When I first visited Bath, I was working for The Leading Hotels of the World and stayed in high style at the Royal Crescent Hotel. I remember the fun I had in exploring this gentle Somerset city and I longed to return. As fate would have it, I was recently invited to experience the The…
Lee-on-The-Solent – the seaside resort that died
As I live near the sea in Hampshire, books on the heritage of the traditional seaside holiday have always intrigued me. Hence, of course, I snapped up Sarah Freeman’s “Beside the Sea” tome on Amazon and promptly read the thing from start to finish. One section called out to me – the one on Lee-on-The-Solent,…
Burford Garden Centre – a shopping utopia!
Having worked with The Lygon Arms in the heart of the Cotswolds in the past, I made a point of familiarising myself with the surrounding area and this, some blah blah years ago, was how I first discovered the Burford Garden Company. I still visit regularly and have just taken another peak at this shopping…
A miniature world rediscovered
When I was a wee young thing, my favourite toy was a miniature garden produced, I have since remembered, under the brand name Britain’s Floral Garden. You bought lawns, fences, flowers, rockeries, trees, greenhouses, crazy pathing etc – either in a pack form or individually in separate packs and used them to form a garden…
Hundred Acres, Hampshire
I have to admit to an intense interest in anything historical – the annoying child who always asks the question, why? So when heading to the woods with my more knowledgeable historian brother, I asked the inevitable question – wonder what the reasoning is behind that road name – 100 Acres Road. This is what…
#Waterlooville200 – In the news
This week marks the 200th anniversary of the founding of the place where I live – #Waterlooville200 here in Hampshire, close to the coastal city of Portsmouth. Our town was, as one might expect, named after the battle and there are many local reminders named in honour of the key individuals – Nelson, Wellington and…
Portsdown Hill – best viewpoint over Portsmouth
When you visit a new city, don’t you wish you could see its situation and understand it from the air? You can do so when travelling to Belfast of course but it is quite rare. In Hampshire, it’s uniquely possible, thanks to the long chalk ridge of Portsdown Hill. The highest point lies within Fort…
Café culture experienced!
I wrote recently about the sudden influx of cafés arriving on Southsea Beach and I have finally made it to eat at the newest, Southsea Beach Café. We sat outside with The Hound who was immediately made welcome and offered a bowl of water which of course, he turned down scornfully. He was waiting for…
Café culture finally makes it to Southsea!
It’s like waiting for a bus for ages. First one comes and then another in close succession. So it is with the former catering wilderness that was, until recently, Southsea Beach in Portsmouth, Hampshire – even The Guardian picked up on the new Southsea buzz a few weekends ago. Taking The Hound for walks along…
Foreign felines make you feel at home
It always surprises me whenever I travel how many nations love the small fluffy animal which is Felis catus or the domestic cat. (Above – Baku, Azerbaijani resident at the Karvansara Restoran in the Inner City). Once worshipped as a god, these elegant feline beauties display no linguistic difficulties when encountering strangers, enter into amicable conversations…
a3traveller.com 