Personally, I would say a truly fantastic album should play as a holistic work of art, rather than a collection of individual songs that don’t have any intrinsic relevance to each other. The beauty of a great album is that you can revisit it having not listened for a while & it can mean something completely different to you every time you hear it. The songs & lyrics are still the exact same, but your perceptions & paradigms in which you view life & the world are constantly evolving & adapting.
It isn’t hyperbole to say I couldn’t pick one favourite, I would love to hear some of your favourite albums? I am always on the lookout for new music recommendations.
Some of my favourite albums, in no particular order are Biffy Clyro -Puzzle, Ludovico Einaudi – In a time lapse, Linkin Park – Hybrid Theory, Oasis – Definitely Maybe, Bruce Springsteen – Born to run, R.E.M – Automatic for the people & David Bowie – Legacy (which I know is a bit of a cheat due to it being a compilation, but it’s a banging album & I have it on Vinyl 😍). Thanks for reading & have a wonderful day!
This is my first time writing for the ‘Daily prompt’, however this subject definitely caught my attention. I truly feel that music is such an integral part of what makes us human. For me, music is a sort of composition of various sounds arranged in such a way that can produce incredible sounds that can be deeply moving. There are so many different types of music, genres, sub genres & more instruments than I could ever list here. Having the fortune to listen to live music is such a profound intimate experience that I couldn’t imagine never going to see a show again.
When you visit a country, I feel like the two things that really go to the heart of a culture are the food & the music. Of course the buildings & scenery are important, but I feel everything about the history & the people is poured into the food & music. When I was recently in Finland, I sat in a bar on my own for about 2 hours listening to Finnish people sing Karaoke. I had no idea what the lyrics meant, but it was a wonderful experience. I had something similar in Egypt, having no clue what the band were singing in Arabic.
Without music, I would definitely be lost. I love food, but it doesn’t stir my soul in the same way that music can. I have a very eclectic taste & have been fortunate to have seen some incredible live performances. Some of my favourite have been to are Bruce Springsteen, Duran Duran, Oasis, Scooter, Sean Paul, JFDR, Olafur Arnalds, Ludovico Einaudi, Andre Rieu & Johann Strauss orchestra, The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Hans Zimmer, Kasabian, Gerry Cinnamon, Biffy Clyro & The Blossoms (I have been to about 100 shows in last 3/4 years).
Let me know some of your favourite music, I always love to listen to new things, so any recommendations appreciated 😊
My first time in North Wales, a must visit for anyone living in the UK!
Setting the scene
For my 30th (Plus VAT) birthday this year I wanted to do something other than cheap beers with my friends until someone passes out! When exploring weekend trips, North Wales cropped up as my friend Terri had mentioned it a few times (Thanks T). After a quick Google of Llandudno, I was instantly sold on the trip. Then I was subsequently delving further into the area & towns round about I randomly discovered Conwy. Massive Castle, beautiful Quays & city walls to explore, need I say more?
About Conwy…
Conwy is a stunning market town sat on the river Conwy with city walls surrounding it. The river itself is rather large, which results in really beautiful sandy beaches & a Quay that you can spend all day relaxing on.
Besides the enchanting scenery, the town is very historical & one of the top 2 or 3 coolest medieval towns I have seen, although admittedly I do still have so much more exploring to do!
Wandering around Conwy you feel like you are lost in a moment in time, where things are more slow paced & life is simpler. Being from Scotland, I have a unique affinity with historic Castles & Conwy’s is truly special. In addition to this, there is so much more to experience. You can take boat safaris out to see sea lions & dolphins, the town has a plethora of quaint local independent shops, there’s an awesome suspension bridge, the smallest house in Britain, Plas Mawr & the Conwy estuary trail is a must visit!
Story time 📚
Usually my adventures are solo, however as it was my birthday a couple of friends travelled down with me, one of them coming all the way from Scotland. He had never been to Wales before so we convinced him that you needed a passport to enter (For my non UK readers, you can move freely in UK without a passport). In order to really sell the prank, I brought my Lilo & Stitch passport holder, whilst ensuring my oblivious friend saw me bringing it. After alighting the train, I handed my passport holder to him & sent him up to the help desk to find out where passport control was. The gentleman working at the station was perplexed to say the least, but he saw the funny side once he realised what was going on. My friend then threatened to throw my passport across the rail tracks, still unaware that my passport was at home & he was walking around with my prop, Bazinga!
As alluded to above, the Conwy Quay is a wonderful place to spend time, just be sure to avoid the seagulls if you are eating! You need a PhD in Takeshi’s Castle to fight them off. We were eating some fish & chips down by the water front in an outdoor seating area. I was telling a story about a parent I saw in Egypt, whereby a youngster was running feral & his Mum grabbed him by the earlobe to move him along. It was done very tenderly & without any real force or malice, it just made me chuckle. Whilst I was telling this story to my friends, I stood up to give them a demonstration, with me acting as the Mother, I didn’t realise there was a small step / kerb behind me. So walking along, dragging my imaginary child by the ear, I slipped and went flying face first into the ground. The fall was only 0.5-1 meters so wasn’t high enough to do any major damage but did scrape my arms & legs. Much to the amusement of other people sat there, it resulted in a few cheers from the nearby pub beer garden. Although this was a fairly calamitous incident, it could have been so much worse. 😂
Once we had completed the tourist sites on our itinerary, we had to work out how to get over to Llandudno, which was where our apartment actually was. So we decided to stop by the first bar we saw, freshen up & devise a strategy. Subsequently, the first bar happened to be a comrades club. With some trepidation we went in, keeping an open mind. The club itself was actually lovely & the staff were really friendly, so I would recommend a visit. However, when we entered they were insistent upon getting our contact & address details. My first thought was that I would end up in some mad American McCarthyism trial one day if I signed away my details. However, everything seemed above board so I signed up. It wasn’t until we left that my friends told me they put fake details, so if I suddenly disappear & get carted off somewhere, it’s my own fault for being too honest with the comrades about my identity!
