The Heather Scarecrow Festival 2018 is in full swing until the 5th August, so we took a trip along this evening to see this year’s entries. To those not familiar with it, the little village of Heather in Leicestershire is now celebrating the 20th anniversary of the scarecrow festival, where various local residents make scarecrows,…
The UK has no shortage of unusual ceremonial titles, and alongside the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod and the Grand Carver of England is the Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office. As you may have guessed by the name, the Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office is…
2017 has just started and today, 2nd January, was a glorious day in this part of the world, so it seemed a great opportunity to get outside. We took a trip to Croxden Abbey, or more formally, Abbey of the Vale of St. Mary at Croxden, in Staffordshire. The abbey started life in 1176 when…
Fans of motorised transport, be it racing cars or otherwise, are spoiled for choice in the UK with the sheer volume of circuits and exhibitions dedicated to their hobby, including plenty of hidden gems that are less well known. Coventry Transport Museum is one of those, with a huge number of vehicles on display in…
I was in Northern Ireland recently and took a trip to North Down, and after a pleasant lunch in the lovely seaside town of Bangor and a stroll along the marina, headed to nearby Newtownards. Anyone in the area will see one particular landmark rising up over the very scenic views; that of Scrabo Tower.…
I’m a regular at my local village festival, and after writing about the 2013 and 2014 events, I went along last Saturday to the Heart of the Forest Festival 2015 to see what was going on. The festival takes place in the Leicestershire village of Measham in the middle of the National Forest, hence the…
Given that many cities and towns in the UK were once fortified through the addition of city or town walls, it may be a little surprising to hear that only one – Londonderry in Northern Ireland – retains all of its walls in tact. However, if you add consideration that these walls would either have…
I’m in York today, and one of the outstanding monuments in the centre of the city is Clifford’s Tower. The tower is the remainder of the Norman keep that formed part of York castle that was built under orders from William the Conqueror to stamp his authority on the formerly viking city of York. The…
Bolsover Castle is unsurprisingly found in the Derbyshire town of Bolsover, and is a sight familiar to many people, particularly those who use the M1 motorway on a regular basis. The castle is easily spotted by those passing by on this main arterial route through the county, and is a short drive from the motorway.…
I wrote recently about the 750th anniversary of Simon de Montfort’s great Parliament at Westminster, and to mark that event, I went along to the Worcestershire town of Evesham where de Montfort, the former ruler of England, is buried at Evesham Abbey. Evesham Abbey was founded by St Egwin around 700AD, with the legend being…
The Giant’s Causeway is one of the most famous natural landmarks in Northern Ireland, with the hexagonal basalt columns looking curiously man made, and giving rise to the legend that provides the name of the rock formation. The story goes that Finn MacCool, a local giant, built the causeway to meet Benandonner, a giant in…
Anyone who has spent any time in Scotland will know that you do not have to travel far to find a castle, or at least a fortified building, and I have visited several and stayed in a few. However, I recently visited one that was slightly different from any other to which I had been.…