Meeting the Terracotta Warriors on an escorted tour of Liverpool
March 3, 2019Just out: my story from Liverpool, where I joined a group tour last summer for Boundless magazine. It offered a chance to get up close to some 2000-year-old warriors [pictured above] and a cruise through Merseyside’s industrial heritage. Here’s a flavour of the feature: Bill is facing down a ninja.… Read more
Telegraph Chester story — My view
February 10, 2019Did you read the Daytripper feature in the Telegraph this weekend [pictured above]? Don’t bother if not. I read it and couldn’t help wondering if the writer had actually spoken to anyone who lives in, or even knows Chester at all? It’s sad to see the same tired, old clichés… Read more
All you need to know about a summer festival at sea that beats Glastonbury
January 27, 2019My first article of 2019 was published in Telegraph Travel this weekend, focussing on a new indie-music festival at sea [above]. Here’s the full text. We’ve seen classic rock at sea and turned the amps to 11 for some heavy metal sur mer — think Spinal Tapmeets Carry on Cruising.… Read more
How to see Durham in a new light
December 14, 2018Recognise the image above? It’s the cathedral city of Durham, host of the bi-annual Lumiere Festival. The UK’s largest outdoor light festival returns in November 2019, celebrating its tenth anniversary of transforming the historic city into a nocturnal art trail. I was there this week, writing a series of articles for… Read more
Why 2019 is the best time to discover Ruskin’s Cumbria
November 18, 2018I started the year with an assignment in the Lake District and I was back this weekend for probably my last freelance job of 2018 — a feature for Discover Britain magazine. This time it was Coniston water [pictured above] and a visit to Brantwood for a preview of events… Read more
Making The Most Of The Amazing Light Festival In Lyon
November 9, 2018We live in dark times. As if the political climate wasn’t bad enough, changing the clocks to winter mode casts an even longer shadow. But not so in Lyon, a city I hadn’t visited in over ten years. The city hosts the world’s biggest light festival each December and I was… Read more
The best hotels in Liverpool to see the Giants
September 17, 2018Image: istock My latest article for Independent Travel is a guide to the best hotels in Liverpool. It’s a timely piece to plan a visit to the area for the forthcoming Liverpool Dreams event, the street performance by French giant-puppet troupe Royal de Luxe over the weekend of October 4-7.… Read more
How a nostalgic return to Paris made my summer special
August 24, 2018It looks like an innocuous apartment building. It is in many ways but, to me, that faded-green front door represents far more. Welcome to 60 Rue Letellier [pictured above], located near Place Cambronne in Paris. This was my home from September 1992 for one year as part of my study-abroad… Read more
How To Spend A Family Day Out At Tatton Park Cheshire
August 16, 2018Stuck for a family day out this summer holiday? Here’s a suggestion based on my latest article for The Guardian and centred around my home patch of Cheshire — well, East Cheshire but it’s near enough. It centred on a new attraction for the summer holidays at Tatton Park. The… Read more