Some photos of the trip… 🤳🏼
Conwy river & Estuary trail in distance
Conwy Castle
Conwy River
Conwy River
Suspension Bridge
Conwy Castle
View from Estuary trail
Conwy Castle
Conwy River/Quay
Conwy Castle
Comrades club…
Where to eat & drink? 🍻🍽️
For food, you can get lovely fresh caught fish products down at the mongers on the Quay. Or if you are looking for something more quick & easy I would recommend the aptly named “Fishermans Chip Shop”, which is only a few minutes from the Quay. The fish & chips from there was awesome, although they do cook the fish to order, meaning it’s really fresh but does take a bit of time to prepare. Like most places these days, you also get charged for the sauce sachets too, capitalism has gone rogue when you’re paying for ketchup pots!
If you are looking for some drinks on the waterfront, the Liverpool arms was decent & has a big beer garden. Ye Olde Mailcoach doesn’t look much from the outside but also has a nice big beer garden out the back & is reasonably priced. I wouldn’t stop there for a cute date night, but if you want to watch sport & don’t mind a place with a bit of character, this is the one for you! Then of course, the Comrades club is a nice bar, just give them fake details or you could sign up if that is your thing, you’ll probably end up on the same hit list I am on somewhere! 😊
Useful information 🧑🏼🎓
The city walls are beautiful to walk round & you get some lovely views of the town & surrounding hillside. However, there are certain sections of it closed off & it isn’t so easy to tell which parts you are allowed on. There is a little tourist information centre you can pop into & they will explain which sections are open. Conwy Castle is awesome, however it’s important to call out that the towers & staircases are very narrow, steep & can be dangerous. So take every precaution you can when climbing the steps. When you reach the summit, you are in for a real treat, the views are breathtaking, almost spellbinding. The backdrop could have been a scene from Harry Potter, it is that magical!
Conwy isn’t massive, so it’s easy to get around, however if moving between towns, do not trust Uber. The app says it is on it’s way but never comes, a couple of locals also said they didn’t think Uber was a thing there. Conwy does have a train station, although services are infrequent, if you time it well, it makes for an efficient exit.
What is coming next? 🤔
My next post will be on Llandudno, where I almost died (slight exaggeration but it was terrifying), then there will be posts about more historical places like Edinburgh, Chester, Caerleon, York & Liverpool (mainly for the Beatles history). I will be taking a small break from posting in September as I have been very lucky & am getting the chance to do a mini Euro trip from Poland, up through Latvia, Estonia & Finland.
I would love to take any trip recommendations, if I can get there by bus, boat, train or plane, I will go🤠. Hit subscribe to get notified when the next post goes live, thanks for reading through & as always, if you have any questions drop me a comment & I will get back to you as soon as possible ❤️
A great day out, especially when on a tight budget!
Setting the scene
Who does not love the tale of Robin Hood & his band of merry men? Well for this trip, I was able to visit the town where he was born (allegedly). It is pertinent to highlight top & centre that this blog post may or may not contain information that is entirely factitious or completely true when referencing Robin Hood 😂. Usually I do my best to provide accurate & useful information on the trips, so you can make the most of your day. However, I would take the Robin Hood references with a pinch of salt, personally I believe in all of the stories & he was definitely real 🏹
About Hathersage…
Nestled on the Eastern side of the Hope Valley, Hathersage is an awesome place for a day trip.
It has such a unique charm & character to it. Charlotte Bronte was inspired by the town when writing Jane Eyre, although admittedly I haven’t actually read it. The area is so picturesque it has provided the back drop for some major movies, such as Pride & Prejudice.
Hathersage also plays host to one of the few outdoor swimming pools in the UK. I didn’t go for a dip though, I’m still carrying a few lbs from Easter & Christmas, so a bit chubby for the swimming unfortunately 😂
Whilst all of the above is enough to make the trip worthwhile, my main reason for visiting was the connections to Robin Hood & his merry band of men. It is said that he was from Loxley in Hathersage, which is not far from Sheffield. Robin Hood & his men would steal from the rich & give to the poor, given how expensive being alive is at the moment, we could sure use a Robin Hood to save us! One of Robin Hood’s right hand men “Little John”, is actually buried at the Church of St Michael. He is called Little John because he was said to be 7ft tall. Now, if Robin Hood & Little John were not real, how come there is a grave for Little John? The Churchyard & the grave etc are in a really beautiful area, so I highly recommend it as worth stopping by.
