I recently spent a wonderful afternoon at Belvoir Castle—pronounced “Beaver”, for my international readers! It is one of those classic English linguistic traps that we locals take great delight in. While the name translates from the French as “Beautiful View,” the earthy British pronunciation reminds us that our landscape is often far more rugged than…
There is nowhere in the UK—and perhaps the world—quite like Burgh Island. Sitting just off the coast of South Devon, it’s a place governed entirely by the moon. When the tide is out, you can walk across the golden sands from Bigbury-on-Sea. But when the tide rushes in, the island is severed from the mainland,…
I have just returned from a stay at Dunkenhalgh Castle in Lancashire, and I must confess, I spent far more time peering into the shadows of the long, velvet-carpeted galleries than I did relaxing by the fire in the lounge. While the building is now a magnificent hotel and spa, the grit of its 13th-century…
To finish our tour of the inspirations behind the Parchment Paper Mysteries, we have to step out of the cobbled streets of Haworth and Hebden Bridge and climb upward. Above the towns lies the true heart of the North: The Moors. For my friends across the pond in the US, the moors are a landscape…
If Haworth (see last week’s post) is the brooding soul of my Parchment Paper Mysteries, then Hebden Bridge is undoubtedly its beating, creative heart. Just a few miles over the tops from the Brontë Parsonage, Hebden Bridge offers a completely different—yet equally captivating—inspiration for my writing. Known as the ‘coolest’ town in the North, it’s…
Nestled on the edge of the wild and beautiful Yorkshire moors, the village of Haworth isn’t just a place; it’s a living, breathing story. For anyone who loves literature, history, or simply the charm of a truly unique English village, Haworth is an absolute must-visit. And for me, as a writer of the Parchment Paper…
For many of us, the idea of a town dedicated entirely to books sounds like a dream. Streets lined with independent bookshops, cafés filled with literary conversations, and the scent of old paper drifting on the air. It might sound like fiction, but I assure you, Book Towns are very real, and they are utterly…
After the quiet introspection of St Agnes’ Eve (read about this in last week’s blog post), rural England used to erupt into something far wilder in mid-January. Forget silent cakes; we’re talking about shouting, singing, gunfire, and cider-soaked toast in the branches of apple trees (here in England, cider is always alcoholic, so this was…
As the days slowly lengthen and the deep midwinter grips England, there’s one night where superstition takes centre stage: St Agnes’ Eve, on January 20th. This wasn’t just another cold winter night; it was historically believed to be a powerful time for young women to glimpse their future love. The reason I’m especially interested in…
As the last echoes of Christmas fade and the New Year celebrations become a distant memory, spare a thought for those returning to the fields. The first Monday after Twelfth Night (or Epiphany) marks Plough Monday in England—a day steeped in ancient customs, signalling the return to agricultural labour after the long Christmas break. While…