There’s no place like home…Kansas!
The Wizard of Oz usually springs to mind at the mention of Kansas but this summer I set off with my Dad who is passionate about the Wild West to discover what the […]
Novel travel
Girls Love London!
Everyone has a London story. Mine includes a summer spent working in Harrod’s food hall when I was a student the same year as Live Aid, followed by frequent visits during my Halcyon Days as […]
Narnia isn’t all that far away – it’s in Belfast!
A Voyage of Discovery in Belfast with CS Lewis Every city has its literary giants and Belfast is no exception. Authentic Ulster promotes a tailormade CS Lewis tour which takes a fascinating three hours. While […]
Cannery Row in Monterey….
Old sardine factory now converted Cannery Row in Monterey is no longer a stink, as the author John Steinbeck portrayed this once important centre of sardine fishing. Steinbeck’s novel Cannery Row is 70 years […]
Home on the Range in Oklahoma
Like many of a certain age, my father is a massive fan of the Wild West. I can remember as a child having to watch The Magnificent Seven and A Fistful of dollars over and […]
Oklahoma, Red Earth Festival and Route 66
“Will you come to The United States with me, Dad?” I ask my father. I’ve longed for a road trip with him since reading ‘Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance’ and neither of us […]
Perth and the inspiration for a novel
I’m currently writing a novel that was inspired by a journey that I took this summer to Oklahoma and it reminded me that I haven’t posted my article about our family trip to Perth in […]
The Dylan Thomas Centenary Year is the perfect time to visit Wales!
The words, ‘Do not go gentle into that good night,’ used to send shivers down my spine and throw me right back to my school days. But I’ll never forget that it was Dylan […]
On the history beat in Washington DC or Desperately Seeking Obama!
Published in Irish Mail on Sunday July 2013 Visit www.united.com or call 1890 925 252 All set for the White House Being a teacher for over twenty years can make anyone a bit pedantic about […]
When in Rome…
Published in Irish Mail on Sunday 12th January 2014 The first time I visited Rome I was accompanied by thirty five art students, six teachers and in the middle of the trip the Pope died. […]