If you mention Chawton to any Jane Austen fan, they will immediately think of her home, an unassuming cottage in the village. At some point, I'll do a blog post about that - but for this post we're going to visit Chawton House, the home of Jane's brother Edward. Sited just down the road from... Continue Reading →
Obviously we're not be able to visit some places in London at the moment. But once we can, you may be interested in trying some more unusual (and less busy) ideas. Unsurprisingly, some of these have a literary connection, and some are perfect for a bit of creative inspiration. So read on for five things... Continue Reading →
(Pre-lockdown visit m'kay) This will probably come as a surprise to absolutely no-one, but my favourite part of any big, old house is the library. Frankly, a grand house without a library is just a waste of time. Stourhead in Wiltshire contains one of my favourite grand house libraries. It's a gorgeously light and airy... Continue Reading →
The Charles Dickens Museum in London is based in number 48 Doughty Street, where Dickens' lived from 1837 to 1839. It's where he wrote some of his most famous works including Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby. It opened as a museum in 1925. The home is furnished with a lot of authentic pieces, many purchased from... Continue Reading →
Today is a sad day. Writer Iain Banks announced he has terminal cancer and isn't expected to live beyond the end of the year. My previous post talked about my five favourite books and just nudging the outside of those is 'The Crow Road'. I adore this book, bought on a whim on a vague... Continue Reading →
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