Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas and a safe and prosperous 2019. We’ve had a whirlwind few weeks whilst in London – hectic to say the least! I’m looking forward to spending some quiet time with Mum down in Bournemouth whilst Ants heads up to North Wales to be with Dad. It’s incredibly mild…

The canal ways of North London are relatively little-known to the hordes of tourists that throng to London year-round. Perhaps this might be different in the summer months, but on a cold winter’s day like yesterday there wasn’t a soul around, aside from some coots, the odd jogger, an elegant swan or two and some…

‘Put your hands on the ice, listen to it, smell it, look at it – and witness the ecological changes our world is undergoing.’ – Olafur Eliasson Artist Eliasson and geologist Mink Rosing fished twenty-four iceberg fragments out of the Nuup Kangerlua fjord in Greenland, with each block weighing between 1.5 and 5 tonnes! The…

Gay go up and gay go down (that’s actually part of the rhyme, really it is) To Ring the Bells of London Town “Oranges and Lemons” say the Bells of St. Clements “Bullseyes and Targets” say the Bells of St. Margaret’s “Brickbats and Tiles” say the Bells of St. Giles “Halfpence and Farthings” say the Bells of St. Martin’s…

Really great to see the latest architectural wonder in London – the recently opened Coal Drops Yard in King’s Cross. Designed by UK’s ‘star of the moment’ architect Thomas Heatherwick, the conversion of two 19th coal warehouses (whose roofs now take flight and reach out to touch each other) is superbly done and forms the centre…

Arrived back in London for the dressing of the Christmas tree – and what a fine tree it is too! Guy and Rachel have a great collection of baubles and decorations gathered from all over the world, so once Guy had struggled with the tree on the bus and got it home in one piece,…

After North Wales we hot-footed it down to Bournemouth via Euston and Waterloo. Perhaps not so surprising that the 9.30am Virgin Rail service out of Chester was packed to standing room only on a short train. We had reserved seats thankfully, but apparently no seats is normal for regular travellers, and at £86 each for…

  We’re finally back in Anthony’s home village of Hawarden (Penarlâg) in Flintshire, North Wales and home with Dad for the first of several visits. Enjoying some chilly winter weather, perfect for a short drive over to The Wirral Peninsula for a spot of lunch (slap up Cod & Chips of course) at The Ship,…

A bracing stroll through Crystal Palace Park this morning in the wintery gloom was made intriguing by the chance to walk through what now remains of The Crystal Palace itself. Originally created to house the Exhibition of the Industry of all Nations and staged in Hyde Park in 1851, it was eventually moved piece by…

After a short delay getting out of Buenos Aires, due to arriving G20 dignitaries (specifically, the arrival of Canada, Turkey and India), we finally arrived in Santiago for an overnight pit-stop. Nice to be back, albeit briefly, and a nice new hotel in Lastarria, Hotel Cumbres to rest our heads. Flight to London later this…