Last month, something quietly monumental happened: I finished the photo project I had been working on for 18 months.
It began, as many things do, with loss. I started it because I wanted to work through the trauma of losing my mum and, most importantly, to reclaim the memories of our last weekend away.
Oh, for the love of an August bank holiday weekend! With a long weekend stretching ahead of us, and the satisfaction of meeting a major deadline on Wednesday, Stephen and I couldn’t resist the allure of a short escape. On Thursday morning, we set off bright and early for two nights in Bath. It was the type of perfect timing with enough of a getaway to recharge, yet two extra days to rewind when we returned home.
I’ve always wanted to visit the bombed-out Church of St Luke’s in Liverpool but it was pouring with rain every time I went. Added to that, it wasn’t always possible to get inside due to closures or scaffolding. Our time finally came this year when Stephen and I found ourselves with an hour to spare before we met my cousin at Lime Street Station.
Summer is truly spectacular in England this year. We've had weeks of hot, dry weather and it looks to continue well into August. We've been out and about a lot and the time has finally come for our short trip to Paris. See you on the other side!
Summer has finally arrived in England and it's lavender season! As temperatures eased towards 30°c this weekend, we took advantage of the blue skies and sunshine and headed out to Castle Farm in Kent.
Castle Farm, a family-run farm near Shoreham,
I’m delighted to tell you about one of my favourite experiences ever, the day I spent with Billy and the kids at Buttercups Sanctuary for Goats in Kent.
On Sunday morning, in the spirit of continuing our monthly outdoor adventures, we drove to Surrey to visit the Tulleys Tulip Festival. It was my birthday weekend and our visit to this blooming great extravaganza reminded me why I love the month of May so much.
We were back in Liverpool earlier this month, 43 years to the day after we left. I don't come back as often as I used to, but leaving never gets easier.
I love hometown tourism, the idea that we don't need to travel far to discover hidden treasures. Despite my lofty aspirations, it took me far too long to visit Crossness Pumping Station, which is practically located in my back garden.
If you’re searching for the perfect brunch spot in Kent, you really can’t do better than the charming town of Westerham. Quintessentially English and steeped in history, this little gem is full of big names and fascinating stories.
The best thing about visiting the East End is that it is a haven for street art and you will always spot new art on each visit.
On a crisp January afternoon, Stephen and I ventured to the Design Museum in Kensington to explore "The World of Tim Burton" exhibition.
One of my New Year's resolutions this year was to explore Kent more. Who am I kidding? My New Year's resolutions every year is to explore Kent more.
Chasing bright lights and illuminations has become one of my favourite winter pastimes in England as we seek to stave off the long, grey winter. Following on from our adventures at the Gravesham Light Festival, the Tonbridge Winter Light Trail and the Canary Wharf Winter Lights, we decided to head off to the "Lost In Light" exhibition in Shoreditch this year.
"Lost in Light" is an immersive digital art exhibition that invites visitors to step into a world where light, sound and technology converge to create an otherworldly experience. Curated by the innovative collective Squidsoup, the exhibition explores the boundaries of perception and interaction, offering a series of stunning installations. This ethereal, multi-sensory adventure blurs the lines between art and technology, providing an experience that is both introspective and awe-inspiring. The venue was previously an illegal rave venue in Shoreditch.
There were five rooms, each with a different theme and vision, and each kitted out with bean bags and places to sit so that visitors could spend as long as they wanted, just gazing at the lights and relaxing. It was a very trippy experience!
"A circle is a symbol of completeness, wholeness, the centre… but it can also be a boundary"
This room featured a series of glowing, elevated orbs arranged in a circle around people lying on beanbags in the centre.
"Infinite presents a spatial orchestra, constructed from a composition of notes scattered around the space in illuminated clusters of light"
This was one of my favourite rooms. The wall murals were impressive, the shiny floor reflected the lights,and there were distorted mirrors on the walls too.
We went into this room twice and it was a lot of fun. It was a triptych of three suspended cubes of pulsating lights that were illuminated at different times, the effect of which was a different landscape every few seconds. Stephen lay on a beanbag beneath the closest cube and had to practically be dragged out of there.
Sola creates a shifting, radiant environment that evokes the energy and movement of the sun itself. It felt very 1989 watching what looked like a wall of televisions.
"Submergence places us directly inside a matrix, reminiscent of the middle of an exploding screen".
This room was huge and proved to be most people’s favourite.
"Lost In Light" is an fantastic experience and photos cannot do justice to the synergic effects of the pulsating lights, electronic music and overall ambiance. Highly recommended.
The exhibition is running until 2 February 2025 and tickets are £12.50 plus booking fee for adults.
