My first two trips to our northern neighbour ended abruptly. My dad’s job meant his company regularly paid for the petrol up there and a room in a hotel, so he only had to pay for an extra room. But they figured it was cheaper to buy a 7-berth tent (and all the necessary gear?)Continue reading “Not so Hot – Scotland”
Author Archives: jroauthor
Not so Hot – Wales
Believed by its residents to be God’s Own Country, Wales has well and truly captured my heart over the years, whether conquering Cader Idris for the first time with my beloved Aunty Lynne, exploring the fabulous Dolgoch waterfalls or the quirky Italian village at Portmeirion. But when Bri and Sasha started visiting my Uncle Alan’sContinue reading “Not so Hot – Wales”
Not so Hot – Across the Pond
New York For Brian’s 50th, I organised a trip to New York which included seeing his favourite opera, La Boheme, at the Metropolitan Opera house – on November the 10th, 2000, which just happened to be the 16th anniversary of our very first date – watching death of a salesman at the Belgrade theatre Coventry.Continue reading “Not so Hot – Across the Pond”
Not so Hot – Paris & Eurodisney
May 1990 saw my first trip to Paris. We were staying in a gite in Brittany and for whatever reason, thought it would be a good idea to spend a day in Paris with a two-year-old, a six-month-old and a massive double buggy. We set off early, drove to Place d’Italie and walked from thereContinue reading “Not so Hot – Paris & Eurodisney”
Not so Hot – Central Europe
December 1974 St Moritz, Switzerland Back in the mid 70s, schools didn’t do all the extracurricular trips they do today, and the only option was an Egyptian cruise which my folks couldn’t afford as it was three times dearer than my sister’s skiing trip to Austria. She enjoyed it so much she blagged herself onContinue reading “Not so Hot – Central Europe”
Granny Gray
Hold the presses – or whatever the phrase is. We interrupt this broadcast (of holiday travelogues) with breaking news – my fabulous daughter-in-law, Sophia, gave birth to our first grandchild, Constance Jane Gray aka Connie, weighing in at 7 pounds, 1 ounce – massive for three weeks premature. Her entry into the world was markedContinue reading “Granny Gray”
Hot or What? – Barbados
We were lucky to spend a week in Barbados in 2013, courtesy of my wonderful sister and her partner. Sam and Barry bought a timeshare in a smart hotel a couple of decades ago and holidayed there almost every September since then. They knew the island well, and rented a couple of adjacent villas, invitingContinue reading “Hot or What? – Barbados”
Hot or What – Italy
It was always on my bucket list to visit Italy, so when my lovely hubby booked us a week in a really posh hotel, in a room overlooking the gorgeous Lake Como, I was thrilled.The Grand Hotel Menaggio was the height of luxury, with fabulous food, friendly staff and all-in-all, one of the best experiencesContinue reading “Hot or What – Italy”
Hot or What? – Portugal
My first memory of Portugal was sitting for many hours in a queue at Santander ferry port, after an energy-sapping week in the Costa blanca with temperatures in the mid-high 30s. We were in the old Volvo with no air conditioning, while all around us people sat with their engines running making it even hotterContinue reading “Hot or What? – Portugal”
Dashed Hopes – Unexpected Victory
Couldn’t not wrap up this football-centric year without a quick look at England’s 2026 World Cup roller-coaster journey. Who’d have predicted the final score of the third-place playoff when England started the 2nd half 4 goals to nil? But first, here’s a here’s a quick recap of our team’s performance since their first world cupContinue reading “Dashed Hopes – Unexpected Victory”
