I had a week off work at the beginning of January so decided to spend a day in London, as I hadn’t been back to the capital in more than a year. I didn’t have much of a firm plan, other than tickets to see Holbein at the Tudor Court at The Queen’s Gallery, so I was happy to see where the mood took me. Tokyo Diner It was early lunchtime when I arrived at Paddington and feeling peckish, I headed towards Leicester Square to visit one of my favourite Japanese restaurants, Tokyo Diner. The restaurant is tucked away down…

You have a week in England. You want history that doesn’t feel like homework — something that leaves you talking at dinner rather than skimming placards in polite silence. Bletchley Park keeps appearing on every serious shortlist, and the reputation is enormous. But the admission price gives you pause, and a reasonable question follows: is this engaging for a general visitor, or does it only reward people who already know the Enigma story? The honest breakdown, after examining exactly what you get per pound: Bletchley Park delivers more value than most UK paid attractions in its price bracket — but…

While I was at Berkeley Castle, I learned that Dr Jenner’s House was just a five minute walk away. So after looking around the castle, I walked over to the house, as I was keen to see where the ‘father of immunology’ had lived and worked. Dr Edward Jenner was born in Berkeley in 1749, the son of a local vicar, and after finishing his medical training in London, he returned to the Gloucestershire town. He bought his house, The Chantry, in 1785 and lived there with his wife Catherine and their family. In 1796, Dr Jenner cemented his place…

Most English castles have been converted into theme parks. Berkeley Castle hasn’t. That’s the whole point. Why Famous English Castles Keep Letting Visitors Down You’ve done Warwick Castle. You queued for 40 minutes, paid £35, watched a jousting display, and left feeling like you’d been to a slightly educational funfair. Leeds Castle in Kent is gorgeous from the outside — the lake reflection photographs beautifully — but the interior feels curated to the point of sterility. Windsor is technically still in active royal use, which means half the rooms are permanently closed and the ones you can access feel more…

I first heard about The Wallace Collection years ago when I was writing a secret guide to Marylebone for a magazine I was working on at the time. As part of the feature, I was interviewing locals to find out their favourite spots in the area and one woman I talked to mentioned The Wallace Collection. Intrigued, I decided to check it out the following Saturday and discovered an utterly delightful collection of art, porcelain and furnishings inside a magnificent mansion. The Wallace Collection is a collection of European artworks, furniture and armoury amassed by the 4th Marquess of Hertford…

When I lived in London, I used to try to get out for a long walk most weekends. One of my favourite walks was from Belsize Park to Marylebone or Regent’s Street in central London, via Primrose Hill and Regent’s Park. If I was feeling particularly energetic and had the time, I’d sometimes start the walk in Crouch End, making my way to Highgate Woods, through Highgate village and across Hampstead Heath to Belsize Park before continuing into central London. Short on time this trip and keen to pack in as much as I could, I decided to keep it…

On my second day in London, I headed into town bright and early to start the day with a little touristing. My destination? Westminster. Situated on the banks of the River Thames in the heart of London, the historic district is home to a slew of the capital and the country’s most iconic landmarks, including the eponymous Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. Inspired by the previous day’s visit to St Paul’s Cathedral, my first port of call was the magnificent Westminster Abbey. The abbey, which has played host to countless royal weddings, funerals and coronations, dates…

I didn’t have much of a plan when I went to London, I had lots of vague ideas about different places I’d like to visit, but nothing set in stone and I found myself changing my plans on a whim during the trip. One of the places I’d thought about visiting was St Paul’s Cathedral. I’d visited St Paul’s some 10 years earlier and when I lived in London, I was a regular visitor to the café in its crypt. So I was keen to revisit one of the capital’s most iconic landmarks. After spying St Paul’s through a window…

I’ve seen it countless times. Someone comes to Cheltenham for a weekend, hits the main shops, maybe takes a quick photo at the Neptune Fountain, grabs an overpriced sandwich, and leaves thinking they’ve “done” it. Then they wonder why everyone raves about the place. Trust me, you’re missing the soul of this town if that’s your experience. After living here for years, I’ve seen exactly what trips up first-timers and how to avoid those pitfalls. It’s not about ticking off boxes; it’s about understanding the rhythm and knowing where to spend your energy. This isn’t a place you just skim.…

Bea’s of Bloomsbury serves roughly 1,200 afternoon teas every week. That’s a lot of scones. But here’s the thing: most people walk out having made the same three mistakes. They order the wrong tier first, they skip the seasonal special, and they miss the best table in the house. This guide fixes that. Bea’s isn’t the Ritz. It’s not the Dorchester. It’s a small, independent bakery-café that somehow packs more character into its two floors than most hotels manage in their marble lobbies. The tea is serious. The cakes are honest. And the queues can be brutal if you don’t…