My day job takes me all around the world in search of new, exciting products. I often travel alone and to places one might not consider for a holiday. Being someone who hates to follow the crowd, I find the opportunity to see untouristed places…
First of all, thank you for your patience whilst I have been away on holiday and taking a short break from blogging. It’s been many years since I’ve had a whole fortnight away from work, and I can heartily recommend it. It’s been almost as…
March can be a wild and windy month, especially in the far south-west of Cornwall. So it was that we turned up at Trewidden to view the magnolias only to find the garden was closed owing to the inclement weather. All Cornish gardens of note…
There is something especially delightful about going on a holiday that one hasn’t organised. Perhaps it’s the element of surprise, or the ability to shirk responsibility for anything that goes awry. Either way one can sit back and – quite literally in the case…
“A classical garden in a modern city. serenity in the midst of urban hustle and bustle. Ingenious imitation of nature by man” The English language printed guide for Nan Lian Garden is so interesting and comprehensive that I was almost tempted to repeat the…
Three cheers for British Airways! Why? Because without them charging £1000 more to travel on a Friday night versus a Saturday night, I would not have been able to enjoy a full day off in Hong Kong. And, thanks to a double dose of…
I’ve been away for over two weeks and the novelty is starting to wear off. Although I consider myself a sociable person, spending every waking hour in company, however good, starts to grate and I find myself taking bathroom breaks simply to get some time…
Last week history was made with the opening of London’s first Floating Pocket Park at Merchant Square, Paddington. Measuring 730sq metres this new open space treads water in Paddington Basin, near the start of the Grand Union Canal. The design is by Tony Woods,…
Although I class myself as a country boy, I have spent the majority of my life living as an urbanite. I count myself lucky to have spent the last twelve years in London, witnessing the capital’s unrelenting, exciting reinvention. Seemingly impervious to recessions and…
The Medici of Florence were not only one of the richest families in Europe for a time, but also phenomenal garden makers. They laid out the grounds of their multitudinous palaces and villas to demonstrate power and control, making extensive use of precious water,…
