Britain at its best: Exploring Dedham Vale and the sights that inspired John Constable

Britain at its best: Exploring Dedham Vale and the sights that inspired John Constable to paint some of his most famous landscape scenes Dedham Vale is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty that straddles the border between Suffolk and Essex Its stunning scenery inspired landscape artist John Constable to create some of his most important … Read more

Exploring a mesmerising £40m centre dedicated to Plymouth’s glorious seafaring past

Pilgrim city’s progress: Exploring a mesmerising £40m centre dedicated to Plymouth’s glorious seafaring past This year marks the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower, the ship that transported pilgrims from Plymouth  A show-stopping exhibition, The Mayflower 400: Legend And Legacy, opens at the city’s new cultural hub The Box, a £40 million complex, is the largest museum, … Read more

BBC Proms begins with music by black British composer ‘exploring themes of identity’

The live-music leg of the BBC Proms kicked off with a composition ‘exploring themes of identity’ by a renowned Black British composer.  The world premiere of Hannah Kendall’s five-minute Tuxedo: Vasco ‘de’ Gama opened the programme on BBC Two tonight at the Royal Albert Hall. Kendall sat in the audience as her spine-tingling Basquiat-inspired composition … Read more

Inside Estonia’s equivalent of Oxford or Cambridge: Exploring Tartu – a bustling centre of learning

All cities have their good points — whether it’s the markets, cafe culture or music scene. Tartu, Estonia’s second largest city, has all that plus something more cerebral: it has good thoughts, too. Tartu is known as the City of Good Thoughts and is the Estonian equivalent of Oxford or Cambridge. It’s the country’s centre … Read more

Welcome to the Caribbean… just off Cornwall! Exploring the dreamy Isles of Scilly

Continental drift, I seem to recall from geography lessons at school, is the theory of how land masses shift position over aeons. But the term could also be used to describe the ritual Gadarene rush to over-crowded, over-developed hot spots around the world every summer. At least, that’s what used to happen and I dare … Read more

Exploring Britain’s uncrowded cities from London to Bath – and there are hotel bargains, too… 

Sandy beaches, ice creams, fish and chips, amusement arcades, or rolling hills with footpaths and baking countryside… these are the traditional ingredients for a UK summer break. But think again. 2020 could be the perfect year to visit some of Britain’s great cities, with high streets quieter than ever and hotels offering tempting deals. It’s … Read more

Exploring the Yorkshire locations in The Secret Garden

Book me in: Exploring the Yorkshire locations in The Secret Garden, a classic that brings the magnificent moors to life Yorkshire’s moors are arguably at their most memorable in The Secret Garden A film version of the book starring Colin Firth and Julie Walters is out next month The 300-acre Duncombe Park is used as the … Read more

Exploring Bhutan, the ‘world’s happiest country’ and Lonely Planet’s ‘best place to visit in 2020’

I touch down in Bhutan, the remote country Lonely Planet says is the best place to visit in 2020 and which touts on being the ‘happiest place on earth’, and I admit I’m feeling rather jolly. At this point, it’s solely for the reason that I’ve survived landing at the country’s international airport, which is … Read more

Lesser-known English beauty spots that are truly worth exploring

Let’s tackle the science first. To a geographer, a wold is a hill that’s on a base of limestone or chalk. To the rest of us, though, wolds are the epitome of the English countryside – understated and beautifully rural, dotted with small villages and market towns surrounded by rich farmland and reed-fringed streams. The … Read more

Olivia Culpo shares some sultry selfies in a white tank top while exploring nature

Olivia Culpo shares some sultry selfies in a white tank top while exploring nature By Brian Marks For Dailymail.com Published: 02:14 BST, 24 May 2020 | Updated: 14:25 BST, 24 May 2020 She’s been keeping safe amid the coronavirus pandemic by quarantining at home with her NFL star boyfriend Christian McCaffrey. And Olivia Culpo didn’t … Read more