Story time 📚
One of the things I love about visiting these quaint towns/villages is that they are high trust. You often see people leaving things outside their house for sale & you are trusted to just leave the money. Now, there was a lovely big house with books outside for sale & a sign to deposit the funds into ‘The pipe’. I looked for a good minute or so & couldn’t find the elusive pipe, I even went down onto my hands & knees checking under the shelf etc. So then I was trying to peep over the hedge to see if one of the residents was around so I could buy the book. After a couple of minutes someone did walk by & I caught their eye, but they scurried off. It was only then I realised how I must have looked, a scary big Scottish guy window peeping 😂. I didn’t manage to buy the book & decided to shoot off as quickly as possible once I realise I looked like a window peeper!
By the time I had scaled the hill to Little Johns grave, I was truly desiccated by the sweltering heat (well sweltering may be a slight exaggeration, it was about 27 degrees, but to a Scottish person that is like the Sahara desert). I took refuge within St Michael’s Church, I was the only person inside at the time. Or so I thought, I was wandering around taking photos & as I got to the front there was a mannequin in one of the front rows of the benches about 1.5 meters away from me. I had been in for around 10 minutes in total silence, in my own little bubble. Then I hear a voice say “Hi dear”, I just about fell to the floor with fright, it wasn’t a mannequin at all but a lady who had just been sat still in tranquillity. In the photos you can decide for yourself if you would have thought it was a mannequin (the lady gave me permission to post the photo).
I am not necessarily sure it’s a funny story but I have to own up to my flaws. One of the cool places I wanted to visit was Robin Hood’s cave, where him & his men used to hang out & devise their battle plans. Google maps is good at the directions, but didn’t tell me the trek to the cave would be like traipsing through Middle Earth. I am ashamed to admit it, but I got halfway up the hill & thought my heart was going to burst out of my chest & I didn’t have it in me. I had to give up & turn back, it was too hot & I was woefully underprepared. If you have ever been to the cave, please do share any short cuts or tips for not dying on the walk!
Some photos of the trip… 🤳🏼
Cool sign at train station
The mannequin
There was no pipe…
View from the walk to the cave
Lots of these dotted around the place
St Michael’s Church
‘Myths & Legends’ should be title ‘Historically accurate people’
Tale of Little John
Grave of Little John
Grave of Little John
Inside Church
A lot of the streets are cobbled like this
Where to eat & drink? 🍻🍽️
There is a wonderful big country pub called the Scotsman’s Pack which is a great place to stop by. I didn’t get any food there but when I was having a nosey at other peoples plates, it looked great! It’s also within close proximity of the Church & Grave of Little John. Failing that the Cafe at the swimming centre was decent for a coffee & it is nearby the outdoor bookstore that may or may not have a pipe lurking somewhere.
Useful information 🧑🏼🎓
The town isn’t massive & everything is within walking distance. There is a trainline that drops you within short walking distance to the centre & they run between Manchester to Sheffield every hour. There was plenty of places to park though & if you want to visit Robin Hood’s Cave, you’re probably best to drive up a bit closer rather than trying to walk from the train station. As outlined above, it’s a gruelling walk.
Hathersage has a useful little tourist/information centre place where they have public toilets etc but once you get up into the hills past the Church of Little John, there doesn’t seem to be many places when nature calls, so definitely plan ahead. I initially experienced a bit of a moral quandary about taking photos at a grave, however when you get there you realise it is a tourist site & to be expected. There is also a chance that nobody is actually buried there & Little John wasn’t real 😂. Whether you believe it or not, is up to you!
What is coming next? 🤔
Next up there will be posts about more historical places like Edinburgh, Chester, Caerleon, York, North Wales & Liverpool (purely for the Beatles history). I will be taking a small break from posting in September as I have been very lucky & am getting the chance to do a mini Euro trip from Poland, up through Latvia, Estonia & Finland.
I would love to take any trip recommendations, if I can get there by bus, boat, train or plane, I will go🤠. Hit subscribe to get notified when the next post goes live, thanks for reading through & as always, if you have any questions drop me a comment & I will get back to you as soon as possible ❤️
A few weeks back, I ran a poll on my post for Tatton Park in Knutsford about which rare breed Pig to adopt (Post accessible here). The poll was won by Lola, the sassiest of the bunch! However, as I subsequently attempted to complete the adoption, it transpires that they only have adoption packs for Martha & the funds are put into a pot to look after all of the Pigs. So I have adopted Martha who loves carrots & cuddles, but then again who doesn’t? 😍
The adoption pack has finally arrived & it comes with an invitation for a meet & greet. So when I attend that, I will be sure to upload some photos & videos. Hopefully Martha is up & about causing mischief when I visit, she was out for the count when I last went, as you can see below💤.
Photos of some of the pigs 📸
The Lady of the hour, Martha
Pig board
Lola
Bonnie & babies
Luna (Who has smashed her name tag up)
Susie
Adoption pack
Adoption pack
What is coming next? 🤔
Over the weekend I will be posting about Hathersage, the Birth Place of Robin Hood, you definitely do not want to miss it 🏹
Hit subscribe to get notified when the post goes live, thanks for reading through as always, if you have any questions drop me a comment & I will get back to you as soon as possible ❤️
Living in Manchester UK, I am blessed with the opportunity to visit the Peak District regularly as it is right on the door step. This mini series will be covering the best places in the Peaks to visit that are easily accessible by train & gentle on the purse strings (One day I will learn to drive 😂). It is one the most verdant & ineffable places in the UK, with some truly incredible day trips!
