We wanted a staycation this August Bank Holiday weekend – and where better than one of our favourite bits of British coastline? We love, love, love Bigbury-on-Sea in south Devon. The sandy beach is vast, so we knew that even on the busiest weekend of the year, we would always find a spot to ourselves. […]
I love a good glass of wine (no comments from those who know me, puh-lease), but I’m no expert. So I always jump at the chance to learn more about the gorgeous grape. An opportunity arose recently when I was invited to spend a night at the five star Vineyard Hotel in Berkshire, just down […]
A day out in London can be made even more special by taking the family out for a child-friendly themed afternoon tea. These are some of the most inventive on offer at the moment. Parents might like to assist… The Mad Hatter’s Afternoon Tea at The Sanderson Expect the unexpected at this deliciously barmy tea […]
This National Trust property is not far from me, in the pretty East Sussex village of Burwash. I’ve been meaning to go for ages, but was prompted by the recent Jungle Book movie. It’s a magical place, gifted to the National Trust by Kipling’s daughter and left on request exactly as it was when her […]
Now this isn’t just an excuse to post some cute dog pictures…oh, OK, maybe just a few. More and more hotels and cottages are throwing open their doors these days to our canine companions which means we get the pleasure of taking a doggie holiday with them – yay! Here are some that have recently […]
I lived in London for 15 years and always thought I knew it pretty well. Our capital city is so big, however, that I would travel between areas by tube, so got to explore it in rather a disjointed fashion. And, of course, there are lots of places within London that I don’t know at […]
We had a quiet Valentines Day this year. Don’t get me wrong. Mr Gallivant would be in my bad books, ooh probably until next Valentine’s Day, if he didn’t remember and get me at least a card – and preferably lots of pampering treats (he did very well this year!). Yet despite that, I’m not […]
My thoughts are straying to short break ideas for the Spring. I am tempted to return to Weeke Barton, a fab and funky little B&B on Dartmoor where we stayed last Autumn. It’s in an idyllic spot – only a 20 minute drive from Exeter and the M5, yet utterly peaceful and away from it […]
It’s only been a few weeks since the last episode of Downton Abbey and I’m already missing it. We Gallivants had the pleasure of living the Downton lifestyle for ourselves, though, for a couple of days back in October…. We went to have a nosy around Huntsham Court, nestled in glorious countryside near Tiverton in […]
The Making of Harry Potter (aka Warner Bros Studio Tour) is based in Hertfordshire, in the very studios where all eight of the movies were filmed and using all original sets, props and costumes. It’s a pretty darned good day out for us muggles at any time of the year. The Christmas period is particularly […]