118 Curtain Road
Shoreditch
EC2A 3AY
Nestled in the heart of Kent's picturesque countryside, Westwell Wines is a hidden gem that beautifully marries tradition with innovation. Their range of wines, crafted with passion and an unwavering commitment to sustainability, offers a true taste of the English terroir*.
Over the course of a single day in December 1992, photographer Kevin Davies took a series of photos of David Bowie for his upcoming album Black Tie White Noise.
While some of the photos were approved by Bowie for press use, most of the original rolls of film, contact sheets and prints were put into storage where they remained until 2020.
Discovering over 400 film negatives in pristine condition, Davies realised the cultural significance of the collection and worked with Bowie biographer Dylan Jones to bring the collection to the public.
We felt quite privileged to see the David Bowie - A London Day exhibition in the Fitzrovia Chapel. The chapel is beautiful and provided a perfect backdrop for the collection of prints.
The chapel features stunning marble flooring, intricate gold leaf detailing, and spectacular stained glass windows, including the remarkable east window, which bathes the space in colorful light.
The ceiling is adorned with exquisite mosaics, inspired by the Byzantine style, making the chapel a masterpiece of art and architecture.
Fitzrovia Chapel was completed in 1891 as part of the Middlesex Hospital. Today the chapel is all that remains of the hospital complex, a tiny red brick building nestled in amongst modern apartment and commercial buildings. After the hospital was closed in 2005 and subsequently demolished, Fitzrovia Chapel underwent a careful restoration which completed in 2015.
We visited the exhibition in its final week in March but the chapel is open to the public and provides details of upcoming exhibitions on their website.
Fitzrovia Chapel
Fitzroy Place
2 Pearson Square
London W1T 3BF
April has been quite a month! I had eye surgery on the 2nd April and it took much longer to recover than I'd anticipated. I couldn't exercise for a week afterwards, not that I'd have wanted to, and I'm still adjusting to the changes in my near-and-middle-distance vision. I'll have to see how it affects my photography but haven't taken my camera out yet.
Just when I was settling down, I fell down the stairs and twisted my ankle badly. I'm recovering now but have agreed that April was not the most auspicious month. Here's to more adventures in the months to come!
It had been over an hour since we'd left Aylesford Priory on our walk along the Augustine Camino. We'd left pavements and roadways behind and had begun to walk across muddy, waterlogged fields, past quaint farmhouses and distinctive Kentish oast houses.
Our first (and very welcome) stop was at Tyland Barn where we enjoyed hot drinks and pastries. Tyland Barn is the home of the Kent Wildlife Trust and was one of several places that I discovered on the walk and would love to visit again.
Feeling warmer and fortified after our break, we walked on to Boxley Abbey, site of a former 12th century monastery which is now a private home. The house has been on the market for several years and the asking price has been reduced from £2.25m to £1.85m.
Naturally, we only got as far as the gate to the property but we admired the quaint cottages nearby which would have housed workers or guests of the abbey and later the estate.
Our walk then continued across the Chapel Downs vineyard at Boarley Farm. Together with their Boxley and Kit's Coty sites, Boarley establishes Chapel Downs as the biggest winery in England and an emerging contender on the global wine market. I shall have to go on a wine tour and report back on this!
We soon arrived at the incredibly picturesque village of Boxley. Note the red phone box with working pay phone.
When we arrived in Boxley, our group split up and some went to enjoy packed lunches in the churchyard while the rest of us opted for lunch at the King's Arms. I enjoyed a delicious lemon and thyme linguini with marinated crispy chicken thighs. It was honestly so good that I know I have to take Stephen back there soon.
Sadly the heavens had opened while we were eating and we found the rest of our group shivering inside the church. It was not the first or last time that it rained on us that day!
We were keen to continue our walk after that, both to warm up and to work off our lunches. Our route took us across more fields and past orchards, with stunning views and a bit of sunshine too.
By this time, we'd been together for over five hours and my legs were beginning to protest each time we stopped moving. The only choice was to keep moving!
We finally arrived at our penultimate stop, the St Mary the Virgin Church in Thurnham.
Several members of the group collected their pilgrim stamps - they had been able to collect three that day. One of the women kindly let me photograph her book.
We admired the stained glass and played with a chest which required a puzzle to be solved in order to open it.
We left the church and walked to the Black Horse Inn in Thurnham where the greatest downpour of the day began. Luckily, our taxi arrived to take us back to Aylesford Priory where I'd parked my car. I'd walked 21908 steps over 9.7 miles and was very pleased with a successful day of exploring.
If my posts about this walk have piqued your interest, you might be interested in the week-long walks along the Augustine Camino. The 2024 dates are Monday 29th April – Sunday 5th May 2024 and Monday 30th September – Sunday 6th October 2024.
