/mail – Facebook: My Blog: We as inhabitants are fully used to it. Should anybody plan to visit Malta...
RHS MALVERN SPRING FESTIVAL
It will soon be time for the RHS Malvern Spring Festival, Ann Evans gives us a preview If you love gardens and gardening, you won’t want to...
Harry’s Ramblings Eastbourne Carpet Gardens Roman History
There is a public wooden bench close to Eastbourne’s pier. It’s on the end of the Carpet Gardens, you can sit there quite comfortably for hours, breathe in...
Lovely springtime in Chantilly – Meanderings through France n° 182
By Annick Dournes & Frederic de Poligny Spring is back and it feels good to get out in the countryside and enjoy nature’s rebirth. Being only...
MALTA DIARY: Queen Elizabeth II – a life-long relationship with Malta; former residence to be restored and maybe become a museum
ALBERT FENECH e/mail – Facebook: My Blog: When Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II was asked last year by a newspaper to name her...
The National Garden Scheme helps even more charities
This is a perfect way of raising money for charity says Ann Evans. The NGS have around 3,500 beautiful private gardens throughout England and...
So much on offer in Shakespeare’s England
The region that is known as Shakespeare’s England focuses on that part of South Warwickshire that takes in the Bard’s birthplace of Stratford-upon-Avon It also embraces the historic...
Trevor’s Wildlife Week for 7th March 2019
We had a handsome little toad come into care in January which had a nasty wound on its back. It was treated very carefully in our first aid room...
A Trip to Tonbridge, Kent
It was a lovely, rare, warm February day so daughter Rana and I with little Isabella decided to go out for the day and Rana suggested Tonbridge. Tonbridge is...
Discovering William Wallace in Stirling, Scotland
Scotland seriously has my heart. I can’t help but go back there again and again. There’s so much history, culture and, of course, beautiful views. On my recent Scottish...
Gardens Galore!
Love gardens and gardening? Ann Evans takes a look at what the NGS have in store It may only be February, but lots of places around...
Ragley Hall’s Winter Garden Walks
Ann Evans will be blowing away those winter blues with an early spring walk around one of Warwickshire most stunning stately homes. It may be a grey, damp, cold...
Cahors, a multifaceted southern town – Meanderings through France n° 172
By Annick Dournes & Frederic de Poligny Asked about Cahors all French people will first think about its renowned red wine. But this really is all too...
Warwickshire farmers boost nature’s recovery
Local farm wildlife plans help cereal growers devote 30% of land to nature, Ann Evans reports. A group of farmers in Warwickshire are leading the way,...
Nat’s Travels – Getting to know Shakespeare
Over the past few years I have become a little obsessed with Shakespeare. I was always interested in school, but then I had to pick plays apart in high...
Picturesque Puglia.
By Ricky Ghosh Dastidar. Ricky has chosen an article about the Puglia region of Italy as his favourite article of the year. Here we look back on his...
Ranjit Recommends: Secular Democracy At Omkareshwara Temple
Here is Ranjit’s Favourite Article of 2018. The hilltop town of Coorg forms part of the backroads of Karnataka. Whilst many temples fall before you in this region, is...
Great Dixter; Picturesque Perfection!
Lyn chooses her Favourite Article of 2018 for Christmas Week. What can I say about a house that has been on its site in various forms for around 800...
MEN IN SHEDS
By Ann Evans Photos courtesy of Rob Tysall and Nuneaton’s Men in Sheds. You’ll have heard of the man cave, well meet our Men in Sheds. Ann Evans...
Christmas’ enchantment in Vaux-le-Vicomte Chateau – Meanderings through France n° 166
By Annick Dournes & Frederic de Poligny In France the 17th century is known as the “Grand Siècle”, the Grand Century. Louis XIV and his court developed...
SHELLY BEACH SNIPPETS NO. 104 November, 2018.
Patricia Newell-Dunkley – Photographs by Reginald Website: Facebook: Patricia Newell-Dunkley Artist/Writer Google: Patricia Newell-Dunkley for all previous snippets. Greetings from down-under as we visit Western Australia, Australia’s...