Travelling through Malta Like a Local
Malta has never been a place high on my non-existent travel bucket list. I was put off it by tales of a family holiday there to which I was excluded…
Spa Escape at the Hotel Monopol Spa in Katowice
After a couple of days spent delving into the industrial heritage and culture of Katowice, Poland, Mark Bibby Jackson takes a well-deserved break for some pampering at the Hotel Monopol…
Wilde Aparthotels, London Liverpool Street Review
Wilde Liverpool Street is the latest opening from the chain which seamlessly bridges the divide between apartments and hotels. I am fortunate enough to have stayed with the group in…
(Don’t) Look Back in Anger Review
In his programme to the current production of Look Back in Anger at the Almeida Theatre lecturer and author Matthew Franks refers to the danger of producing Look Back in…
7 Unmissable Global Festivals in November
From the Day of the Dead to Christmas markets and Thanksgiving, November is a month that celebrates the emergence of winter. Here is our selection of the best festivals in…
Discovering Savonlinna and Lake Saimaa Finland’s Lake District
Mark Bibby Jackson travels to Finland’s Lake District to visit Lake Saimaa and the Savonlinna Opera Festival It is on our return journey that Captain Mikael allows me to take…
Exploring Green Graz Austria
Mark Bibby Jackson visits Graz Austria, a green city with a visionary view for our future. It was on a visit to Iași in Romania a few years ago that…
Road Trip through Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway
Mark Bibby Jackson takes a road trip through Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway on the trail of Rabbie Burns and meets a couple of US Presidents along the way. “Auld Ayr…
A Walk through Pittsburgh : a Surprising, Green City
The previous few days had challenged my pre-formed opinion of the Rust Belt. Buffalo and Cleveland were both interesting and lively cities with plenty of architectural gems and lots of…
Discovering Art in Cleveland Ohio
Mark Bibby Jackson continues his visit to Cleveland Ohio discovering the creative side and the art in the city. My trip to Cleveland coincides with the 32nd annual Parade the…
Cleveland Ohio : A Musical City with an Industrial Heart
Mark Bibby Jackson visits Cleveland Ohio an industrial city with its roots most definitely in music. Serendipity. I’ve said it before, but it is one of the most wonderful aspects…
Beautiful Buffalo : Silo City, Martin House and the Death of a President
Mark Bibby Jackson goes on an architectural journey through Buffalo visiting Silo City, Martin House, the City Hall and Theodore Roosevelt Inauguration Site. It is a line I am going…
Gainsborough’s House, Sudbury Suffolk
It has been a motto of mine to expect little and to be pleasantly surprised at the outcome. Gainsborough’s House in Sudbury Suffolk proved an excellent case in point. Driving…
A Tour of Brutalist Architecture in Washington DC
World class cities are like good friends, it doesn’t matter how long it has been since you last met, there is an instant familiarity. Also, just like really good friends…
Saint Lucia : a Community United in Music
Mark Bibby Jackson visits the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia, and discovers the secret behind its popularity as a holiday destination. There are times when I feel most fortunate to…
Learning How to Adapt to Climate Change in the Netherlands
The more you travel the more you realise we have to learn – especially from other nations. The Netherlands is a case in point. Climate change is going to have…
Congham Hall Hotel and Spa Review
There are hotels you go to for their destination and hotels that become destinations in themselves, Congham Hall Norfolk is both. Set in glorious countryside just outside of the Sandringham…
Creating New Heritage in Newcastle and Gateshead
Mark Bibby Jackson visits some of the industrial heritage in Newcastle given new life. One of my particular likes when travelling is to see how industrial buildings can be transformed…
Echo Review Royal Court
Read about Adrian Lester’s performance in Mark Bibby Jackson’s Echo review at the Royal Court Theatre, a challenging and rewarding play. Echo Review There are times you feel you are…
Tracey Emin, Sex and Afternoon Tea at the Walpole Bay Hotel
“This is the room where Tracey Emin says she had her best sex,” Jane Bishop informs me as she as she hands me the key to room 302 at the…
Isle of Thanet Kent : a Creative Isle
Learning a new skill, such as art, while on holiday has become a trend in recent years but for some people art classes can be transformative. As I enter Hold Creative…
Viva Brean : Traditional British Holiday in Somerset
Mark Bibby Jackson travels to Brean in Somerset to experience a traditional British holiday. One of the consequences of Covid was the growth of domestic UK staycations. In recent months…
Wellness in Margate, Isle of Thanet
Margate has a long tradition of wellness, well before the term came part of popular vernacular. In 1736 Thomas Barber created the first sea water bath in England here, and…
Three Castles and a Cafeteria – the Heritage of Cumbria
Mark Bibby Jackson leaves Lake Ullswater to visit three castles of Cumbria – Brougham Castle, Lowther Castle and Hutton-in-the-Forest, as well as Rheged. “The river used to mark the border…
