With a name like Lowry, Manchester is my kinda town

With a name like mine, the most common question is – are you related to LS Lowry.  Sadly, I am not.  We do however share a great love of the arts and an admiration for urban grit so why oh why didn’t I visit the magnificent city of Manchester before now? When I did so,…

London’s Triumphal Arch

If you have ever wandered over onto the roundabout at Hyde Park Corner, you will have seen an arch, but it never occurred to me until reading more about it, that this was to celebrate Wellington’s victory over Napoleon so follows in fact from the Roman tradition of triumphal arches.  Today it is known as…

Wellington Remembered

With all the furore concerning the upcoming anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo and the Napoleonic Wars, it seemed an appropriate time to visit the Duke of Wellington’s home in Central London – sometimes referred to simply as Number One London. My friend Gill insisted on our walking through the pedestrian tunnels and I am…

Pawprint Series: Wimbledon Common

Every time I come up to town, with my faithful four legged friend in tow, we make a point of visiting Wimbledon Common – it is quite simply the most beautiful oasis of calm in the bustle of South London life.  When I lived in London, this was my safety valve and I value it enormously –…

Pawprint Series: An Autumn Walk

West Walk, Forest of Bere My favourite time of year is when summer turns to Autumn and you see a final burst of activity in the forests and woods around Hampshire, where leaves turn golden in the intermittent spotlights of sunlight, streaming through the trees and undergrowth. Park Wood, Forest of Bere As you walk…

Pawprint Series: Park Wood

It might come as no particular surprise to discover that Park Wood on the old London Road in Waterlooville was once part of the ancient Forest of Bere that covered most of southern England. Nurtured today by a group of friendly and committed volunteers under the overall purview of The Woodlands Trust, Park Wood is a small…

Pawprint series: West Walk

As anyone will know if you live on the South Coast – most of the open spaces and wooded parts we have left today to explore were once part of the ancient Forest of Bere.  In fact I think everywhere I have recently walked with The Hound has been a part of it – even…

Remember remember the fifth of November …

For me, Cowdray House in Midhurst, West Sussex, is one of this country’s most beautiful and desolate ruins.  It seems such a elegant facade and from a distance, appears almost perfect, that it seems positively sinful to have let it go to rack and ruin.  I guess, however, when you have a number of country estates…

Singular Statues: the KinderTransport

I don’t know about you, but I often walk around London without taking clear note of my surroundings – intent only on reaching my destination.  It’s when I arrive early somewhere for a meeting (30 minutes in this instance) that I feel I have the time to look around – and when visiting Liverpool Street…

Lego-fan-tastic: The Art of the Brick

As soon as I saw the word LEGO, I knew I would be hooked but this Art of the Brick exhibit has taken me a little by surprise.  I didn’t expect the subtlety, the complexity or the emotional impact of some of the artworks created by these little plastic bricks. Based at London’s Old Truman Brewery…