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…
Tag: Travel
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 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…
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…
Who was Gilbert White?
Every day, driving home from work on the A3, I see a sign to Selborne and Gilbert White‘s House. At a loose end one day, I determined to visit this little Hampshire village and just see what all the fuss was about – I’m very glad I did. When you enter the house, it’s modest…
Where Mr Darcy was born …
I am a little embarrassed to say that I didn’t realise that the little village of Chawton in Hampshire was once the home of one of our literary giants … in the rather demure figure of Jane Austen. Seeing the sign to Chawton when returning from Goodwood one day, I stopped a while to visit…
A touch of Downton …
With the new series of Downton Abbey about to hit our screens, why not fit in a visit to Stansted Park in Hampshire? I have long intended to visit but for some reason or other, I put it off until a couple of weeks ago. Now I wish I had visited sooner and I will definitely…
Mottisfont – a Hampshire find
It was the name that spoke to me – Mottisfont – I have never heard of it and until I joined the National Trust, it would have remained a mystery. Thank goodness I joined for this is a spectacular house – and one of the few that I have seen that was successfully transformed from…
Country Pub Series: The Queen’s, Selborne
Whilst visiting the gorgeous village of Selborne in Hampshire, I felt the need for sustenance …. after all, wandering around a museum, gardens and looking at village churches takes its toll on a girl. Locals directed us to an historic inn that crossed all the “t’s” and dotted all the “i’s” – The Queens, formerly known…
Loseley House – A little gem hidden in the Surrey Hills
I have passed the sign to Loseley House on the A3 countless times – but have never really had any idea of what it signified. At a loose end one bright summer’s day, I decided to join the 130,000 or so other annual visitors to satisfy my curiosity. Loseley House is situated within 1,400 Surrey acres of which…
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