A Skirmish and Two Battles – All in One Day
Last week was the start of a great adventure for me. I’d gritted my teeth and made the decision to fly to Lisbon. It wasn’t the destination that bothered me, but the method of travel — I confess, I’m a very nervous passenger. Anyway, I’m so glad I overcame my fears because I had a […]
Researching Falmouth: Packets and Castles
These last few weeks have mostly been spent on research for my next book. The main location I have in mind is Falmouth in Cornwall. For those of you who don’t know, Falmouth is a thriving seaside town near the western southernmost tip of England. Falmouth didn’t really exist as a town until the 17th […]
A Squint at Wool and Brass: A Trip to Northleach, A Medieval ‘Planted’ Town
Last week I had another of my mini excursions. I love doing these small trips because there is always something new to see, and I often pick up ideas for locations to use in my stories. It’s also amazing how many delightful and interesting places there are on my doorstep (mind you, I’m lucky to […]
What Time Does My Coach Depart? Researching Stagecoach Travel in the Regency
Recently, I’ve been looking into stagecoach travel in the early 1800s. I already knew basic facts, but in order to get what may turn out to be a very small part of my next book absolutely correct, more research was required. The problem was that I have to get one of my characters from London […]
A Trip Back in Time: Railways and… Rhinos?
Last week saw another of my whistle-stop trips. It’s amazing what you can pack in when you have limited time. Husband and I visited Bridgnorth, Shropshire, a small market town in the Severn Valley, bisected by the River Severn. It was very much a short visit, we spent even less time there than we did […]
A Trip to Worcester: Art and Architecture
The other day husband and I made our first visit to Worcester, a lovely, small cathedral city in the Midlands, skirted on its western side by the River Severn. The weather wasn’t great, but at least the rain wasn’t torrential. First stop, after finding a parking space, was the Tourist Information Centre on the High […]
Books, Shakespeare, and Coffins: A Trip to Brum
A couple of weeks ago, the husband and I went to Birmingham for a bit of a break.What’s special about Birmingham, I hear you ask? Let me tell you. Having lived there in the past (over twenty years ago now) I know the centre fairly well — most of it, anyway — a lot has […]
Church, Chapel, and Cake: A Visit to Bath Part 3
It’s been a while since I posted, so apologies if you’ve been waiting for the final instalment of my trip to Bath. On the recommendation of a friend, the final full day of my trip included a visit to St Swithin’s Church in Walcot. I’d not been there before, but because it has Austen connections, […]
A Visit to Bath, Part 2
Welcome to the second instalment of my visit to Bath. We decided that our second day here should include a visit to Bath Abbey. The weather was cold but dry, and not too overcast. We were hoping to take a tour to the top of the Abbey tower, and though it wasn’t the best day […]