The North Wales town expecting an unexpected I’m A Celebrity tourism boom
November 17, 2020Never mind Jordan North’s happy place. The only place to be right now is a small market in North Wales with a Grade I-listed castle. The reason? Gwrych Castle on the edge of Abergele is hosting the ITV series I’m A Celebrity following a Covid-enforced relocation from the Australian jungle.… Read more
Why a Halloween trip to the Peak District is the ultimate dark-tourism break
November 1, 2020A Halloween story. It is based around an autumnal visit to the Peak District village of Eyam, otherwise known as ‘the plague village’. But my visit on a sunny September day proved prescient not just for a spooky Halloween story slot in Telegraph Travel, but also as a reminder of… Read more
How to spend a weekend on the Herefordshire Cider Circuit
October 23, 2020National Apple Day had cider fans celebrating this week. I joined in the spirit of the autumnal event with a short UK break in Herefordshire, following a newly launched Cider Circuit [pictured above] of orchards and producers. It was great to be on assignment and having a change of scene in… Read more
Imagine: what’s happening in Liverpool to mark John Lennon’s 80th birthday
October 8, 2020This week would have been John Lennon’s 80th birthday. His home city of Liverpool is marking the anniversary with a series of events and exhibitions this week and beyond in memory of its favourite son. Beatles tourism is hugely important to the city, generating £82m and created nearly 2,500 jobs,… Read more
Why my op-ed travel feature seemed to touch a nerve with dog owners
September 29, 2020It has recorded 191 comments by the time I write this. Some supportive, some hostile. Many are knee-jerk reactions and include some venting of personal bias. But I’ve enjoyed reading them all. After all, it’s great as a writer to have a dialogue with readers — even if they are… Read more
Why my postcard from Llandudno has a taste of seaside nostalgia
August 21, 2020It was a weekend of seaside nostalgia. We took a trip to Llandudno last weekend to write a postcard from the North Walian resort for Telegraph Travel. But it was also something of a personal journey. I used to go to Llandudno on family holidays as a child — that’s… Read more
A preview of Life on Board at the Merseyside Maritime Museum
August 19, 2020[Photo: National Museums Liverpool] National Museums Liverpool opened its new gallery Life on Board today, an opening delayed from March by Covid-19, as part of a wider re-opening of its museums, including the new Linda McCartney Retrospective exhibition at the Walker Art Gallery. My preview ran today in Telegraph… Read more
Behind the scenes as Chester Zoo prepares to re-open to visitors
June 12, 2020The moment the gates swing open on Monday morning is one staff feared they would never see. “We were three weeks away from closing down,” says Jamie Christon, Chief Operating Officer, pulling up the collar of his Chester Zoo fleece against a sudden downpour. “I went through the four stages… Read more
Daily Mail Travel Trends under lockdown: Not a handshake but a namsate
May 31, 2020* This story was first published in the Daily Mail. Prince Charles, arriving at the Prince’s Trust Awards in March, was about to go for the handshake. But, mindful of the new social distancing rules, he quickly improvised an off-the-cuff alternative. He was then seen offering Ant and Dec, amongst… Read more