This post covers New Mills, one of my favourite towns! It has all of the useful information you need to know to make the most of your trip alongside a customary tale or two.
About New Mills…
Whilst New Mills is in the Peak district, it is a more lively town & much less rural than some places I have written about. New Mills was a powerhouse during the industrial revolution & also had the longest continuous running textile mill in the UK, in operation for over 200 years. Whilst no longer an active mill, the building is beautiful & is perched on a glorious gorge, with a stunning waterfall.
The mill used to be powered by the water & then later moved to steam & finally electricity.
Within New Mills there is a plethora of cute little independent shops, several scenic walking trails, countryside pubs, rock climbing walls, unique towering architecture & there are even alpacas you can see! For the science nerds, be sure to check out the man made hydro energy generator type of thing, that provides free electricity which is community owned & funded, providing power to lots of houses by the force of the water 🤓
Story time ⛈️
Whilst I hesitate to cast aspersions on the weather forecasting people, on this trip I definitely called into question the validity of their analytical proficiency. New Mills was supposed to be glorious sunshine with a gentle breeze (which was certainly the case when I left Manchester). However, it ended up being a storm of biblical proportions! Although, you can’t let the weather determine your fun, so I powered on through. It was too wet to take any photos on this visit, but I am a regular attendee of New Mills, so have used older photos from Winter time. Soaked to the bone, I set out on my wanders!
The Torr Vale Mill & Millennium walkway are really resplendent, once you get over the fear of how high up the bridge is, it’s very scenic & peaceful. The Mill building now has a bar/restaurant in it & some smaller things. I had been a couple of times, but never realised it doubled up as an incredible wedding reception venue on occasion (if you happen to know anyone single, I am taking applications, hit me up, we might as well get this booked in advance 😂). I was attempting to go into the bar to escape the rain, but I was covered in mud & all sorts, the bridal party was hitting me with a barrage of vociferous verbal abuse to get out. There was not any signs up or anything, completely honest mistake!
Given that the Gorge is so peaceful, whenever I visit I love to just stand on the bridge watching the waterfall go by. However, I must have looked really lost & broken, as someone asked me if I was okay & planning to jump in. The thing is, I love open water swimming & jump into water often, so before I could really process what the lady had said, I replied with “no the water isn’t deep enough” (In my head thinking of open water swimming, the water being shallow would cause me an injury & not what she meant). Once I had understood her concerns, it was a deeply profound moment. I’m very, fortunate, humble & grateful for the opportunities I have had in life, taking nothing for granted. I’m just a happy go lucky guy, wandering through life enjoying myself. In that moment though, it may have been a person who was struggling with mental health issues or just having a really bad day & that random lady checking in with them would have made all of the difference to someone. There are awesome people out there who really care for others, sometimes the internet would make you think otherwise, but they are out there! If you know of someone having a tough time or you haven’t heard from that friend in a while, check in on them from time to time ❤️
Some photos of the trip… 🤳🏼
Artificially created waterfall for the Hydro
Alpacas
Torr Vale Mill
Torr Vale Mill Gorge
Upstream from waterfalls
Hydro electricity generator
Railway Viaduct
Streams in every direction
Information board
Rock climbing wall
Torr Vale Mill
Where to eat & drink? 🍻🍽️
So long as there isn’t a mental bridal party trying to dice you up, I would highly recommend the bar/restaurant in the Torr Vale Mill, the food is lovely! If the weather is respectable there is also a massive beer garden to catch some sun. There are also plenty of little cafes, bars & delis on the main street in New Mills so you have plenty of options to choose from. It may have just been an anomaly because there was a football match on but the Royal Oak New Mills Pub had free pizza going when I was there, so definitely recommend stopping by for a beer!
Useful information 🧑🏼🎓
There are lots of different walking/running trails around New Mills but it’s also got a hustle & bustle small town vibe to it, therefor it’s busier than a usual countryside retreat. You can use all trails or hiking apps to map out routes & there are plenty of websites with routes. New Mills isn’t huge, so I wing it whenever I go but I believe there are a range of circulars for every ability & fitness level.
Given that I don’t drive, I am at the mercy of the train companies to get around. It’s generally the case that you have no issues, but the last thing you want is to get stuck in New Mills! A useful tip is that there are actually 2 train lines that run through it, the Buxton line & the Sheffield line. The stops in New Mills are a 15 minute walk apart. Therefor if something causes a delay or cancellation to New Mills Central, you can walk to New Mills Newton & vice versa. If you visit on a Friday or Saturday, they have a mini market with all fresh food etc that is worth checking out, it’s positioned opposite the Sainsburys. If you are going to try the rock climbing wall, make sure & strap in & use an instructor, don’t try to climb it bare like I did 😂
What is coming next? 🤔
Next up I will be posting travel guides for some more domestic places during Summer! The UK is awesome when the sun comes out, for that whole week once a year. There will be more spots in the Peak District, then more historical places like Chester, Edinburgh & York. I would love to take any recommendations in the comments, if I can get there by bus, train or plane, I will go 🤠
Hit subscribe to get notified when the post goes live, thanks for reading through as always, if you have any questions drop me a comment & I will get back to you as soon as possible ❤️
The perfect day trip combining history & countryside 🕺🏼
Setting the scene
Living in Manchester UK, I am blessed with the opportunity to visit the Peak District regularly as it is right on the door step. This mini series will be covering the best places in the Peaks to visit that are easily accessible by train & gentle on the purse strings (One day I will learn to drive 😂). It is one the most verdant & ineffable places in the UK, with some truly incredible day trips!
