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Setmurthy, Cumbria, United Kingdom I am uncertain why I visited The Lakes Distillery, but I am glad that I did. It is one of those places that has a presence. I should add that I am no drinker, perhaps a cider from time to time. Whisky is alien to me. At least it was until my tour of the distillery. Somewhere near the northern tip of Britain’s Lake District, the country’s largest national park, and also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a man called Paul Currie had a vision. He had made[...]

Great Langdale Valley, Ambleside, United Kingdom I adore mountains. Always have done, always will do. There is something about a craggy peak that lifts my spirits and makes me feel I want to be out there, savour the peace, breathe clear air, and spend time alone in my otherwise crazy existence. It was why, on a perfect-weather day, I was sat atop the Lake District’s Pike of Stickle, gazing out over a green and welcoming Great Langdale Valley. It was one of those days that makes the National Park a World Heritage[...]

Ambleside, Cumbria, United Kingdom There is a problem with the Lake District, Ambleside especially, despite the region’s beauty and popularity. It is, after all, a World Heritage Site. The snag is that you feel you must be a walker. Around you are 16 lakes, 150 peaks and more than half-a-million acres of national park. With 3203 kilometres of footpath weaving here and there, it is no wonder that so many of the park’s 20 million annual visitors feel they must be clad as professional mountaineers. It is why I was puzzled when[...]

Eyam, Derbyshire, United Kingdom When Covid-19 finishes, if it ever does, my first stop will be the UK’s Peak District. It may have been England’s first National Park, it may have been where freedom to roam was created in 1932, but it was also where the most perfect example of quarantine and self-sacrifice was created. That was more than 350 years ago. The village was Eyam, the year 1665, and a damp bundle of cloth had arrived from London for the local tailor. It was late August, the time for Eyam Wakes[...]

London, United Kingdom If I was a virus called Covid-19, I would look no further than London’s Oxford Street. As mankind dashes left and right, focussed on a busy day, I can infect anyone I choose. Man, woman, young or old, makes no difference. All I need is the human lung. Once there I am in my element. But I am no virus, I am a surgeon, and spend my life practising what is called aseptic technique. It is my job to reduce the chances of infecting my patients and, for that[...]

Staithes, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom On the face of it, Staithes should be wonderful, an ideal visitor’s location. A fishing village tucked away on the North Sea coast, at the topmost tip of the North Yorkshire Moors. Beautiful colours, seagulls crying, a sheltered harbour, haphazardly stacked lobster pots, and the distant chug-chug of a vessel’s engine. Tiny Staithes, with its population of barely 1200, is another word for relaxation, somewhere it is difficult to feel stress. This is the home of the coble fishing boat, the Staithes bonnet for ladies, serious art[...]