Having spent last month visiting sites in Normandy associated with Impressionist artists, it has been wonderful to visit the Musée Marmottan-Monet, #Paris, with the largest collection of #Monet paintings in the world, including 'Impression, soleil levant', and work by Berthe Morisot. #artgallery

Salisbury Cathedral looking beautiful, as ever, in spring sunshine on my latest #camping #roadtrip. Exploring Cranborne Chase National Landscape together with its gateway towns and cities. #salisbury #wiltshire

Exploring Cranborne Chase National Landscape on foot with a four-mile walk from the Breamore Estate, with its magnificent Elizabethan house at its heart. Following old drover roads through ancient bluebell-filled woodland. And views from the chalk downs over Hampshire/Wiltshire countryside. #walking

Perfect timing for my visit to Kingston Lacy to see the gardens and parkland in spring glory on my latest #camping #roadtrip of #Dorset, #Wiltshire and Cranborne Chase National Landscape. Swathes of #daffodils along with cherry blossom and hellebores. #spring

Very excited to discover two of my features about #camping in UK destinations - #Shropshire and the Borders Historic Route in #Scotland - have been shortlisted for positive impact storytelling in the Inspire Global Media Awards 2026. #travelwriting #writingawards

If your place of choice to browse for a book is Stanfords, this wonderful London travel bookshop has copies of 'This Is Not My Land: 30 Years on a Small #Cotswolds Farm' in stock. #naturewriting #naturefriendlyfarming #slowtravel #NewBook

Really looking forward to returning to the Salon de l'Agriculture in #Paris next week. If you're contemplating going to one of the largest (and best imho) #food & #farming shows in the world, here's my take on last year's show. #SIA2026 #agriculture francetoday.com/culture/a-ta...

While signing copies of 'This Is Not My Land' at Destinations, publisher Bradt Guides handed me the fabulous original illustration for the front cover, created by local #Cotswolds artist, Claire Henley. She captured the #farm magically. The painting is now, finally, proudly displayed in my office.

Anyone that has read 'This Is Not My Land' will know that Pancake Day is a national day on our #Oxfordshire #Cotswolds farm. We all have our favourite topping: sugar&lemon, apple&calvados, CrêpeSuzette, honey&almonds. What's yours? #pancakes #pancakeday #shrovetuesday #eggs

This is one of the beautiful #wetland areas on our #Cotswolds farm, managed for conservation. And this is how I found it yesterday, filled with litter washed downstream from a country lane. Please don't be a tosser in your car; take your #litter home with you. #naturefriendlyfarming 😤

The river may have breached its banks (just) but our #Cotswolds #farm is looking so beautiful on this one day of sunshine. I'm making the most of it with a full-farm walk. The river and its meadow features often in the book 'This Is Not My Land'. #walking #slowtravel #nature #riverside

It's certainly not romantic fiction. But the latest review of This Is Not My Land reads, "What a wonderful book you've written. A real love story." #ValentinesDay #books #giftideas

The latest review of 'This Is Not My Land': "It is the most soulful and beautiful piece I have read in a long time. The writing is exquisite, and the pace so gentle. In a crazy, unpredictable world, it was so lovely to be totally absorbed and contained within your farm." #naturewriting #slowtravel

Early morning light over the River Seine at La Mailleraye-sur-Seine. A pretty decent view to wake up to on this winter #camping #roadtrip exploring the places throughout #Normandy linked to Impressionist art. #France

I’m back at the mouth of the #Seine, Honfleur. It always amazes me when I stand here, to think of the 777km upstream to the source in Burgundy, and the wonderful places along the way. It’s a journey, following the river's course, included in 'Camping Road Trips #France & Germany'.

Who needs a pianist when you've got a piano that can hit the right keys on its own, performing Gnossienne No.1, amongst other compositions? The piano room at Maisons Satie, birthplace of composer Erik Satie, in #Honfleur. #Normandy #France #slowtravel #music

Any excuse to return to #Honfleur time and again. Early morning light over Le Vieux Bassin, one of France's most photogenic spots. Overtouristy in summer, but on a February morning, there's nobody here except some fishermen behind me unloading their catch. #Normandy #France #slowtravel

To see the light, the reflections and the sky at Trouville-sur-Mer is to understand Impressionist art. Within the space of a few minutes, that shifting and fast disappearing light over the beach was very evident. #Impressionism #Normandy #roadTrip