This post will cover two beautiful quaint towns in one article, given their close geographical proximity, Hope & Castleton. It has all of the useful information you need to know to make the most of your trip alongside a customary tale or two. Thankfully I wasn’t subjected to a savage assault on this trip!
About the towns…
Hope is a cute little village in Derbyshire. It is very scenic & is situated where the Peakshole water & the River Noe meet. It is easily accessible by train & has rolling hills as far as the eye can see as well as ancient caves home to limestone, fossils & stalagmites.
Castleton is a short walk from Hope or you can drive / take the bus. This place is very special, it is like transporting back 40/50 years into the most beautiful quintessentially English villages. (Even as a Scottish person, I can still appreciate this 🤭)
The primary reason for my visit was to see Peveril Castle, which was one of William the Conqueror’s first stone built castles in England. However, I fell in love with the village, all of the old authentic locally run stores, the friendly people & the views of the Peak district are so picturesque, it’s difficult to articulate succinctly! From Castleton you can go into ancient caverns/caves, travel through Winnats Pass (I have videos on my Instagram post here!), do all manner of hiking, paragliding & see lots of cool wildlife.
Story time 🏔️
Generally speaking, I am fairly decent at walking, after all I have been doing it for 20 odd years (+/-50% on the years), however the climb to Peveril Castle almost killed me off, without any exaggeration. When I arrived at the base of Castle grounds, I set off with a febrile mindset, excited to get to the top, full of energy! However, it’s incredibly steep & the path up to the castle is a zig zag rather than straight line. There are benches to take a rest halfway, but I couldn’t even make it to the first bench. I had to take a lie down on the grass, after a couple of minutes I realised I was being eaten alive by ants & all sorts of other creepy crawlies. Not a fantastic start to the trip 😂
Winnats Pass was one of the most awesome places I have ever been in the UK. My photos below don’t do it any justice, but it’s clear to see why it is such a popular place to visit. You can walk or drive through the hill pass & limestone gorge, but dotted around the place there are signs for falling rocks. I was thinking to myself this nanny state stuff is getting out of hand, rocks don’t just fall from the sky. If any do, it is probably some yob throwing them (or ‘flinging bricks’ as we say in Scotland), it turns out I was wrong. Some small rocks do roll down the sides of the hills, one just about took me out of the game, so when passing through be careful & keep an eye out for falling rocks.
There is a cool independent craft alcohol shop in Peveril that I went into. I wanted to get some Blue John Gin for my mates birthday, it isn’t mass produced & you can only get it in a few places. This was at the end of my walk, I had racked up around 35k steps, so was a sweaty mess. This is the type of store where they really value customer service & want to talk to you about what you’re looking for etc. However, given that I was rather aesthetically unpleasing (well more so than usual), I just wanted to grab the gin & go, no chat, no thrills, bag up the gin, thank you good sir & I will be on my way. Regrettably, as I went to leave I then noticed the counter was full of all types of alcohol that had ‘Taster’ written on it. If I hadn’t been so anti social & set in my way, I could have treated myself to a few samples, which if you have read my blog before, you will know I am a sucker for! Moral of the story is, even if you are feeling antisocial, free booze might be on hand, so keep an open mind!
Some photos of the trip… 🤳🏼
Cool welcome sign
Winnats Pass approach
Inside Peveril Castle
Peveril Castle
View from Peveril Castle
Castleton High Street
Inside Winnats Pass
Jolly amusing sign
View of the walk from Hope to Castleton
Inside Winnats Pass
Cute sheep, because, well they’re cute!
Where to eat & drink? 🍻🍽️
At the risk of sounding unnecessarily melodramatic, you really cannot visit Castleton & not stop by Peveril stores & bakery. It is a winsome family run, long established place. Everything they sell is made in house with local ingredients, made by local people in the village. The food is to die for! They have everything from unique pies to pastries to succulent bread 😍. I wanted to get some photos inside or even try to do a video, but it was pretty busy & lots of children running around etc so I didn’t take any. When I was eating my pie outside on a ledge, a big seagull was eyeing me up, so I had to get it down the hatchet & not mess around with taking photos. There are also lots of countryside bars dotted around & small tap houses if you want to stop by for a beer!
Useful information 🧑🏼🎓
There are plenty of public toilets dotted around Hope & Castleton, however as you get further afield into Winnats pass & more into the scenery I didn’t see any, so best plan ahead 😊
Some of the small shops I went into only took cash, but even the ones who take card definitely prefer you to pay cash, it helps them reduce bank fees & keeps cash circulating in the local economy, fight the good fight & bring cash 🤠
What is coming next? 🤔
Next up I will be posting travel guides for some more domestic places ahead of Summer! The UK is awesome when the sun comes out, for that whole week once a year. There will be more spots in the Peak District, then more historical places like Chester, Edinburgh & York. I would love to take any recommendations in the comments, if I can get there by bus, train or plane, I will go 🤠
Hit subscribe to get notified when the post goes live, thanks for reading through as always, if you have any questions drop me a comment & I will get back to you as soon as possible ❤️
Living in Manchester UK, I am blessed with the opportunity to visit the Peak District regularly as it is right on the door step. This mini series will be covering the best places in the Peaks to visit that are easily accessible by train & gentle on the purse strings (One day I will learn to drive 😂). It is one the most verdant & ineffable places in the UK, with some truly incredible day trips!
