A BUSY SUMMER

I have been making the most of the great weather we have been having and been out visiting lots of interesting places. First of all I visited Gunby Hall , a National Trust property near Spilsby in Lincolnshire, with a fascinating history and an absolutely beautiful garden. A few weeks later I visited Grimsthorpe Castle, near Bourne in Lincolnshire on one of the rare rainy days we got. I managed to get a walk in the grounds and a really interesting tour round. An ancestor of mine was a gamekeeper there so I was particularly pleased to get the chance to explore.
At the end of July I spent a weekend in Darlington, which turned out to be a great place to visit. I worked my way down the coast visiting Saltburn , Staithes and Whitby all beautiful places but all very different.
Last week I visited The Manor House at Hemingford Grey near St Ives. This is where the author Lucy Boston lived and where she based her bestselling series of childrens books about the Children of Green Knowe. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited houses in England and is totally unique and well worth a visit. Look at the website www.greenknowe.co.uk for more information. I also visited St Ives on this visit which is a beautiful little town with a brilliant little museum. If you visit Hemingford Grey do make time visit St Ives as well.

Bella Italia

Had a wonderful time on my press trip to Lake Orta. Stayed in a couple of lovely hotels -The Villa Crespi in Orta and the Giardinetto in Pettanasco and was taken all around the area by Silvia from the local tourist board. We had a great time and got on really well. It is a really beautiful area with lots to see which you can read about in my forthcoming article in Italia magazine.
Back home in sunny Lincolnshire I did a couple of great walks for Country Walking magazine around Caistor and Belvoir Castle. Both had bits of the Viking Way on them . Most walks I do in Lincolnshire seems to include a bit of it -it gets everywhere!! I also have a couple of articles out in the May issue of Lincolnshire Life magazine. One about Staycations in Lincolnshire and the other about the history of Tolethorpe Hall. All in all a busy month with lots more exciting stuff being planned as I speak!

An Italian spring

After a quiet few weeks over Christmas and the New Year life is getting busy again. I had a good trip down to London in February to the Italian Tourist Board Press Awards and although my article didn't win  I met some interesting people and made good contacts  and the food and drink were good too! I have just come back from a hectic few days in Naples and Rome and in April I am off to Lake Orta on a press trip. My Ascoli Piceno article is in this months Italia magazine and I have my Woodhall walk coming out in Country Walking magazine and an article about the history of Tolethorpe Hall in Lincolnshire Life. I am off to Highgate Cemetery in May. I am thinking about doing an article on Victorian cemeteries. They are amazing places and I already have some good photographs of Brompton cemetery where Emmeline Pankhurst is buried.

My feet have not touched the ground!

What a few weeks I have had! I have become a granny for the second time, had five days in Milan, been to Ragdale Hall for  the day  and been to the Italian Cultural Institute to an event about Le Marche. Added to that I have been offered the chance to write regularly about walks in Lincolnshire for Country Walking Magazine. There is also all the boring stuff to contend with like housework  and the gym but needs must!! I also relived my lost youth dancing the night away to Jimmy James and the Vagabonds at the iconic Gliderdrome dance hall  in my home town of Boston which has played host to many famous names including Elton John and T.Rex .

Living like a local in Le Marche

I have had a great month. I spent a wonderful week living like a local in Le Marche  . With it being such an untouristy area I finally got chance to use my Italian. So many times in places like Florence  and Rome  I have tried to speak Italian but as soon as they realise I am English they speak English back. Ascoli  Piceno was a beautiful city to explore and as for the Sibillini Mountains I shall return as soon as I can to  try out some of the great walks.  From our balcony in our little  hill town we had the best view I have ever seen. I would certainly recommend Le Marche if you fancy somewhere different away from the crowds.

 I also visited Stamford where they were holding a Georgian Festival. Recently voted the best place to live in the country it is a beautiful town with   a great deal to offer .

At the end of August I did a couple of walks in the Lincolnshire Wolds which are featured in my article in the November issue of Country Walking magazine.

I now have plans to visit Milan, before Christmas and in the New Year I am off to Rome and Florence.

Exciting plans

I am busy working on a very exciting project at the moment but I am not giving anything away about it just yet!! I will report back . Apart from that I am  organising a trip to Florence and hopefully may be going to Rome in February too. My trip to Le Marche is getting closer  and I am  researching Urbino and Loreto ready for that. I have had another hectic month. Last Sunday I was in London at Tate Britain to see the Lowry exhibition and in a couple of weeks time I am going to visit an exhibition at Houghton Hall in Norfolk. I will tell you all about it when I've been . It promises to be very interesting.  I am also getting good feedback from my book review column and getting a lot of requests from people to review their books. I have just finished reading "The Island" by Victoria Hislop and would love to go to Crete to visit Spinalonga  where it was set. I will add it to my list!!

A busy month!

June has been a really busy month. I  had a good time at Center Parcs in Sherwood Forest with my family A fortnight ago I had a really interesting day at the Italian Cultural Institute in London listening to a presentation about Turin.  The authorities there are eager to spread the word about its attractions and to  make it as well known and popular as Florence, Rome and Venice.  As it is one of the places in Italy I have not visited I am eager to go and find out more about it for myself .. Before I listened to the presentation  I just thought of the Shroud and Fiats when people mentioned Turin but now I know it has so much more to offer. I also met some fellow travel writers  at the event which was great. Apart from that I have been doing a lot of research for future articles and trips I intend to take.