I am no artist, and, as a writer, can only attempt to paint with words. But, as I'm in #Normandy looking at places connected to the Impressionist artists, I'm in playful, artistic mood with shapes and colours while I wander through Deauville and Trouville. #art #slowtravel

A port in a storm: even on a dismally wet and windy winter night, the charming fishing port of Barfleur, on the northeast tip of the #Cotentin Peninsula, looks inviting. Thankfully the Phare de Gatteville (the third tallest lighthouse in the world) keeps the lights on. #Normandy #France #slowtravel

The #Cotentin Peninsula & Cap de la Hague is the starting point of Route 7 in 'Camping Road Trips France & Germany'. And it's my starting point for this tour of #Normandy, too, the focus on pre-Impressionist painters and their landscapes. Moody skies and pale winter light today. #France

On board Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth to Cherbourg. And, while I left the UK under grey skies, a pale strip of light hovers over #Normandy. Maybe it's a sign as I begin a tour of the region with a focus on Impressionist #art. @travwriters.bsky.social #slowtravel #Impressionism

What a gorgeously grand building (Olympia) to be signing copies of 'This Is Not My Land: 30 Years on a Small Cotswolds Farm' at Destinations London, and hang out with the @bradtguides.bsky.social team for an afternoon. Lovely to chat to visitors to the show - and thank you for buying a book!

I was asked to go and sign more copies of 'This Is Not My Land: 30 Years on a Small Cotswolds Farm' at Jaffé & Neale Bookshop in Chipping Norton as they'd run out of signed books. The beautiful front cover poster is still in the window! #Oxfordshire #Cotswolds #naturewriting #slowtravel #books

Shakespeare's First Folio, aviator Douglas Bader and rink hockey are all part of Saint Omer's rich cultural heritage. A focus feature on the small town of Saint Omer, 24 miles from Calais, in France Today magazine Feb/Mar issue, out now. #France

There seem to be lots of book stacks & layouts of book choices on tables as recommended reads for 2026 or this month or any other reason. So I thought I'd add to the recommended book stack with 'This Is Not My Land: 30 Years on a Small Cotswolds Farm', published last week. #books #naturewriting

What a fascinating museum the London Canal Museum is, and a fabulous Green Tourism venue for the #BGTWBetterWorld Symposium yesterday. Very much recommend a visit to this museum. Only 5 minutes walk from King's Cross railway station. #slowtravel #canals #museum @travwriters.bsky.social

Thank you @countrylifemag.bsky.social emag for the lovely review of 'This Is Not My Land: 30 Years on a Small Cotswolds Farm', which launched last week, describing it as a 'gentle book'. Just right for reading by the fire on a winter's evening. #Oxfordshire #Cotswolds #naturewriting #slowtravel

Looking forward to the British Guild of Travel Writers Better World Symposium at the @canalmuseum on Monday, where I'll be taking part in one of the varied panel discussions throughout the day. #slowtravel @travwriters.bsky.social

Fabulous, fun evening at Jaffé & Neale Bookshop in Chipping Norton for the book launch of 'This Is Not My Land: 30 Years on a Small Cotswolds Farm'. Thank you to everyone for attending and buying a book (sometimes two or even three copies!). #Cotswolds #naturewriting #naturefriendlyfarming

Celebrating a remarkable mosaic landscape of hill and valley, rare centuries-old lowland meadow, historic woodland, wetland & 30 years of conservation management. 'This Is Not My Land: 30 years on a Small Cotswolds Farm', is published today. #Oxfordshire #Cotswolds #naturewriting #slowtravel #books

One more sleep... Tomorrow is publication day! When 'This Is Not My Land: 30 years on a Small Cotswolds Farm' comes of age. This is your invite to the book launch party: 6pm 15th January Jaffé & Neale Bookshop, Chipping Norton. #Oxfordshire #Cotswolds #England #naturewriting #slowtravel #farming

"... how standing in a meadow as the sun rises stirs the soul, and feeds every fibre, sinew, muscle and molecule in the body." From 'This Is Not My Land: 30 Years on a Small Cotswolds Farm'. Book launch party 15 January 6pm Jaffe&Neale Bookshop Chipping Norton. #naturewriting #slowtravel

It's so nearly here. It's this week... only three days until 'This Is Not My Land: 30 years on a Small Cotswolds Farm' is published. Come to the book launch party at Jaffé & Neale Bookshop, Chipping Norton on publication day, 15th January at 6pm #Oxfordshire #Cotswolds #naturewriting #books #farming