This post will cover a beautiful circular route beginning & ending in Grindleford. It has all of the useful information you need to know to make the most of your trip alongside a customary tale or two.
About the route…
This journey kicks off in the Grindleford train station, where you take a short walk into the Padley Gorge waterfalls & ancient woodland forest. The words elude me to accurately describe the beauty of this place! Take your most insane fantasy novel setting, the shire for example & you aren’t even close.
From here you move through into the Longshaw Estate which is awesome & has a variety of walking / running trails. You can also see plenty of wildlife here, so great for the kids!
Then it is onto Higger Tor via Toads Mouth, between Higger Tor & Millstone edge you get the most stunning views of the Peak district, then moving on to Lawrencefield, which is by far my favourite part of the trip! From here you begin the steep descent back down to the train station.
Story time 🏰
I had found myself a little spot by a river, way off the usual tracks & hadn’t seen another person for around an hour. What a beautiful day it was, the sun was shining, a light breeze bristling through the unblemished bushes & the gentle sound of the water trickling down the multitude of little waterfalls that make up the river. There were Butterflies of all colours & even a Dragonfly zoomed past. A place of truly profound serenity, in those moments it’s easy to forget where you are & feel like you’re the only person in the world. Alas, the peaceful retreat was short lived.
Usually, I am very child friendly, however this little spawn of the Devil was an absolute hooligan. A child (around 10 or 11 years old I would say), appeared out of nowhere, I could hear footsteps off in the distance so was looking around. As he approached he said “Excuse me Mr”, I am thinking what a polite young chap, but I was also worried as there was no sight of his parents or any other people, maybe he was lost. I asked him “Are you okay where are your parents?”, by this point I had stood up properly to look around. The little hooligan (hooligan is not the word I wanted to use, but for the purposes of keeping the blog PG, it’s hooligan), punches me full force in my baby making facilities. The hooligan starts giggling & runs off, although he was small it really hurt. It took me a few seconds to catch my breath & by the time I looked up, he was gone, completely vanished.
So at the very least I was the victim of assault, but given the proximity of the attack it probably should be upgraded to a sexual assault. After this I got back to the path & continued my journey, but the strange thing is I still didn’t see another person for around 30 minutes, but there are all sorts of woodlands etc so plenty of places I couldn’t see 🤔. If you are ever on this walking route, be careful if you get accosted by a young hooligan child! Even as I write this, I am still a little dumbfounded, but it can’t have all been in my head, I was still sore by the time I got back to Manchester 😂
Not all sheep are afraid of people, I found this out the hard way. When I go on these trips, I bring some bird feeder (you get a massive bag in Home Bargains for a few £’s). I was feeding some kind of bluebird or magpie type thing & a big ass sheep (I am not even sure the correct noun/plural for a singular sheep) started chasing after me, maybe it was bluffing but it had handy looking horns, so I wasn’t taking any risks!
When walking through Padley Gorge there are some really steep descents & lots of places to fall & do yourself a mischief. Being the big lazy toad that I am, I always try to invent shortcuts & take the quick route up or down hills etc even when there is no route. I couldn’t work out how to upload videos here, but I am starting a YouTube channel soon so will post there. I ended up falling down the side of a hill, it wasn’t high enough to kill me, but would have done quite a bit of damage. Thankfully I managed to roll onto my back & just slide down the side, so only a few cuts & bruises. The real issue was I couldn’t climb back up so had to cross the river, there was not many rocks & it was quite treacherous, albeit the river wasn’t deep, so I would have got soaked but not drowned. I had to go proper Lord of the flies & break a big branch off a tree to use as a walking stick to cross the river. All in all, a rather eventful day!
Some photos of the trip…
Padley Gorge woods
Cool cows
Padley Gorge woods
Lovely view
Padley Gorge woods
Padley Gorge woods
My newly created walking stick
Scene of the assault
Not the best shirt colour, evidently!
Cool statue
Lovely quiet spot
Pond on route to Longshaw Estate
Terminator sheep
Where to eat & drink? 🍻🍽️
There is a cafe at Grindleford train station where you can get food, it is pretty basic but not too expensive & gets the job done. Further along at Longshaw estate there is a nice cafe, but it is quite expensive. It is run by the National Trust so I think the money goes into conservation etc (well that is what I convince myself of when I get hit for £7 for a bagel). The Fox house is a big country pub that looks awesome, although I have not been in yet.
Useful information 🧑🏼🎓
It sounds very cliché but you really do need to take care when walking through Padley Gorge. Make sure you have decent footwear & even on a dry day the ground can be moist, so watch where you are going. If you aren’t a fan of falling over & getting hurt, stick to the main paths! There are not any public toilets that I have seen, so would suggest using Longshaw cafe halfway. Not that I would ever advocate for such behaviour, but if you don’t want to buy anything, the toilets here are round the back of the building, you can just wander round 😂.
Final bonus tip, don’t wear a white T-shirt, it will get ruined!
Poll Results 🐷
Thank you to everyone who voted in the poll from last week. The winner was Lola with over 30% of the vote, Bonnie came second & Bob came third. I will contact the farm about doing the sponsorship etc 😊.
