John Clayton – The man who planted the most famous tree in the world!

Not many people have heard of John Clayton but most of us have enjoyed his farsighted benevolence even if from a distance. There is a saying that a person is truly generous when they plant a tree that they will never live to see mature. If that is the case then there are few better… Continue reading John Clayton – The man who planted the most famous tree in the world!

Remembering the felled tree at Sycamore Gap

I wasn’t sure what I would post today. I have lots of material but some of them are quite in depth and take an hour or three to write and the busy summer tourist season in London shows no sign of ending. Sadly a few days ago something happened in the news that made my… Continue reading Remembering the felled tree at Sycamore Gap

Vindolanda Writing Tablets

When I was recently walking Hadrians Wall, there were countless Roman sites to visit either on or just off the wall.  Having visited many all ready, the one I most wanted to visit was Vindolanda.   You can see my blog post on Vindolanda here.   Out of everything in Vindolanda, the objects I most wanted… Continue reading Vindolanda Writing Tablets

Holding a nearly 2,000 year old Roman shoe at Vindolanda

I’ve been so busy with my tours that I haven’t had a day off since April 16th and so my blog posts are currently a bit shorter than usual.  Even last week when I would be walking for up to 11 hours a day, I still had to start and finish my day with what… Continue reading Holding a nearly 2,000 year old Roman shoe at Vindolanda

I met perhaps the most famous tree in the world at Sycamore Gap

If you think of how many trees are famous; there are quite a few of them but compared to the countless billions of trees on the planet they are really few and far between.  Some famous trees are no longer here such as the cherry tree that George Washington cut down or the famous Californian… Continue reading I met perhaps the most famous tree in the world at Sycamore Gap

Walking Hadrian’s Wall For Cancer Research

A different sort of post just for a change.  This week is the birthday of my Mother whose death occurred almost 5 years ago.  She suffered from cancer on several occasions and so  my wife, uncle and I have decided that we are going to do something positive in her memory.  We’re going to walk… Continue reading Walking Hadrian’s Wall For Cancer Research

Alston Holiday -Day 2 Hexham and Hadrians Wall

For day two of our holiday we visited the lively little market town of Hexham, notable for amongst other things its magnificent Abbey Cathedral. People have worshipped on this site for nearly 1400 years.    On top of the moors and in my “home” county. Whitfield Church in an area known as Little Switerzland      Hexham Abbey  … Continue reading Alston Holiday -Day 2 Hexham and Hadrians Wall

Game of Thrones – The fact behind the fiction

Like many others I am an avid fan of Game of Thrones, not the novels as I simply don’t have time to read them but most definitely the television series.  However I don’t have access to the particular TV channel that broadcasts it in the UK so like probably many others are a year behind… Continue reading Game of Thrones – The fact behind the fiction