F is for Fort William

Fort William is a major tourist centre in the Scottish Highlands. The town gets its name from William of Orange, a British king who ordered a garrison to be built here for the purpose of controlling the Highland Clans.

The town is a centre for climbing due to its proximity to Ben Nevis, the highest peak in the UK. It also claims to be the UK's ‘Outdoor Capital’, boasting many long-distance hillwalking routes, woodland and canalside walks. It even has a downhill mountain bike track.

E is for Enfield Town

Enfield Town started out as a small market town in the county of Middlesex. It was on the edge of the forest, about a day's travel north of London. As London grew, so did the town, and it has subsequently become a residential suburb, with fast transport links into central London.

The town is situated close to the A10 road (known locally as the Great Cambridge Road), that runs from London City Centre all the way to the Norfolk port of King's Lynn. Adjourning this important thoroughfare are a number of large retail outlets and a multiplex Cineworld cinema.

D is for Dudley

Dudley is a large town in the West Midlands of England, 6 miles (9.7 km) south-east of Wolverhampton and 8 miles (13 km) north-west of Birmingham.

Dudley is sometimes known as the capital of what was known as "the Black Country", as the area was one of the birthplaces of the Industrial Revolution, developing as an industrial centre in the 19th century with its iron, coal, and limestone industries. One of our favourite local attractions is the Black Country Living Museum, pictured above.

C is for Canterbury

Most schoolchildren in the UK will be aware of Canterbury because of the city's reputation as a place of pilgrimage - many of us still remember struggling with Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales as part of our English Literature studies...

Today, the Kentish city is still alive and bustling thanks to a variety of international visitors. It's less than an hour from both Central London and the Channel Tunnel. It boasts four universities, a modern theatre (named after local playwright Christopher Marlowe) and an art museum, plus so much more....

The jewel in the crown is of course Canterbury Cathedral, which dominates the medieval streets within the city walls. Today, the Cathedral is still an active place of pilgrimage; nearly 2,000 Services are held in the building each year, in addition to countless private prayers made by private individuals.

B is for the Brecon Beacons

The Brecon Beacons is a beautiful and rugged area of  South Wales. It's a tremendous place for walking, with some spectacular views across the countryside.  The highest peaks in the area include Fan Brycheiniog to the west and Pen y Fan in the centre. The whole area is steeped in folklore - the Lady of the Lake legend from the story of King Arthur is said to come from Llyn-y-Fan Fach, the lake below the peak of Black Mountain, to the west of the Brecon Beacons National Park. One the biggest draws is due to the fact that the whole area has been granted Dark Sky Preserve status. 

Due to the relative remoteness and harsh weather of some of its uplands, the National Park is also used for military training. UK Special Forces, including the SAS and SBS, hold demanding selection training exercises here.

A is for Africa Alive!

Africa Alive! is one of our favourite zoos.  Formerly known as Suffolk Wildlife Park, it was purchased in 1991 by the owners of Banham Zoo, and both sites now form part of the Zoological Society of East Anglia, a registered charity.

The idea was to create an animal park close to the original zoo, without having to transfer animals over too long a distance. There are lions, giraffes, rhinos, cheetahs, hunting dogs and many more animals and birds, all from the African continent.

It is situated off the A12 at Kessingland, 2 miles (3 km) south of Lowestoft, in Suffolk. The park is a firm favourite with my family.

A-Z: Places To Go, People To See

It's that time again. August is just around the corner, and that's when I finally get a chance to drag myself away from the computer keyboard.

I always strive to allot some quality time to be with my family during this summer break. So, rather than not post anything, I like to use this opportunity to set myself a challenge - during August, to post an alphabetical listing on a particular topic. A, through to Z...

This year it's a list of memorable places, all of which are dotted around the United Kingdom. These are all places that I've been fortunate to visit over the years, to see with my own eyes. I hope some of these may be new to you, places well worth visiting

Have a terrific summer. I've got places to go, people to see...

Don't you know that you're toxic?

Some people seem to be blissfully unaware of the negative impact that they have. Or perhaps, they do, and they simply don't care.

They spread chaos, seemingly going out of their way to upset others, to 'push their buttons'. It's a laugh, they say. But I don't find it funny any more. Get me on a bad day, and I'd be quite vocal, I'd tell you that I'm quite fed up with it.

There's a name for these sorts of people. They call them toxic.

However, on pondering this for a while, I've come to the conclusion that it’s not actually that the person is toxic. And labelling them that way isn't helping...

It's the way they behave, their relationship with you that is the problem. It's the way that they seem to create drama, to manipulate or control others. Their choice of words, of actions

God give me wisdom, to deal with these people appropriately... and lovingly.

Why Are You Angry?

I'm afraid I have to come back to that horrible subject again.

The subject? Anger.

And I keep asking myself the question - why is it that I keep finding myself coming back to this topic so often in this blog? What have I still to learn? What piece of the jigsaw have I yet to find?

Now, I know that some people think anger is simply a violent and explosive outburst.

Not usually for me. In my experience it's more inwards, a seething caldron of negativity. It festers, it lies there dormant, just under the surface. If I blow, it's usually after a few hours (even days!) fuming quietly to myself. How apt is the phrase, "The straw that breaks the camel's back." How horrible, if you're the one laying the straw...

I read the following quote today:

“Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.”

There’s a truth here.

So what am I angry at, at the moment?

* The tragic loss of a young life
* people who I know well who have lost their jobs in a recent reorganisation. I'm sad for them, going to miss them... 
* my own experience of what must be "survivor's guilt" as I still retain my job
* strong negative comments posted on Facebook from some close friends which threaten to pull me down. Why do they post such hateful things?
* thoughtless acts by people who should know better...

One way that people have recommended that I deal with this sort of anger is to "detach yourself from the emotion of anger itself... switch off and wait until the anger dissipates...."

Sorry, that doesn't work for me. I've tried it. It just leaves me numb. To all feelings, pleasure or pain...

I need to rid myself of the anger, not just the feelings. Praying into this tonight...

Should I Stay Or Should I Go

Darling you got to let me know
Should I stay or should I go?
If you say that you are mine
I'll be here 'til the end of time
So you got to let me know
Should I stay or should I go?
(song by The Clash - written by Joe Strummer, Mick Jones)

The United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, also known as the EU referendum, is scheduled to take place in the United Kingdom and Gibraltar on 23rd June 2016.

That's tomorrow.

It's not my job to tell you what to vote. That's entirely up to you.

However, I would encourage you to read up on the facts, and not necessarily follow other people's opinions. There's plenty of opinion to be read out there. And not all of it is informed opinion. Some of the stuff we've read and heard is simply bickering, some of it even hateful or divisive propaganda. And I am afraid to say, some of it has been half-truths and even downright lies. Make your own mind up.

If you have a vote, please use it .. and use it wisely.