One of the great things about Devon is that the coast is never far away. Mrs C, having been brought up in sea-less Gloucestershire, especially enjoys a trip to the seaside.  I was born in Scarborough, no doubt to the accompanying chorus of seagulls, but even so, a...

At the Community Hub in our village (a small shop set up one morning a week to sell a few essentials and provide coffee and cake to the locals) a neighbour told us that a nearby village were putting on Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest. A few of us immediately...

I was fortunate enough to have been given a helicopter ride experience for my last birthday, but since my birthday is in October we waited a while to book it. I'm happy to say we picked a perfect day to enjoy it. We took off from Dunkeswell near Honiton, and the skies...

One of the joys of living in Devon is discovering the leafy lanes and byways, some of which barely seem to be used. Despite having lived here for well over 25 years, we're still finding places where we stop and say, "I can't believe we've never been here before."...

Or is this life imitating art imitating life?  In the Devonshire Mystery I'm working on, I wrote a scene just the other day in which Alan and a friend (no spoilers) visit a cafe on Dartmoor, the real life Ullacombe Farm. They find the place crowded, partly because a...

Mrs C and I went up onto Dartmoor for a stroll and a picnic. It was a fine day, and we stopped at Haytor Rocks. I've shared photos from here before, but the view varies with the seasons, and I always enjoy this spot. The light was perfect and we could see for miles,...

Mrs C and I went to a family gathering up in Hull recently, and of course, I took a few snaps to share. Hull is one of those places that is much maligned, but it has a lot to offer. There's an old saying, “From Hell, Hull, and Halifax, may the Good Lord deliver us.” A...

We took a trip to Exeter to stroll along the quay the other day, and I was impressed how this area has been brought to life with cafes and shops and bars. It almost feels like being on the Med. The Exeter Quay features in a couple of my books, so that may be of...

As spring prepares to give way to summer, the Devon lanes are lush with fresh growth and teeming with life. Farmers aren't allowed to cut back the hedgerows once the season for wild birds to nest begins, and the result is glorious. All that foliage restricts your...

I recently went to Plymouth to take part in the half-marathon, and we decided to make a weekend of it. Plymouth isn't far away from home, but it's very different. Much as I like living in the countryside, it's fun to experience the buzz of a big city every so often....

I know I keep saying how lucky I am to live in the midst of the glorious Devonshire countryside, but I never tire of the landscape. Since I've started running, I've experienced the lanes in a different way, and though many of them are narrow and slightly hairy when a...

Another trip to Teignmouth on the Devon coast. An unseasonably stormy day, but it can be fun to watch the waves crashing against the sea wall. Not so great if you have to put to sea in the lifeboat, I imagine, but for a landlubber like me, the sound of the waves makes...