One week to go... publication day of 'This Is Not My Land: 30 years on a Small Cotswolds Farm' is 15th January, with a launch party 6pm at Jaffé & Neale Bookshop, Chipping Norton. What's the book about? You can find out here: www.bradtguides.com/product/this... #cotswolds #naturefriendlyfarming

Great fun chatting to Hannah Murray @tre.radio about 'This Is Not My Land', #farming in the #Cotswolds and #slowtravel. Catch up with talkradioeurope.com/on-demand/ and the book will be available to purchase from the TRE Bookshop, too. @travwriters.bsky.social

Only 8 days until 'This Is Not My Land: 30 years on a Small Cotswolds Farm' is published. And you're invited to the book launch at 6pm on 15th January at Jaffe & Neale Bookshop, Chipping Norton. #oxfordshire #cotswolds #books #booklaunch #naturewriting #naturefriendlyfarming #slowtravel

If you told 10-yr-old me in the local town where I gained my 25m swim badge in the lido & went shopping for a pencil case for the new school year, that the front cover of my new book would be a poster in the bookshop window, I probably wouldn't have believed you. @womenwritersnet.bsky.social

The countdown is on. Only 10 days until 'This Is Not My Land: 30 years on a Small Cotswolds Farm' is published. Celebrating with a book launch party at Jaffé & Neale Bookshop & Café in Chipping Norton, Thursday 15th January at 6pm. #IOxfordshire #Cotswolds #books #naturefriendlyfarming

A taste of timeless #Vichy, full of Belle Époque allure & opportunities for a gourmet city break, from picnics in the park to riverside guinguettes, tearooms to brasseries, or Michelin-starred restaurants. Feature in Winter issue of Taste of France, out now. #France #food #travel

What a gorgeous beginning to the final day of 2025 on our Oxfordshire #Cotswolds farm. And a reminder that the enormity of this little landscape will be celebrated at a book launch for 'This Is Not My Land: 30 years on a small Cotswolds farm' on 15 Jan at Jaffe & Neale Bookshop, Chipping Norton.

Very excited to announce the launch party for 'This Is Not My Land: 30 years on a small Cotswolds farm'. Part nature writing, part slow travel #writing, part chronicle of conservation #farming. 6pm, Thursday 15th January at the wonderful Jaffe & Neale Bookshop in Chipping Norton. #Cotswolds #books

Reflecting on some of the places I've been privileged to visit this year on my travels, which included a mammoth solo-female #camping #roadtrip around Scandinavia in June. So many highlights from the trip, though witnessing the midnight sun from #Nordkapp is one of them. #Norway

Reflecting on some of the places I've been privileged to visit this year on my travels. It included a visit to Saint Flour in #Auvergne, #France, where I was unexpectedly given a personal 'concert' to show off the restoration of a #church organ. Article coming soon. #music @travwriters.bsky.social

Reflecting on some of the places I've been privileged to visit this year on my #travels. It includes a sunset visit to Kellerwald-Edersee National Park in #Germany with its ancient beech woods & the beautiful River Eder. And, yes, that is the Eder Dam (Dambusters). @travwriters.bsky.social

Avoiding the big, crowded #Christmas markets by visiting Béthune, less than an hour from Calais, on my #camping #campervan #roadtrip around northern #France. Here, festive activities take place in the Art Deco-lined square, with its huge belfry taking centre stage.

I'm loving the smaller, still lively but nonetheless quieter Christmas markets & events I've seen on my mini #camping #roadtrip in northern France. Like this one at pretty Saint Omer, 30 minutes from Calais. Colourful #Christmas activities, an ice rink, a bar selling 'vin chaud' but no huge crowds.

What a fun time had at the Fête de la Dinde (Turkey Festival) in Licques, home of the turkey in #France, given PGI status. Free food, a cauldron of turkey soup, #Christmas market, cooking demos and a cookery competition with amateurs aided by top chefs. Only 20 minutes from Calais.

The landmark to look out for when waiting for Le Shuttle is the Folkestone White Horse on Cheriton Hill, who appears to be sporting a red nose for Christmas. On my way for a mini winter #camping #roadtrip to visit some #Christmas markets in northern #France. #marchedenoel

Out and about in the #Cotswolds today and yesterday, visiting & supporting local businesses featured in 'Slow Travel The Cotswolds'. Fabulous lunch at Cotswolds Distillery and shopping beneath the twinkling #Christmas lights of Chipping Norton. #ShopLocal