Posted on

The green traveller – by Richard Hammond

The green traveller is a new book about sustainable travel by Richard Hammond, an author who resembles his former Top Gear namesake in only one way – he is always firing on all cylinders when it comes to promoting, informing and inspiring people to travel sustainably. I use the word ‘inspiring’ carefully in travel, because it’s one of those big editorial no-nos. However, I met Richard when I was doing my Masters in Responsible Tourism and was hoping to pursue a career writing about it and I felt that, after that, he became my mentor and has, most definitely, always inspired me.  Richard’s latest book has just polished that pedestal to an even shinier level.

Continue reading “The green traveller – by Richard Hammond”
Posted on

Sustainable travel gear and sheer quality from Millican

I first wrote about Millican, a UK company specialising in sustainable travel gear and backpacks in 2012, when I was lucky enough to get one of their canvas backpacks, which I have now passed down to my son and which goes to college with him every day. This is a company that moves with the times, however, and now only sells backpacks made from recycled plastic. As they say themselves, ‘Out on the open road, change is the only constant’, and their change of direction is a wise and wonderful one.

Continue reading “Sustainable travel gear and sheer quality from Millican”
Posted on

Travelling to Cornwall by sleeper train

Sleeper train from London to Cornwall

Catherine marks a milestone by taking the sleeper train to Penzance, Cornwall, and wipes the sleep out her eyes at Jubilee Lido, followed by a blissful weekend based at Chapel House boutique hotel.

And suddenly there it was. The empty nest. Given that there is no Hallmark card to mark this maternal milestone when our children finally take flight, I decided to mark it myself by taking a trip I had planned to do years ago, but never managed to get together. Taking the sleeper train to Cornwall, do some hiking and Hepworth, swimming and spacing out and, basically having a weekend all to myself.

It was September, of course, that time of year when so many young ones head off into the world, and so the Great Western Railway (GWR) Night Riviera had cabins free, and my name all over one of them.

Continue reading “Travelling to Cornwall by sleeper train”
Posted on

Sustaining the wonderful island of Sark

Sark, one of the car-free Channel Islands

If there is one place I could go back to this mid summer, it would have to be Sark. One of the Channel Islands, it takes a good while to get there but it is so worth it. Sark is a car-free and sustainable Channel Island lying 11 km east of Guernsey and about 40 km west of the Cherbourg Peninsula of France. I discovered it on a trip to (also gorgeous, but not quite so special) Jersey a few years ago, which I was heading to by ferry from the south of England. I got chatting to a crowd of cool young ones, who told me they were en route to Sark. They come every year around midsummer to gaze at the stars, because Sark is not only car free, but it is totally free of street lights and so an astronomical Arcadia.

Continue reading “Sustaining the wonderful island of Sark”