Fiction from Fact
My upcoming book A Bachelor’s Pledge is a work of fiction but there are many elements of the story that actually occurred. I try to fit them in seamlessly, so that it is not too much like a history lesson for the reader. It is late 1810, and my hero, Phil Cullen, is instructed by […]
Want your spirits uplifting? Come on a walk to Minster Lovell
I’ve been venturing further afield on my walks as the weather has improved. Last week the husband and I visited Minster Lovell, a picturesque historic village on the banks of the River Windrush. This village has three parts, Old Minster, Little Minster, and New Minster. You might guess that Old Minster was our destination Even […]
A Lockdown Day Out
Although I enjoy my daily lockdown walks, seeing the same scenery day after day gets more than a little tedious. After nearly three months I was itching to walk somewhere different. So when the rules were relaxed recently, I decided to see if there was anywhere not too far away from where I live that […]
Fancy a Ride Round Britain?
Then let’s accompany Colonel John Byng, Viscount Torrington (1743-1813) on one of his tours. I’ve written about this chap before, but I thought now — when we are unable to travel — would be a good time to have another look at his diaries detailing his trips round the country. On Saturday 2nd July 1785 […]
Who was Caleb Hillier Parry?
Bath in its heyday was renowned as the place to go if you were in poor health. Since Roman times its hot spring had been famed for its curative powers, and the same waters were used by the Georgians in an attempt to cure their ills. Bath, a magnet for the sick, also became a […]
How to Spend 3 Days in Bath
Last week I was on my travels again, this time to Bath. Yes, I know I have written about this place before, but I can honestly say there always seems to be something new to discover. This visit didn’t disappoint. Arriving just before midday, husband and I enjoyed lunch and then paid a visit to […]
3 reasons to visit the picturesque Cotswold village of Swinbrook
Last week I joined some friends for lunch in Swinbrook, a pretty Oxfordshire village. If you are looking for a quintessential English village, then Swinbrook fits the bill. A babbling stream runs through the centre, and there are quaint honeystone coloured Cotswold cottages galore. At this time of year, the village verges are covered in […]
The Curious and Tragic Case of ‘Miss Paris’
In The Monthly Magazine for 1810, I discovered this intriguing report for February. A death ‘in St Martin’s-street, Leicester-fields, Mrs Jones, but who had for some time resumed her maiden-name of Miss Paris.’ Immediately, I was hooked. Why did Mrs Jones merit a two-column report of her life and death? And why was she calling […]
A Postcard from Kingham
Just a short blog today. As the sun was shining, the husband and I decided to travel a little further afield for our Sunday walk. We ended up in Kingham, a beautiful village in the Cotswolds. Kingham is situated in a large bowl in the Cotswold Hills and close to the railway line linking Oxford […]