North West
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Review: The Coach and Horses, Bolton-by-Bowland, Lancashire
Location: The Coach and Horses is a delightful AA five star country inn located in the picturesque village of Bolton-by-Bowland in the Ribble Valley. This scenic part of east Lancashire is centred around the prosperous market town of Clitheroe six miles away and is easily accessible from the M6 motorway with Lancaster being 18 miles…
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GO Outdoors Chester – Grand Opening
Being a lover of the outdoors and walking in the countryside I was delighted to be invited to the Grand Opening Event of the newly refurbished GO Outdoors store in Chester on Saturday 20th May. We were up bright and early to ensure we would be there on time to watch the ribbon cutting ceremony…
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Review: The Alma Inn, Laneshawbridge, Lancashire
Hotel Review Location: The Alma Inn is located in an idyllic moorland setting high above the village of Laneshawbridge on the East Lancashire/ North Yorkshire border. Although seemingly remote, it lies within 5 miles of the M65 motorway and less than an hour from Manchester. The inn is also convenient for exploring North Yorkshire and…
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Review: Hotel Indigo Chester
Hotel Review Hotel Indigo Chester is a boutique hotel located in the heart of Chester’s beautiful and historic city. Newly built in 2019, it was designed to reflect the Roman city’s architecture and its famous racecourse. Location: The hotel is conveniently located being just a ten minute walk from Chester railway station. Direct trains from…
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Chester Travel Guide: Top Things to Do, See & Explore
Chester is a beautiful historic city located on the banks of the River Dee in north west England. It’s famous for its half timbered buildings, Roman ruins, medieval city centre and for having the oldest racecourse in the country. Check out my suggestions below of how to make the most of a weekend break in…
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Manchester Museum: A Complete Visitor’s Guide
I always look forward to a visit to Manchester as it’s one of my favourite U.K. cities and when I learnt that the Manchester Museum was re-opening after a closure of almost two years I planned a day out. The museum is located in a beautiful Neo-Gothic building on Oxford Road and forms part of…
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Review: The Assheton Arms, Downham, Lancashire
Restaurant Review The Assheton Arms lies at the foot of Pendle Hill in the picturesque village of Downham near Clitheroe in Lancashire. After a lengthy closure, the pub has just re-opened with new owners, Bowland Inns & Hotels, the parent company behind Bowland Brewery and the James Places’ collection of hotels, inns and restaurants. The…
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Review: The Adventures of Peter Pan, Manchester Opera House 10-31st December 2022
Christmas wouldn’t be the same without an evening at the theatre and I can’t think of anything better to get myself into the festive spirit than a night at the panto. After being enthralled with the top notch production of Aladdin last year at the Manchester Opera House I couldn’t wait to return to see…
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Review: Luxury Glamping at Gisburne Park, Lancashire
Overview: The Ribble Valley is an idyllic part of the north of England located in north east Lancashire and covering 212 sq. miles of the Forest of Bowland, an area of deep valleys and peat moorland. It’s an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty but despite booming tourism with ever increasing numbers of visitors, it’s still…
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Review: Leonardo Hotel Chester
Hotel Review Location: The Leonardo is a recently opened hotel located within Chester’s historic Roman walls. It’s just a 15 minute walk from the railway station which has frequent connections between London, Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds. It’s also just 10 miles (17 km) from Liverpool John Lennon airport for guests arriving from overseas. Arrival and check-in: We…
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Top Things to Do in Chester: Visit Chester Cathedral and Chester Zoo
We’d arranged to take a tour of Chester Cathedral but as this wasn’t scheduled to begin until 11.00 a.m. there was time for a short walk after breakfast. Just along Pepper Street from the Leonardo hotel lies the Roman Gardens which we’d viewed from the city walls but not yet explored. The gardens were established…
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Experience Chester with a Walking Tour and Scenic River Cruise
We drew back the curtains to another bright and sunny spring morning and after enjoying a delicious breakfast in the Leonardo Hotel’s restaurant we were soon ready for a day of sightseeing. We’d arranged to take a city walking tour with Chester Tours (£10), which run at 10.30 a.m. and 2.00 p.m. each day from outside the…
