On this historic day the first passengers travel on the resumed connection between the Bluebell Steam Railway and the mainline UK rail network, the culmination of 55 years of work by the Bluebell Railway Preservation Society. The Bluebell Railway runs through some of the most beautiful countryside and bluebell woods in West Sussex and it has appeared in many films including The Railway Children, Downton Abb ...

Artists, writers and bohos all adore Spitalfields. It represents the lucky dip of London, the best and the worst. There’s a lot of sawdust and bits you would happily forget, but there are also hidden gems. It's this bewildering mix that attracts the curious and creative. The quaint cobbled streets of 17th century silk weavers houses are at the heart of the area's architectural history and fame, but they are ...

Morocco is not quite what you expect. If you read the brochures you will get an idyllic vision of the Sahara, its iridescent surface constantly changing under dramatic skies. Or you might picture ancient walled cities and colourful markets where souk traders sell spices and deliver oriental promise. Very rarely do they describe the bare earthed compounds of animal markets, the chaotic litter-strewn streets ...

The second in our series of London walks, we saunter round Soho where one of my earliest memories was seeing men in fishnet stockings and lederhosen spilling out on to the pavements of the Polar Bear pub near Leicester Square.  The memory has stayed and so has a certain fascination. Our walk starts at the South East of Soho and ends at Carnaby Street in the North West. Tips on where to eat are at the end. S ...

There's a good reason why these cars came to  be associated with gangsters and gettaways. In 1927 when it was first registered, this Alvis 12/50 was one of the fastest cars of it's time. With a 1.5 litre engine and a 0 - 60 speed of 7 or 8 seconds, it was almost as fast as the Morris Minor, launched 20 years later. But this particular model has led a genteel life. It's first owner was the master of the Shro ...

Now is the time to plan a visit to the Menton Lemon Festival. Born of an abundance of citrus fruits, at a time when Menton was still the largest producer of lemons on the continent, the town is filled every year with colourful displays and a carnival atmosphere.  For a fortnight the inhabitants devote themselves to celebration and song. In February! The ‘Fete du Citron’ celebrates its 80th year from 16th Fe ...

Even if you know nothing about cars, you sometimes see one that is rather attractive. It's one of the final versions of the British Jaguar sports car known as the E-type . We were lucky enough to see it at The Classic Car Club a couple of weeks ago, and even luckier to speak to its owner who was also there to enjoy the other cars over a cup of tea with a friend. Meanwhile Rob Denney, our car expert, explain ...

Imagine pedalling in paradise whilst being entertained with the history, legend and geology of a beautiful region as it unfolds before your eyes. You are on a story bike tour and we are in Scotland with Andy Hunter whose adventures specialise in the fiction as much as the fact of this beautiful region. Andy is a renowned teller of stories from around the world as well as from his  native Herefordshire. 'I w ...

Does an attic full of surprises sound more enticing than a car loaded up with junk?  The French have taken the car boot sale to their hearts and invented the vide grenier (empty the attic).  Not surprisingly, here in the south-west at least, they’ve also added a special culinary temptation all of their own. From spring to autumn the broke, the bored and the bavard (chatty) lay out their unwanted possessions ...

Susan Chitty, biographer of artists Gwen John and Edward Lear travelled to East Anglia with Travel Editions in search of art and landscape She writes: "I had never entertained the possibility of travelling as part of an organised group, but when my children suggested I go on a cultural exploration of Constable and Gainsborough country, I suddenly found it hard to say no. The two day break included a focus o ...