This winter I have found myself exploring the country I come from; sometimes that can mean going somewhere familiar, or heading to somewhere new.  There are lots of places, but there is always somewhere new to find, something to see a little differently.  There are just too many pubs and eating places to have been to them all, so there is loads to explore.

A crazy ten days over Christmas and leading towards New Year had me in places I was able to cover all those aspects, and unearthed some treasurers.  This blog is a little trip around England…

‘The Trip’ is a TV series that was made into a film with Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon that I recommend wholeheartedly.  It is set in the north of England following two British comedians as they travel and taste the northern parts of the United Kingdom.  Why do I mention this?  Well, the first port of call in their adventure was the ‘Inn at Whitewell’ which is not far from where I find myself on my return to England in 2014, so I headed there for lunch.  Set in a beautiful part of the Lancashire countryside on a chilly wet day the Inn was an oasis in the desert, the food was fabulous and the surroundings pure Lancashire.

The following day was followed up with a jaunt to ‘The Punchbowl’ at Chruchtown near Preston to experience another great country pub with friends and good food.

A little seaside trip in the middle of winter was not the most fabulous of ideas, and the amount of time spent out of the car was limited in the rain and wind of the Lancashire coast. The Blackpool Tower beamed a bright blue as we spent a little time to see the ‘Comedy Carpet’ which features one liners, catchphrases and jokes from famous comedians and sits directly below the tower on the Blackpool promenade.

After Christmas brought a venture down to the capital and seeing London will always unearth new pastures. This year visiting friends mean’t a chance to see things at the aid of a local, and that local knowledge was able to open up excellent new pubs as we went to The Priory Tavern in Kilburn, The Warrington in Maida Vale and The Colonel Fawcett in Camden Town. The Warrington in particular is an outstanding place that I recommend you step by if you find yourself in Maida Vale.
http://www.faucetinn.com/warrington/gallery/

Wandering around London allows you to see
famous sites like old friends. Big Ben in London is just one of those such friends, no matter how many times I visit London I never tire of swinging by Westminster and seeing the famous old clock.  In 2012 it became officially known at ‘Elizabeth Tower’ to celebrate the Queen’s diamond jubilee.  The clock is an icon of the city and is the largest four faced chiming clock in the world that is recognized far and wide.  Standing by the Houses of Parliament and close to the London Eye the area was amassed by a large number of tourists as I wandered on a cold sunny December day.

Over the next couple of days I found my walking trips around London that took me to 221B Baker Street; the home of Sherlock Holmes, and then to Lords, the home of English cricket.

I haven’t been to St Paul’s Cathedral in such a long time, and I kind of arrived there by accident, but what a great accident.  A key feature of the London skyline that was opened in 1708 and was hit with a wonderful winter sunshine that just set if off beautifully.

Tower Bridge is in my mind quintessential London and never fails to disappoint. Tourists from every corner of the globe were admiring the fantastic bridge that says welcome to our country in ways that only Big Ben can match.

The time in London was embraced with lovely sunny winter days and brought together with setting suns that brought out colours in the London skyline that left you thinking that other cities would have to do a heck of a lot to compete with this fabulous place. London YES !