Santa Specials – Father Christmas and mince pies on steam trains – have been a staple of the season at least since I was a child, and for decades before that, probably. But that’s not really feasible in 2020 and so the heritage steam railways of the country have had to come up with some… More Steam Illuminations on the Watercress Line
If you read the post about my hot tub on Monday, you’ll know I went on holiday to Dorset last week. It’s no less a holiday for the fact that I live in Dorset. I went to stay in a vintage-style shepherd’s hut with glorious countryside views and today I want to show you around the… More A holiday in Dorset: meet my shepherd’s hut
Last week I went off for my first holiday since the pandemic! I went glamping – glamping with a hot tub! It was third time lucky – I was supposed to have gone at the beginning of November but there was a mess-up with the dates. Then I was supposed to go right at the… More A holiday in Dorset: glamping with a hot tub
In this second “episode” of A Single Map, I’m taking my dad out for a walk in the woods. We’ve done a lot of walking this year. Headlands, several hillforts, the local thanks-Dr-Beeching trailway, around town and even a couple of fort-less hills. But woods are new. We didn’t really realise there was much in… More A Single Map episode 2: a walk in the woods
Yes, it’s the first post of December and it’s a Christmas-themed one from the bear who hates Christmas! I did a fused glass workshop! I booked it right at the end of October. It was supposed to be on Friday November 6th – yes, the second day of the UK lockdown. On the Saturday night… More My day at a fused glass Christmas workshop
A couple of weeks ago, I read Alastair Humphreys’ post on “a single map is enough for a lifetime of exploration” in which he ordered a custom OS Explorer map of his local area in order to explore his doorstep in greater detail, especially while bigger and further-flung adventures are on hold. I’d already been… More A Single Map episode 1: a walk up a very muddy hill
Last year I went to Wareham, hired a rowing boat and rowed up and down the river for an hour. There’s something about rowing. Something of a long-gone world, carefree days with just yourself, a boat and the splash of the oars. Of course, I’m not an experienced or good rower and my carefree hour… More Canoeing is good for the soul
Two weeks ago, on my way back from Corfe Castle, I went to RSPB Arne, a nature reserve occupying an entire peninsula on the west side of Poole Harbour and while I was there, I spied a mention of a Halloween trail over the half term week. So on Saturday, its first day, I returned.… More Halloween at Arne
The other day, I went to Corfe Castle. I haven’t been since I was eleven or twelve, on Guide camp and all I remember of it is that I have the badge on my camp blanket as evidence. So it was definitely time to go back. Normally I’d park at Norden park & ride and… More Corfe Castle: 1000 years of history (and not in the right order)
Back in January, before 2020 really started, I went to London to cross some cathedrals off my list. The list started on April 16th 2019, when the Notre Dame fire made me realise that the great English medieval cathedrals might not be waiting for me to get round to them. Project #BeforeItBurnsDown kind of got… More On top of St Paul’s Cathedral