How to visit Barry Island, Wales, home to the famous Gavin and Stacey TV trail

Were you one of the 12 million last night? That’s the number of people who watched the final ever episode of Gavin and Stacey, the TV comedy series set in South Wales. I made my own pilgrimage to Barry Island back in November to visit the sites now associated with the popular TV sitcom. Here’s …

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Halloween collab ahoy! Dark Chester tour and Chester on a Plate tour join forces

The Brewery Tap, Chester. Image: David Atkinson. We did a special tourist-guide collab for Halloween this year. My Dark Chester tour joined forced with Chester on a Plate tour to offer a unique Halloween experience — spooky stories and fiendish food. We visited three of Chester’s great, independent places to eat and drink, namely Greenhouse …

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Ghost stories and Victorian Gothic: my public speaking engagements this winter

The function room at the Cat & Fiddle Distillery. Image: David Atkinson. As the darker winter months roll in, I’m pivoting work wise. After working flat out with Halloween walking tours of Chester for both children (daytime) and adults (evenings), public speaking engagements will keep me busy over winter. I did the first one this …

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I visited the loneliest railway station in Britain. Here’s what I found.

All alone at Denton Station; image: Paul Cooper Photography WWW.PCOOPERPHOTO.COM. To Denton, Greater Manchester, to ride the ghost train. The station, located on the Stalybridge-Stockport line in Greater Manchester was last week named as the loneliest railway station in Britain — there’s just one return service per week. I joined a handful of rail enthusiasts …

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