MissElaineous

MissElaineous’ Adventures in Anime

MissElaineous’ Adventures in Anime
I have a confession to make: I am an almost 40-year-old adult who loves animated films. Not all animated films mind you (Frozen, I’m looking at you), but the ones with a cracking plot, great characters, and a positive message are some of the best cinematic storytelling experiences available today. Pixar’s Toy Story series and fantastic Inside Out immediately spring to mind, as do… View Post

Wildlife at the Tower

Wildlife at the Tower
MrElaineous and I arrived back from a trip to Florida in mid March, and we had just about managed to unpack when we found ourselves in lockdown. We were used to working from home, but we suddenly found that rather than taking breaks with day trips, walking adventures, and weekends away, our world had shrunk to no more than the… View Post

Musings on History

Musings on History
Like many people, over the past few weeks I have watched the events that have unfolded across the globe with a mix of emotions and questions swirling through my mind. There’s sadness. From Emmett Till to George Floyd—and the thousands of black men, women, and children killed simply because of the colour of their skin—how many lives have to be… View Post

CSI Garden Edition: Who newt this was a cold-blooded killer …

CSI Garden Edition: Who newt this was a cold-blooded killer …
A few weeks ago I was saddened to step into the garden to find a puddle of black feathers near the base of one of the bird feeders. It didn’t take a forensic team to determine what had likely happened: a sparrowhawk had snatched a blackbird in mid-air. These speedy raptors are masters at navigating hedges and trees and, just… View Post

Down the Rabbit Hole

Down the Rabbit Hole
I found my first decorated rock in Beer, Devon a few years ago. Since then, I’ve enjoyed following the community of people who paint and hide stones for others to find, marvelling at the creativity and skill of many of the artists who give away their work. Other pieces are made by children, a way to keep them occupied on a… View Post

Sneak Peek …

Sneak Peek …
The world has changed a lot since I last posted on the MissElaineous Blog. MrElaineous and I flew out of the UK on 1st March for a trip to visit my family in Florida, the first time I had been back to my hometown in nearly four years. Our timing couldn’t have been better … or worse. We had a lovely trip. The… View Post

Marlborough Magic

Marlborough Magic
Travelling is often synonymous with getting away from it all or venturing to the other side of the planet to see the new, the unfamiliar, or the exotic. However, I would also argue that some of the most eye-opening travel experiences can happen practically in our own backyards when we are willing to look at the familiar in a new… View Post

A Series of Fortunate Events

A Series of Fortunate Events
Serendipity. It’s a lovely word that just seems to roll off the tongue. I was first introduced to it as a child through a series of delightful books: Serendipity was the name of a pink dragon who went on to star as both the logo and the name of the publishing company. More people probably think of the 2001 rom-com… View Post

The Colours of January

The Colours of January
Blue Monday is the name given to the third Monday in January, supposedly the most depressing day of the year. The idea is that the relaxation of the Christmas and New Year holidays has worn off, the credit card bills are due, and the Easter holidays (and warmer weather) are still a long way in the distance. While I tend… View Post

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD
Many, many years ago when I was a budding archaeology student, I also took courses in anthropology. Some were practical, such as bioanthropology. This explored hominid evolution from Homo habilis to Homo sapiens through their skeletal remains. Other classes were more theoretical, examining the invisible behavioural frameworks that compose different cultures. I have to admit that I am not a big fan… View Post
Longleat, Wiltshire

MYTHS, LEGENDS, AND LONGLEAT

MYTHS, LEGENDS, AND LONGLEAT
St. Ignatius of Loyola said, “Give me the child for the first seven years and I will give you the man.” Career coaches use the question “What were your three favourite activities as a child?” to help people focus on finding a job that sparks the same joy as a child at play. The impact of these formative years before… View Post

A WINTER RETREAT

A WINTER RETREAT
“We are addicted to busy-ness,” Olivia said as I focused on contorting my body to match the yoga pose she demonstrated. She wasn’t wrong. Indeed, it was the very reason that MrElaineous and I found ourselves at a yoga and meditation retreat in the Welsh countryside. When I was in the grips of burnout several years ago, we made the… View Post
Glastonbury

THE THREE Ms OF GLASTONBURY

THE THREE Ms OF GLASTONBURY
Outside of the UK, the word “Glastonbury” is synonymous with music and mud. Within the UK, the definition is pretty similar, with the annual(ish) music festival regularly dominating headlines. Tickets for the 50th anniversary in 2020 recently sold out in under forty minutes, and even I took the time to brainstorm how litter could be reduced at future festivals after… View Post

TEA TIME

TEA TIME
Okay, I admit it: I don’t write about tea nearly enough. Travel, yes, definitely. Nature and history, yep, they’re here. But tea? I can’t remember when I last wrote about it, other than to share the occasional photo of a cuppa over on Instagram. I’ve included it up there in my tagline because it seemed to go with that whole… View Post

BANKING ON IT (PART 2): AVEBURY

BANKING ON IT (PART 2): AVEBURY
[ Last week I shared Part 1 of a recent bank holiday weekend that did not go quite to plan, and this week I’m picking up with Part 2 … please consider signing up to the MissElaineous mailing list to get all blog posts as soon as they’re published. ] Although best known for its standing stones—which are considered the largest Neolithic… View Post

BANKING ON IT (PART 1): BARBURY CASTLE

BANKING ON IT (PART 1): BARBURY CASTLE
Outside of the UK, the term “bank holiday” is likely to be met with a puzzled expression. Is it a day to celebrate banks? Or a day that they’re closed? Or something completely different? After all, the UK is the country that also gave the world Boxing Day, which has nothing to do with pugilistic endeavours! The reality is the… View Post

HAMPSTEAD NORREYS. FINALLY.

HAMPSTEAD NORREYS. FINALLY.
I have a confession to make. Way back at the turn of the century (i.e. the year 2000), I watched the first series of the American television show Survivor. Little did I know then, but this one programme would give rise to an entirely new genre: reality TV. For me, that one series of Survivor was enough, and I didn’t… View Post

LOOKING AHEAD

LOOKING AHEAD
I have been fortunate to visit some incredible places this year, from the Queen of the Cotswolds to the “other” Lake District. It was twice lucky at Rousham, and I even gave my least favourite city a fifth or sixth chance and ended up pleasantly surprised. However, there are quite a few more trips that I just haven’t had the opportunity… View Post
London

POSTCARDS FROM LONDON: SUMMER EDITION

POSTCARDS FROM LONDON: SUMMER EDITION
I first visited Europe when I was fourteen. This was well before digital cameras were common and full eons before I could even imagine having a camera, phone, and computer combo that fit in my pocket. I borrowed my father’s basic 35mm camera for the trip and, for those who don’t remember a time before digital, that meant I was… View Post
MissElaineous Travel Blog: Escape, Explore, Discover, Enjoy