Broken down, beer-bloated, beatnik writer Charles Bukowski described LA as being ‘like a crucifix in a death hand’. “I can see it here from my balcony at the Beverly Wilshire, high above Rodeo Drive; I can see the land he speaks of…”
“A boutique gem in the charming and historic town of Woodstock, Oxfordshire, Hope House is just a hop, skip and a jump from Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill.”
“Driving down Route 1, the coastal road that links San Francisco with Los Angeles in one beautiful, meandering whip of tar, is something I will never forget. Do it. If you ever get the chance, rent a Chevvy and drive… “
Many miles from the antique charms of a traditional English country house hotel, Douglas Blyde checks-in at two couth city house hotels – in the mighty Zhongguo…
“Celebrating its 125th birthday this year, The Cadogan Hotel is famous for having hosted two Victorian stage legends; the flamboyant playwright Oscar Wilde and music hall singer and stage actress Lillie Langtry…”
“Pretty much in the thick of town – it’s off Maid Marian Way, for goodness sake – this boutique Nottingham hotel nestles in its own peaceful enclave, and is all the better for it…”
We begin on the Powell–Mason Cable Car, hurtling down the vertiginous Powell toward central San Francisco. In the distance, the Bay Bridge shimmers in the mid-afternoon light…
“Castle Combe is so picture-perfect that it looks like a film set; indeed, quite a few films have used the tiny Cotswold village for location shoots. But annexed to the village is its most impressive asset, the 14th century Manor House Hotel.”
“I’m sat at the window of our room as I write. It’s the one sunny day we’ve had all week in Cornwall, and a gentle breeze wafts in through the broad knee-high sash window that opens to a view of lawns…”
“Lucknam Park is located just 6 miles from the beautiful city of Bath, nestled in the depths of the Wiltshire countryside and set in 500 acres of stunning parkland and landscaped gardens.”
Portloe, so I read in the Lugger’s brochure, was described by Sir John Betjeman as ”one of the least spoiled and most impressive of Cornish fishing villages.”
“Boats pottering about the harbour, skirting its curves from Camp Cove to Rose Bay, meeting at Circular Quay where the iconic Harbour Bridge and Opera House dominate and command attention.”