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Places

Penny Hampson

Exploring Bath: Two Days Discovering Hidden Gems

September 2nd, 2025

Last week the husband and I enjoyed a trip to Bath. With only two days to explore we were determined to pack in as much as possible, so arrived early to make the most of our short time there. So, of course, our first stop was breakfast – well, you can’t do much on an […]

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A Trip to Yorkshire, The White Rose County: Part Two

August 8th, 2025

Thank you for joining me on the second part of my trip to Yorkshire, the White rose county. You can read about the first part of my trip here. Having completed our three day stay in York, husband and I travelled north to Pickering, a small market town on the border of the North York […]

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My Trip to Yorkshire: The White Rose County

July 31st, 2025

Earlier this month, husband and I spent several days in Yorkshire, the white rose county; so called because a white rose has been the symbol for Yorkshire since the War of the Roses in the 15th century. Our first destination was York itself, a beautiful historic city. The last time I’d visited was back in […]

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Who Wants a Glass of Water?

October 9th, 2021

Today, I thought I’d take another look at Buchan’s Domestic Medicine. In my edition, there is a section that discusses mineral waters. Now, for anyone who is a fan of Regency novels there is often mention of ‘taking the waters’, and this was usually undertaken in Bath, a city still known today for its hot […]

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Foodie Heaven? Head to York

September 23rd, 2021

Last week I went up to York for the Romantic Novelists’ Association Afternoon Tea. It was an extra special occasion for me as I was one of the eleven finalists for the 2021 Joan Hessayon Award, for my book, The Unquiet Spirit. Deciding to make the most of things, the husband and I travelled up […]

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Finding the Right Spot

September 7th, 2021

A couple of weeks ago I made a trip to Falmouth in Cornwall; it was mainly for research purposes for my forthcoming book due out later this year, but I can’t deny that I also enjoyed my visit and it wasn’t all about work. It was sad to discover that, thanks to Covid restrictions, one […]

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The Good Soldier: Part 2

December 10th, 2020

My previous post about Sir John Moore’s system of training officers and soldiers at his training camp at Shorncliffe in Kent concerned some of the practicalities of of life, such as dress, cleanliness, and discipline. But Sir John believed that every aspect of a soldier’s life should be regulated and that, with training and application, […]

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Want to visit one of Oxfordshire’s best kept secrets?

September 11th, 2020

Another trip out last week for the husband and I. This time we were meeting up with friends for a socially-distanced picnic. The venue was the glorious Buscot Park, near Faringdon, Oxfordshire. The weather wasn’t great when we arrived in the early afternoon, with grey skies and even a few spots of rain. By mid-afternoon, […]

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Fishponds and Railway Lines: Traces of the Past

September 1st, 2020

Looking for somewhere different to walk recently, the husband and I set off to visit Eynsham, a village to the west of Oxford. We’ve done a walk there in the past and decided that it was due further exploration. I like Eynsham, it’s architecture is a mixture of many time periods, making it easy to […]

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