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Before watching the Kinky Boots musical this week, we had the opportunity to hear from a couple of cast members who gave us some goss about the show and the part they play in it. We learnt that ‘swing’ is a type of understudy for smaller and ensemble roles

Do you ever find you’re so fixated on heading abroad or to remote parts of the UK that you just don’t get round to appreciating some of the beautiful destinations which are much closer to home? In this article I’m going to tell you about things to do in the Cotswolds and where we stayed at the luxury Cotswold cottages at Bruern in Oxfordshire – just two hours away from London and less than 90 minutes from Bristol. Our stay at Bruern Cotswold Cottages was arranged through Michael Paul Holidays (who I happen to have started working for since arranging this trip!)

In this article I’m going to share some ideas of things to do in Stroud and the Cotswolds, offer a recommendation of a VERY family friendly cafe and tell you about how I met Mary Portas at the literary festival but first I’m going to give you a suggestion of where to stay in Stroud where we were hosted by 5 Valleys Aparthotel through Michael Paul Holidays. Five Valleys is an ideal base for couples, cyclists or walkers who come for a weekend break to explore The Cotswolds and it’s likely to be a cost effective alternative to actually staying IN one of the beautiful Cotswolds villages. I shared an apartment with fellow travel writer, Heather Cowper and our generous studio apartment would have cost £85 for a Saturday night, but unlike a normal hotel room where you might just expect tea and coffee making facilities and a bit of space to walk around the bed, we had a whole kitchen and a spacious home-from-home living area. Follow the hashtag #StroudMPH on social media or take a look at the articles and video below for more information about Stroud, The Cotswolds, 5 Valleys Aparthotel and Michael Paul Holidays: Heather on her Travels

On the Victorian Christmas weekend you can step into a Dickensian winter scene with Victorian characters and snow falling around the decorated dockside at Bristol’s SS Great Britain. In the heart of the old City of Bristol, St Nicholas traditional indoor and outdoor markets are open right up until Christmas offering gifts, records, handmade crafts and street food. The covered walkway outside the Watershed is home to Bristol’s Harbourside Christmas Market which offers an independent alternative to high street shopping. The Christmas market is now open 11am until 5pm every weekend until December 16th offering everything from artisan chocolates to hand crafted wallets from some of Bristol’s most creative small businesses.