MissElaineous

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
Bath, England

THE SOUNDS OF SUMMER

THE SOUNDS OF SUMMER
I consider Bath a city I know well: my PhD research focused on the Roman Baths; when MrElaineous was just known as Jon, we went on countless dates to the local cinema and Theatre Royal; our first year(ish) of marriage was spent living near Sydney Gardens. So I tend not to play the tourist when visiting, typically going from A to… View Post

WEIRD. WONDERFUL. WALES.

WEIRD. WONDERFUL. WALES.
Great Britain is composed of three nations: England, Wales, and Scotland. The United Kingdom adds Northern Ireland to the mix, and hence the official name of the country is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The point of mentioning this terminology is that both Scotland and Northern Ireland are parts of the UK that are some distance… View Post
Sheffield

SHEFFIELD: A COMPLICATED RELATIONSHIP

SHEFFIELD: A COMPLICATED RELATIONSHIP
People often talk about love at first sight, whether it’s meeting that special someone to spend your life with or buying a house. But what about the opposite? Because that was my reaction to Sheffield when I first encountered this northern city almost fifteen years ago. I was on a flying visit to find a place to situate one of… View Post

RETURNING TO ROUSHAM

RETURNING TO ROUSHAM
The cliché that lightning doesn’t strike twice in the same place is patently false: after all, lightning rods are designed specifically for the task! But when it comes to magical moments, there is often a kernel of truth in the statement. How often have you gone somewhere and had a fantastic time—maybe it was an incredibly delicious meal at a… View Post

THE SWEET TASTE OF TRAVEL

THE SWEET TASTE OF TRAVEL
Gallons of ink, both real and virtual, have been spilled extolling the virtues of travel, with quite a few pints by yours truly. Whether described as expanding one’s horizons, sampling new experiences and cultures, or simply part of shaking up a daily routine, it can’t be denied that going to new places can introduce you to things you never imagined… View Post

DEAR MEGHAN: CONGRATULATIONS!

DEAR MEGHAN: CONGRATULATIONS!
Dear Meghan, Congratulations on the arrival of little Seven! I’m sure you, Harry, and the entire Royal Family must be overjoyed. I certainly hope you’re all doing well and gearing up for one of life’s greatest adventures: navigating parenthood in a different country than the one you grew up in. Parenthood itself may be a universal experience, but as an… View Post
London

A POSTCARD FROM LONDON: SOHO TO MAYFAIR

A POSTCARD FROM LONDON: SOHO TO MAYFAIR
“When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.” This much beloved, much overused quote by Samuel Johnson is just as true now as it was two centuries ago. No matter how many times I visit London (and trust me, I visit a lot), I always find something new to see. A recent excursion was no exception.… View Post
Cotswold Water Park

OF LIONS, LAMBS, AND A WALK ALONG THE BOW WOW

OF LIONS, LAMBS, AND A WALK ALONG THE BOW WOW
In like a lion, out like a lamb. This familiar quip about the month of March actually seems quite logical. After all, the beginning is still winter, with the spring equinox arriving at the tail end of the month. Which is, I admit, no guarantee of good weather, but this year it proved to be more accurate than anticipated. Early… View Post
MissElaineous Travel Blog: Escape, Explore, Discover, Enjoy