Our annual summer pilgrimage to Keswick happened in June. We go, partly to walk with our local walking group but also to catch up with friends. This year though, it became Costa del Keswick as we experienced hot weather more akin to the Mediterranean. This year I was also leading two walks for our Ramblers…

Who is St Cuthbert and what is his way? St Cuthbert was an Anglo – Saxon saint in the early Northumbrian church. He was a monk, bishop and hermit in the monasteries of Melrose and Lindisfarne, living between approximately 634AD and 687AD. St Cuthbert’s Way is a long distance footpath between Melrose and Lindisfarne and…

Much has been written and photographed about natural phenomena, those strange occurrences which pass human understanding yet are spectacular to witness. One of these, in the UK at least is the wader murmurations. Thousands of wading birds, mainly Knots feed daily on the muddy beaches around The Wash in North Norfolk. These areas are rich…

18 September 2023 – Yes, I know it is September but I am playing catchup with our travel blogs so apologies as they are out of sequence. The Lakes in March can have fine days, cold days and horrible days. During our visit the fine days were in very short supply, and as we journeyed…

We have made it to Riesa on our grand tour. The town lies on the River Elbe, about 40km northwest of Dresden and has town has two “claims to fame”. According to a well known online encyclopaedia, the worlds first 110kvh power line was installed between Riesa and Lauchhammer in 1912. Also, in the 1980’s…

We are off on our travels again, this time to Germany, more specifically to Wittenberg in Eastern Germany for the start of a week of point to point cycling, with the excellent Mercurio Travel and our host and tour leader, Andre. Those of you who regularly read my ramblings on here may remember we have…

A couple of years ago I joined a photo workshop in Glencoe, in the north west of Scotland. Due to injury I had to leave early so I missed out on some great locations. It was time for a return, so in March 2023 I joined a workshop group to re-visit the area. On the…

Fans of the rock band Genesis will recognise the title of this blog as the opening track from their album, “Trick of the Tail”. Why “Dance on a Volcano?” We have recently returned from a close encounter with some dormant volcanos in La Palma in the Canary Islands. Where Phil Collins et al danced on…

The Impressionist movement in art featured such notables as Monet, Renoir and Degas. When they were at the height of their popularity, the ability to match their skills using a camera was non-existent. Leap forward 120 years and the development and sophistication of modern digital cameras gives a photographer the ability to create “Impressionist” style…

Every year, the Imperial War Museum (IWM) at Duxford Airfield hosts a number of air shows. The event in September, billed as the Battle Of Britain Air Show, commemorates that event in WW2 and remembers those who made the ultimate sacrifice during that battle. The airfield is the former RAF Duxford and was the wartime…