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After a very traumatic few weeks where I had been in to a coma and nearly died, developed a serious and rare dermatology illness and then spent 9 days in a cancer isolation ward and my immune system had failed, my hair coming out in clumps and required a central line, I needed a change of scenery.  A place to mentally get my head around what lay in front of me.  Something that would throw my life right in the air.  I really was in no fit state to travel anywhere,  I was fainting on a daily basis.  I knew… View Post

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I love Wales and if I’m honest Welsh beaches are as hot as I can stand. I don’t do heat. But these are my 5 favourite beaches. All in North Wales Tywyn The Welsh seaside town that I always holidayed at and I actually lived there for 3 years. Beautiful and sandy. Averdovey Just a few miles south from Tywyn. Again a lovely sandy beach. Barmouth The popular Welsh holiday town again has a lovely sandy beach. Cricceith  Travelling further north you reach the quaint town of Cricceith with the castle looking down upon the beach. Such a stunning view… View Post

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Back in July of 2012 be we finally became members of English Heritage.  We had been members of The National Trust for a number of years and it is fair to say that we had certainly used our membership to the full.  I soon discovered that there were so many other places we would be able to visit locally if we took up membership with English Heritage too.  Our first place of call was the pretty Shropshire town of Much Wenlock and Wenlock Priory. The Anglo-Saxon monastery dates back to around 680 and is situated in the picturesque town on Much… View Post

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Late last year on a sunny October morning we went on a day trip along the Cambrian coast to the seaside town of Criccieth. Criccieth is a beautiful seaside town with 2 lovely beaches which are separated by 13th Century Castle perched high on a rocky peninsula overlooking Tremadog Bay in North Wales. We walked from the train station down to the south beach, a walk of around 10 minutes down to the sea front.  Although it was October the skies were blue and there wasn’t really much wind.  We paid our entry fee to the castle and started the climb… View Post

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I love Chatsworth House and have done since I was a teenager. I went to university in Derby and love days out in the Peak District. I found it such an escape from studying and trying to come to terms with being diagnosed with a incurable crohnic illness. To escape I often drove to the Peak District with the lovely town of Bakewell and the quaint village of Hartington being favourites. A visit to Bakewell always meant an afternoon at Chatsworth House. A visit was always made at Christmas to view the stunning Christmas decorations. With life being what it… View Post

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This time last year whilst still living in Wales we had a spare day with nothing to do and I really wanted to not waste the day and hang around at home. Off on the train we went up the Cambrian coast to visit Portmeirion; a specially built Italian inspired village nestled in beautiful woodland on the coast. It is so beautiful there. We chose a dry but slightly cloudy day but still had such a lovely time walking around. All the buildings are painted in such calming Mediterranean colours  with statutes and beautiful gardens. We had a beautiful lunch if… View Post

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A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to have a weekend away in North Wales and took a trip to the summit of the Great Orme overlooking Llandudno.  Having lived in Wales for 3 years until recently and having always taken holidays there my whole life I was pleased to go back and visit somewhere I really love.  I have been lucky enough to have visited this area of North Wales before and always find the scenery so stunning. We stayed over night in Conwy and traveled a few miles the next day over the estuary to Llandudno.  Llandudno… View Post

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It’s been a month now since I took a trip to Cambridge for my birthday yet it seems like only yesterday. We picked the perfect day to visit with the Spring sun shining down on us. Cambridge wasn’t busy which was lovely to not have to battle crowds of people.   I would have loved a trip down the river but I was realistic in that with my rheumatoid arthritis there was no chance of my being able to get back up out of the boat. I think I would have been able to get in to the boat but… View Post