The British tradition of remembering Guy Fawkes and the failed Gunpowder Plot in 1605 is still celebrated in November with fireworks. Most people have forgotten the treason and why the day is commemorated but, though the selling of fireworks are now restricted, it is still in our psyche to go watch a display – that …
Sometimes, it is obvious. For example, Coalhouse Fort was built to guard the lower part of the River Thames from attack from the French in the 19th century. It is a solidly built building surrounded by a wide water-filled ditch. It isn’t pretty but . . . maybe it was enough for people to feel …
Exeter is the county town of Devon in the South West of England i.e. it’s a big old place. Yet as you follow the road to Topsham, one minute you are in suburbia and the next . . . a quaint ‘town’ (the 2021 census the population was 4,146) full of historic references from its …
It started with a text message, “Get your camera ready tonight . . . it’s the buck moon”. So there we were all set up on a beautiful summer’s night above Firestone Bay, Plymouth waiting for the moon rise. We had the ‘app’ so had worked out the ‘where’ allowing for the cliff getting in …
Sometimes in our South West corner of Britain, we have what we call ‘the San Fransisco effect’. Basically, the cold air from the sea hits the warm air of the land causing fog. That week, we had had a lot of heat. Throw into that mix the River Tamar, clear skies, lights winds . . …
Copenhagen – capital of Denmark. It has been around as a ‘Havn’ from around AD1000 initially prospering from the shoals of herring in its waters. It certainly has had its fair share of ‘moments in history’ – civil war, losing territories to Sweden, The Great Fire of 1728, battles with the British navy, being occupied …
This year was different. Usually we visit The Yard in Bath around December to immerse ourselves in the Christmassy vibe – soft lights, the smell of a real tree and an excellent location for Theatre Royal, good restaurants and the stunning Christmas market amongst the warm, honey coloured stone of the Georgian period. This year, …
The tourist blurb talks about the Opera House as an ‘illusion of glistening ice’ being built from white marble and granite. Its one of the ‘must do’ destinations – to walk up the incline and see the views from the roof – bit tricky with the ice and snow but worth it. We researched our …