Ilkeston is a town In Derbyshire in the UK, first established on the banks of the Erewash River around the 6th century. During the 19th century,It grew in size due to the numerous coal mines in the area and the existence of Stanton Ironworks, which supplied iron to major projects…

Can a place really be so green, lush and beautiful? I spent the weekend with friends in their converted barn near Skipton in North Yorshire. It was a fleeting visiting to a friend I had worked with in Australian before she married and moved to the UK 20 years ago….

“The wound is the place where the Light enters you.” Jalaluddin Rumi When unexpected illness hits we are often lost in its fear and feelings of vulnerability. For some, the light described by Rumi may not enter until the illness has passed over us. Around this theme Robert Mierisch offers…

At the Maddox gallery in Notting Hill is a stunning exhibition by a young Spanish artist, Coco Davez,  aka Valeria Palmiero. The paintings are of faceless, but very recognizable “brands” such as Frida Kahlo, Andy Warhol, Princess Diana and many others. The idea of bringing together art and the notion…

It’s 7am and from my lovely apartment in Nottingham I look out on a landscape waking up to gentle sunshine. It’s going to be another glorious sunny day. I overlook a sea of new buildings and cranes scratching to take their place in the sky. It’s a struggle to house…

It’s 4.45am here in London and it’s dawn. The birds are practicing the Hallelujah chorus and there’s a distant hum of London traffic. I arrived yesterday and even in my jet-lagged state managed to walk 18 kilometres – not sure what that is in miles….10, 000 steps a day? Hah!…

We’ve been following Chris O’Connor and his family as they extend an 1860’s cottage and build another house for his parents on the same block. In the previous two articles Chris describes his decision to have a ” gap year” in later life and move to Victoria to pursue his…

When Notre Dame burned there was disbelief and a collective grief expressed from many corners of the world.  We know the images of iconic buildings as if we have been there. And if we have travelled there the experience of identity with that building is profound. Notre Dame was/is iconic…

Last week we enjoyed the story of Chris O’Connor’s “Gap Year” and the life change that followed. Moving from New South Wales to Chatsworth Lodge, a Victorian heritage listed cottage with grand plans to restore the beautiful old home, sympathetically add to it and build a new cottage on the…