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A Weekend in Chester: Top Things to See and Do
After enjoying weekends in the historic centres of York and Lincoln we decided to turn our attention to Chester. Located in the north west of England the M53 motorway links the city to the main road network with a frequent rail service connecting to major cities. We opted to travel by train and leaving home…
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Manchester Christmas Market and Pantomime: The Perfect Festive Combo
It wouldn’t be a proper Christmas for me without a visit to Manchester as it’s a city that knows exactly how to put on the Yuletide cheer. Christmas markets are to be found all over the centre and when darkness falls the charming little wooden huts take on even more of a magical charm with…
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Your Ultimate Guide to Exploring Manchester
MANCHESTER – WHAT TO SEE AND DO Manchester Town Hall Located in Albert Square and one of the most iconic landmarks in the city. It’s a fine example of Neo-Gothic architecture in the United Kingdom. Constructed in 1877 at a cost of £1m and containing more than 14m bricks it’s a joy to behold. The…
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A Day Out in The Wirral: Port Sunlight and The Ness Gardens
After starting the day with a brisk walk along the seafront at Hoylake, we popped back into the car and headed to Ness Botanic Gardens located in Neston, Cheshire. The gardens are open daily from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. with standard admission £8.25. The gardens were founded in 1898 by Arthur Kilpin Bulley, a Liverpool…
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A Day at The National Waterways Museum: Exploring The Wirral’s Maritime Heritage
After recently spending an enjoyable weekend in nearby Liverpool, we decided to turn our attention to the Wirral Peninsula. This stretch of land is bordered by the River Mersey to the east, the Irish Sea and River Dee to the west and the Shropshire Union Canal to the south providing us with 25 miles of…
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Review: The Gibbon Bridge Hotel, Chipping, Lancashire
Location: The Gibbon Bridge Hotel & Restaurant is located on the edge of the charming village of Chipping in the picturesque Forest of Bowland, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty within the Ribble Valley, Lancashire. The hotel is set in 23 acres of beautiful gardens in a secluded position yet is easily accessible to the…
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A Day in Clitheroe and the Ribble Valley: What to See and Do
Our stay at the gorgeous Gibbon Bridge Hotel in Chipping had been lovely and after packing up the car we didn’t hurry off but instead relaxed awhile on its sun drenched terrace. Overlooking the beautiful landscaped gardens and rolling hills beyond, the setting is idyllic and the perfect place to unwind. Although we could have lazed there…
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Discover the Ribble Valley: Browsholme Hall, Charming Chipping & Gibbon Bridge Hotel
It was the perfect way to start our day, sitting in the conservatory of the Gibbon Bridge Hotel enjoying a cooked breakfast with views across the delightful landscaped gardens. Our first activity of the day was then just down the road at Leagrams Organic Dairy just outside the picturesque village of Chipping. The entrance to…
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Outdoor Fun: E-Biking the Trough of Bowland and Wild Boar Park Experience
The scenic Ribble Valley is one of northern England’s best kept secrets being an area of outstanding natural beauty noted for its rural landscape and welcoming hospitality. How do we find this hidden gem, you may well ask? Well, it’s quite easy actually as the Ribble Valley is located in Lancashire and accessible from the…
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12 Unmissable Things to Do in Blackpool for First-Time Visitors
Getting there: By car: Blackpool has a motorway link direct to the centre of the resort – take the M6 to Junction 32 and the M55 will lead you there. By train: The town has 3 railway stations, Blackpool North, Blackpool South and Blackpool Pleasure Beach. With direct services from London Euston, Birmingham, Glasgow and…
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A scenic canal walk in Manchester: Etihad Stadium to Piccadilly
For our final morning in Manchester we planned a canal side walk that would be new to us. Making good use of our weekend tram ticket, we caught a service to the Etihad Campus taking less than ten minutes on the Ashton Line. The Etihad stadium is home to Manchester City football club and was…
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Explore Manchester’s Museums and Salford Quays Waterfront
After the previous day’s torrential rain, we opened the curtains to a dull but thankfully dry morning. After going out for breakfast our first planned activity was a visit to the People’s History Museum in Spinningfields. We’d booked a timed entry for 11.00 a.m, and arrived promptly to look around this, the national museum of…
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