Introduction Belfast is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, one of two entities created in the 1921 partition of Ireland. Formed from six out of the nine traditional
August 2021: Maidenhead
Upon arrival at Heathrow from Manchester, I found myself with an afternoon to spare while Bruce got on with earning his living – something that he can do from almost
August 2021: Manchester
Introduction This is the first of five posts relating to a ten-day trip that started in mid-August, 2021. In line with normal practice, the trip also involved my Bristol-based friend
August 2021: Edinburgh: Return to Saughton Park
I made my first visit to Saughton Park in April 2021, during Part 3 of my exploration of the Water of Leith Walkway. I commented at the time that the
August 2021: Edinburgh: Palace of Holyroodhouse
The Palace The Palace of Holyroodhouse is the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. The palace, directly beside the ruins of Holyrood Abbey, stands at the foot of
July 2021: Jupiter Artland
Jupiter Artland is a modern sculpture park set in the grounds of Bonnington House, a 19th-century country house near Wilkieston, West Lothian. There is a half-hourly bus service (Lothian Country
July 2021: Edinburgh’s Seven Hills (Part 3)
Introduction This is the third in a series of posts, where I record my visits to the classic ‘Seven Hills of Edinburgh’. Please use the tag ‘Edinburgh’s 7 Hills’ to
June 2021: London in Summer (Part 2)
Hotel 2: Conrad St James Our base for the second group of two nights was the elegant Conrad London St James, across the street from St James’s Park underground station.
June 2021: London in Summer (Part 1)
Exactly two weeks after arriving home from a 3-week trip to England, I was off again for a follow-up visit to London. And why not?! It was still only my
Apr/Jun 2021: Edinburgh’s Seaside Suburb: Portobello
Portobello is situated on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth, about three miles east of Edinburgh city centre. Like nearby Leith, Portobello – sometimes referred to as Porty
England Grand Tour (2021): Day 20: Going Home
With today being the final day of the trip for me, we decided to go out for a slightly more substantial breakfast than usual. The venue was Boston Tea Party
England Grand Tour (2021): Days 18-19: Return to Bristol & A day in Bath
Day 18: Monday Today was probably the most low-key day of the trip. We drove from Borehamwood back to Bristol Airport, returned the rental car and completed the journey to
England Grand Tour (2021): Day 17: Bletchley Park & St Albans
Bletchley Park Bletchley Park is a country house and estate which is now within the boundaries of Milton Keynes, the largest town in Buckinghamshire. It became the main centre for
England Grand Tour (2021): Day 16: Cambridge and more
Beautiful Cambridge Our first true destination in this second ‘road trip within a trip’ was a new one for Bruce: the beautiful university city of Cambridge. Although I had visited
England Grand Tour (2021): Days 12-15: Based in Bristol & On the Road once more
Day 12: Tuesday The day began with another complimentary Hilton breakfast, and we both reverted to the ‘full English’ option. In due course, we took the Central Line from Holland
England Grand Tour (2021): Day 11: South Bank to East End
Bank Holiday Monday got underway with another complimentary breakfast, thanks to Bruce’s status with Hilton. This time, we both decided on a lighter, more continental approach to the first meal
England Grand Tour (2021): Day 10: A London Sunday ‘Wellcome’
Today began with a well executed and Covid-compliant breakfast at the ‘Hilton Ken’, as we had taken to calling it. Bruce and I both opted for a slimmed-down cooked option.
England Grand Tour (2021): Day 9: And so to London
We hit the jackpot with this morning’s breakfast, which was at The Coffee Shop in tiny Sherfield on Loddon. The venue turned out to be a lovely, welcoming place attached