Get all your Christmas shopping done in one fell swoop with a visit to London. High Street favourites? Hit Oxford Street. Designer treats? Bond Street. Edgy fashion? Shoreditch. And of course, there is that shop that has a bit of everything and more besides…Harrods. And, after you’ve done the Capital, do the Capital! We had […]
Desperate to see the Northern Lights? Well there’s never any guarantee, no matter how much you spend on a holiday. However you can increase your chances by doing the following: 1. Make sure you go North, preferably within the Arctic Circle. 2. Time it right – October to March is the most likely time for […]
The white stuff is already sprinkling its way across the Alps and it’s not long until ski season starts – from the end of November onwards, the number of resorts opening will start to snowball. Late last spring I visited France’s Val d’Isere, where you can enjoy the snow longer than almost anywhere – from […]
One of the UK’s biggest Halloween events, Shocktober Fest at Tulley’s farm in West Sussex was a big hit with my teenagers and their cousins last weekend. There’s still time to try it as it’s on until 4th November. I’d say this is one for ages 12 or 13 and up – those any younger […]
Miss Gallivant (aged 13 ¾) went with Mr Gallivant to Thorpe Park a few weeks ago to do some seriously scary rollercoaster research. Go now, until 31st October, and you can experience a whole heap more scariness on the park’s Fright Nights (think horror mazes featuring live actors) . Miss Gallivant is angling for a […]
After an exciting, exhausting, few days on safari back in August, we arrived in Zanzibar dusty and desperate for relaxation. …We had booked a stay at Echo Beach Hotel, a tiny little place on a vast stretch of sand the colour and silky consistency of icing sugar, lapped by the deliciously warm seas of the […]
A conundrum. When caught short on safari, where does one relieve oneself? In the bush toilet of course – aka behind the back of the jeep. The first time we all had to do this on our Tanzania trip we were (justifiably, we felt!) terrified. “Just make sure you leave your door open in case […]
I have spent many years drinking Champagne – ‘though maybe not as often as I might like ;-). I hope I could at least differentiate between a decent vintage and something better used for stripping paint but in truth I’ve never really understood a huge amount about it. So when the opportunity to visit the […]
I’ve been to the Algarve. Well, when I say I have been, what I actually mean is that I’ve been to one of those faceless five star country club style resorts. To be fair, it was very nice – all immaculate beaches, manicured lawns, golf courses, and a re-creation of an old Portuguese village square. […]
A couple of weekends ago, we visited Oxford, but didn’t really fancy staying in the city, especially as the glorious Cotswolds are just beyond! We decided on Woodstock, partly because it’s just 20 minutes away from Oxford (and accessible by car, train or bus), and partly because it’s the home of mighty Blenheim Palace, which […]