For me, the ripening fields of bright yellow rapeseed signal the first sign of spring. This year, they seem to have appeared a little earlier than usual along Lovedean and Chalton Lanes near Clanfield, Hampshire. I wonder where the next crops will – well – crop up – as normally, I would expect to be…
Category: Travel
Birdworld: where flamingos roam …
I am often reminded by my Godmother (A3Traveller herself) of what I was like as a child – I am sure that I am not the only one who is! She has two favourite tales to tell. The first how as a blonde ringlet-ed child, in pink dungarees, I tried to pick up cannon balls…
Ferran Adria: Light the touch paper & stand well back
Ferran Adria is an enigma. He is, I have discovered, by turn provocative, exciting, playful, argumentative, disruptive, engaging and leading up the first Culinary Conclave for the elBulli Foundation held this past weekend, passionately demanding in what he wants to achieve. I therefore felt a little out of place at the recent august gathering of…
HMS Warrior
I fleetingly remember the excitement shown by my mother, an ex-writer wren, when HMS Warrior came to town in 1987. I seem to recall Warrior tea-towels, place settings, mugs and key rings being given to us for birthdays, at Christmas and well, at every opportunity. So truth be told, I never really wanted to hear any…
The best view of The Solent: Portsdown Hill
I would suggest to any Portsmouth visitor that they should first drive up to Portsdown Hill to gain an unbeatable vista over the city and the Solent. Obviously it’s best when the weather is clement but that view is intriguing for me (and most locals) in any weather system. To orientate you, on the left hand…
The alternative Nelson’s column
When you come from a major naval port like Portsmouth, you can’t help but be aware of the daring exploits of the ‘senior service’ – as my mother (a former Wren) always referred to the Royal Navy – and Lord Horatio Nelson. Though from childhood, I knew of Nelson’s various memorials dotted around the city and…
Pawprint series: Farlington Marshes
If you have ever wondered what lies between the A3 motorway and the Eastern Road, then wonder no more for this is Farlington Marshes, Managed by the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, this is their oldest nature reserve and it stretches from the northern shore of Langstone Harbour between Portsmouth and Havant to the…
Singular Statues: #11 Sir John Betjeman
It was only when reading coverage of Martin Jennings’ recent statue of Charles Dickens, just unveiled, that I recalled that I have seen his work – and admired it – before. It’s at St Pancras International and it’s a statue dedicated to Sir John Betjeman who was instrumental in the fight to save Sir John…
A Londoner’s tip
If you are in old London town, wandering around the Trafalgar Square / Strand area, then why not check out The Cafe in The Crypt at St Martin-in-the-Fields for a quick cuppa or something a little more substantial? With the entrance next door to the venerable church itself, beneath a contemporary structure, I watch people walk…
What’s in a memory?
How do you remember your favourite travels? When I first started travelling, I wasn’t much of a photographer and whilst I would now take the odd snap as a keepsake, back in the day I would bring back an object which would remind me of the destination. I still tend to do it occasionally –…
a3traveller.com 