What is coming next? 🤔
Next up I will be posting travel guides for some more domestic places ahead of Summer! The UK is awesome when the sun comes out, for that whole week once a year. There will be more spots in the Peak District, then more historical places like Chester, Edinburgh & York. I would love to take any recommendations in the comments, if I can get there by bus, train or plane, I will go 🤠
Hit subscribe to get notified when the post goes live, thanks for reading through as always, if you have any questions drop me a comment & I will get back to you as soon as possible ❤️
Thrown out of a wine shop, chased by a scary dog & a really important poll at the end! All in a days work, not to be missed 🤠
Setting the scene
In spite of its problems (brutal weather & expensive chip shops), the UK is an awesome place to live with so much to do & see. Given that we have to hibernate for most of the year, I wanted to do a mini series on some wonderful trips you should consider for this Summer that won’t break the bank. From beautiful scenic sprawling countryside to incredible historic towns & cities, the UK has something for everyone! Plus I am more likely to make a nuisance of myself on a domestic trip, which should make for a more interesting blog post. Todays post is about Knutsford & Tatton Country Park, with a very important poll at the bottom, please do vote, even if only anonymously 😊
A bit about Knutsford
Knutsford is a cute little town in Cheshire, England. The name actually goes all the way back to King Canute, if you’re a Viking history nerd, the name will be familiar to you. The town has an interesting history & was very important during the second world war. Unfortunately, it is one of the most expensive places to buy a house in the UK!
There is a famous TV show about bored rich housewives based in the Cheshire region, I haven’t see it but I am always on the lookout for a rich sugar mumma! Alas, I haven’t managed to find one whilst visiting Knutsford 🤭
Story time 📔
Whilst I was sauntering around the town on route to Tatton Park, fortunately by sheer dumb luck I stumbled upon a wine store offering free tastings. Given that it was around 25 degrees & I was melting, a lovely refreshing glass of wine was just what the Doctor ordered. However, I outed myself as a chancer almost instantaneously, it transpires that I in fact have a rather miniscule bank of knowledge pertaining to wine. Some free advice, if you are ever in Majestic wines for a free tasting, you have to at least pretend to be interested in making a purchase. When the worker asks what type of wine you usually like, you don’t have to be a seasoned connoisseur, but at least attempt something more believable than ‘that Red badboy out of Lidl, the £6.99 one’ (I panicked & couldn’t think of anything more realistic!). I was unceremoniously turfed out.
Tatton Park was the real reason for my Knutsford trip, it is the most stunning picturesque country park. All sorts of animals roam freely, there is a cool mansion you can visit & a great little farm with funky animals! Dogs are supposed to be kept on leads, so as not to scare the animals but a dog had escaped it’s constraints. A whole herd of deer came running towards me, which was mildly terrifying & I could hear the dog before I saw it. Suddenly, I was looking for a tree to climb thinking it was an XXXXL Bully coming to eat me for supper, turned out it was the tiniest poodle type dog just trying to play with the deer. Maybe it was a sheep dog in a previous life. Eventually the dog started getting too big for its paws & the deer decided to chase it off, it was a rather amusing sight to behold!
Whilst watching the baby pigs roaming around, I managed to land myself in a live episode of Jeremy Kyle Family Feuds. A pig was snoring loudly, the guy said “Oh it sounds like Grandma”, all hell broke loose. The Grandma was annoyed with the Dad, the Mum was annoyed at Dad for laughing, the toddler was in hysterics at the whole episode!
You should stop by The White Bear, it is the Oldest pub in Knutsford, really cool & authentic, feels a little like a time warp. The building has a lot of the original features, however that means there are a lot of low ceilings & no matter how many signs there are you still club your head on something. So either be really small or make sure & crouch down when entering. I managed to bang my head 3 times, I think that has reduced me to a single digit IQ now. Sometimes it is okay to drink sewer water lager, you don’t always have to go for something new. I decided to be exotic & pick something random, ended up with a Theakston bitter, which was more shambolic than exotic. If that is for you, each to their own, but you won’t catch me on the bitter again! Lesson learned the hard way!
Some cheeky snaps 📸
A big day ahead…
Lovely Lake in Tatton Park
Very expensive photo
Where are the T&C’s?
The absolute guvnor
Beautiful scenery
Very expensive photo
Very expensive photo
Beautiful scenery
Nap time!
Beautiful scenery
Just goating around
Old houses you can go inside
Blurb on White Bear
Inside the White Bear
Useful information 🧑🏼🎓
If you walk or cycle to Tatton, entry is free but you have to pay if in car (Around £10 I think per car). Thousands of animals all roam freely in the park, but if you want to go in to see the pigs, lambs, goats, horses & chickens you have to pay extra. This is a little expensive (£10 for an adult), but is well worth it as there is a little play park (although you look weird if you go on it alone & don’t have kids with you). You also get a chance to hold lambs & chicklets, but the events are all on at different times & dates so check ahead.
If you are susceptible to midge bites, I would highly recommend bringing some insect repellent. There are plenty of places to eat & drink, or you can bring a picnic, however if you share your lunch with the sheep you will get a shake down from the park ranger (I did this once & the ranger appeared out of nowhere, like some mad apparition). Tatton park has a variety of events on, ranging from flower shows, to concerts to classic car shows, even if you don’t go for the animals, I highly recommend looking at upcoming events, there is plenty of fun to be had.
The most important poll of all time… 🐷
There are a few different Pigs at Tatton & some of them are rare breeds. All of them are super cute, but each with their own funky personality, one thing they all have in common is they are fat & smell 😂. I am going to make a donation / sponsorship of one of the Pigs on behalf of this blog. Please let me know in the comments or poll which one sounds most like you or that you want me to sponsor. I want to say I am like Lola, although being realistic I am probably closer to Bonnie, slow & lazy!
What is coming next? 🤔
I am going to be posting much more regularly. Next up I will be posting travel guides for some domestic places ahead of Summer! The UK is awesome when the sun comes out, for that whole week once a year. There will be a mini series on spots in the Peak District, then more historical places like Chester, North Wales, Edinburgh & York. Would love to take any recommendations, if I can get there by bus, train or plane, I will go 🤠
Hit subscribe to get notified when the post goes live, thanks for reading through as always, if you have any questions drop me a comment & I will get back to you as soon as possible ❤️
Wonderful day trip, but a serious over indulgence of… 🧇🍫🍻
Setting the scene
Another ‘Anywhere trip’ on Skyscanner brought me to Brussels for a few nights, so I decided to take a trip out to Bruges for the day. My perception of Bruges was always that it was a cute place you would visit with your spouse or partner. However, since those are thin on the ground these days, I went solo & loaded up on all of the good stuff, Belgian Beers, Fries, Waffles & Chocolates! Needless to say my Samsung Health Tracker calorie counter was surplus to requirements. I got the steps in though, so surely it all balances out?
About Bruges…
Bruges is the capital of West Flanders in Belgium & is a World heritage site with UNESCO. It’s origins stretch all the way back to a Julius Caesar conquest & was a really important coastal settlement for trade etc!
Between the 12th & 15th centuries Bruges went through a significant period of growth & innovation, attracting all sorts of wealth & traders. Onwards from here Bruges fell behind Antwerp as an economic power (I would love to visit Antwerp, any recommendations welcome 😊).
During both World Wars Bruges was occupied by Germany, although it wasn’t destroyed like a lot of other cities. Today it is an absolutely stunning place, with bendy narrow streets, beautiful canals, historic monuments & awesome architecture. I promised honesty in this blog, so want to call out that the city is very popular & subsequently extremely busy. I went in October, so it may be more quiet if you want to brave the cold in Winter. It was still an incredible experience, however if you aren’t comfortable with really busy crowds etc Bruges may be a little overwhelming.
Story time 🏰
An absolute must visit is the Bruges Beer Experience, there are a lot of rip off places, so I am sharing the link to the actual one here . Usual caveats apply, I am not on commission for this recommendation, but if the boss sees it & wants to send me some free beers, sign me up 😂. They have 16 different beers in the bar & you get 4 for 10 euros, which in Bruges is exceptional value.
They are not full pints, but you get a little paddle of 4 & the % of them is really high. I decided I was going to complete all 16, as they say, when in Bruges! This was not one of my brighter ideas, by the time I stumbled out, I almost missed the tour bus back to Brussels. If you are going to do this, do it at the end of your day so it doesn’t ruin your sightseeing etc.
I could ramble on for pages & pages about the chocolate! As I went to go into a little chocolate shop a friendly local started talking to me & advised that shop had counterfeit chocolate, not to waste my money. “No good, I show you good place”. Now I may look like a dimwit, but I am usually good at spotting scams. To me, chocolate is chocolate, so I went in anyway, turns out the gent was right, it was pretty grim! He explained that there are authentic stores as part of a collection of chocolatiers, that have a little sign outside the window. I will share the sign in the photos. The chocolate in there is next level 😍
Some photos of the trip…
Rozenhoedkaai canal panorama view
Beer Museum
Beer Museum
The beginning of the end
Street Performer
Random canal
Random canal
Beautiful Holy building
Random canal
Some famous building according to the tour guide
Some famous bridge according to the tour guide
Sign of chocolate authenticity (Image from Google)
Where to eat & drink? 🍻🍽️
The food in this place was nothing to write home about, however it’s a set menu, at a decent price, with quick service & the best pint of Leffe I found in Belgium. It was called Brasserie Rozenhoedkaai & It also has the most stunning view of the famous Quai du Rosaire / Rozenhoedkaai upstairs on the first floor. If you don’t fancy the food, just pretend you are going to the loo upstairs to get a photo of the view!
Getting around 🚕
I only stayed in the city centre & everything is within walking distance. They do have horse & carriage, which I wouldn’t take, however I must say the horses seemed a lot better looked after than other places I have been. If you wanted to travel out to the Pier/ waterfront , I would recommend taking an Uber.
What is coming next? 🤔
Next up I will be posting travel guides for some domestic places ahead of Summer! The UK is awesome when the sun comes out, for that whole week once a year. Next weeks post is on Knutsford & Tatton Country Park, which has been my favourite post to write & I will have a very important poll for you, you won’t want to miss it! Then there will be a mini series on spots in the Peak District & more historical places like Chester, Edinburgh & York. I would love to take any recommendations in the comments, if I can get there by bus, train or plane, I will go 🤠
Hit subscribe to get notified when the post goes live, thanks for reading through as always, if you have any questions drop me a comment & I will get back to you as soon as possible ❤️
Tyler's Travel Tales 