• Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Rss
  • Becky Fantham (Wiggins) - my work
  • About English Mum
  • Contact
  • BLOG
    • NEWS
      • Featured
      • Tech reviews
    • Competitions/giveaways
    • Current affairs
    • Discounts and sales
  • RECIPES
    • Breads
    • Breakfasts
    • Cakes & biscuits
    • Christmas recipes
    • Cocktails, drinks and liqueurs
    • Desserts
    • Main Meals
      • Fish
      • Meat
      • Pasta, rice and noodles
      • Veggies
    • Preserves
    • Sauces
    • Starters, soups and nibbles
    • Student staples
    • Suppers
    • Vegetarian/vegan
    • Wine
  • FOODIE ADVENTURES
    • Short breaks
    • Cruise holidays
    • Days out
    • Disney holidays
    • Food travel
    • Green travel
    • Holidays
    • Holiday bucket list
    • Hotels I love
    • Restaurants and cafés
    • Ski holidays
    • Universal holidays
  • LIFE & STYLE
    • Fashion and beauty
    • Home
    • Self
    • The positive life plan
    • Weekend wishlist
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • Search
  • Menu
ENGLISH MUM

Archive for category: Short breaks

You are here: Home / FOODIE ADVENTURES / Short breaks
Hotel Indigo Chester

The staycation series: Hotel Indigo, Chester

September 11, 2024/0 Comments/in BLOG, Food travel, FOODIE ADVENTURES, Hotels I love, Restaurants and cafés, Short breaks /by English Mum

If you’ve dropped in before, you’ll know that we’ve been trying to make the most of our weekends by heading out to explore the country a bit more. I’ve got to be honest, Stratford-upon-Avon was so bloody good that it’s going to take a lot of beating. The Hotel Indigo there was just utterly gorgeous, so when the chance came up for us to try the new Hotel Indigo, Chester, we jumped at the opportunity. We only had one night away this time, so we knew we wouldn’t get to explore that much, but a hotel-centric night away in a gorgeous hotel, with dinner and a few drinks is sometimes all you need to recharge your batteries. Here’s how we got on:

Read more

Cotswold House Hotel

The staycation series: Cotswold House Hotel

August 25, 2024/0 Comments/in BLOG, Food travel, FOODIE ADVENTURES, Holidays, Hotels I love, Restaurants and cafés, Short breaks /by English Mum

We enjoyed our trip to Stratford-upon-Avon so much that we’ve decided to make heading out on a little weekend break a regular thing. Since I’ve never visited the Cotswolds and always wanted to go, we made our next booking at the dreamy looking Cotswold House Hotel in the pretty village of Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire. We booked a two-night break over a Sunday and a Monday, thinking that we could relax on the Sunday, then explore on the Monday when it was a little quieter. The drive was so easy - just over an hour and a half from us here near Tring, in Hertfordshire. I’d say it’s better to have a car to fully explore all the surrounding towns and villages, but you can get a train to nearby Moreton in Marsh, which is served by London Paddington and Birmingham.

Read more

The Woodsman Restaurant and Hotel Indigo

The staycation series: The Woodsman Restaurant and Hotel Indigo, Stratford-upon-Avon

July 20, 2024/0 Comments/in BLOG, FOODIE ADVENTURES, Hotels I love, Short breaks /by English Mum

Finally. Finally! Last weekend, we actually got to travel again. I can’t tell you how excited I was at the prospect of someone else cooking my dinner, and of sleeping in a luxurious hotel room once more. We headed to Stratford-upon-Avon for a much-needed staycation (sorry, I know it’s a terrible word). We’d booked in for dinner at The Woodsman Restaurant, which originally opened last year (and has already won the Good Food Guide Best New Entry 2020) before obviously having to be closed again because of the lockdown. The Woodsman is situated on historic Chapel Street and specialises in ‘field to fork’ eating. Owner Mike Robinson is passionate about the use of game, wild and foraged food and locally-sourced quality British ingredients, much of which is cooked in the large wood-fired oven and charcoal grill in the central, open kitchen. Happily last week it opened again, and we drove the easy hour and a half to check out the fabulous-sounding menu.

Read more

The new hand luggage essentials

The new hand luggage essentials

March 11, 2025/0 Comments/in BLOG, Days out, FOODIE ADVENTURES, Holidays, LIFE & STYLE, Short breaks /by English Mum

You know I love to travel. It’s not just about exploring and discovering beautiful new places, although that’s a huge incentive. It’s also about connections, meeting new people, and nurturing existing relationships by sharing these fabulous experiences. In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, I guess all travel will change, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go! The travel industry needs you. And the lovely people who work in travel, both here and abroad (including me), rely on you to pay their bills. So I thought I’d bring you my thoughts on the new hand luggage essentials. Plus after my life-changing trip to Dominica, it became clear that I really need to up my hand luggage game, so there’s a few in there that aren’t new, but are good reminders.

Read more

Ten holiday ideas for a first-time solo traveller

Ten holiday ideas for a first-time solo traveller

March 2, 2025/0 Comments/in BLOG, FOODIE ADVENTURES, Holidays, Short breaks, Ski holidays /by English Mum

So, since separating just after Christmas, I’ve been thinking quite a lot about solo travel. Obviously, due to my job, I’ve travelled solo quite a bit, but you tend to be in a press group, or at the very least hosted in some way, so it’s not really solo travel. I’m thinking of actually being brave enough to strike out on my own, and I’m clearly not the only one - one of the biggest growth sectors in solo travel is women in their forties - and not just because they’re divorced, either, just because they want to strike out and see the world on their own terms. Whether you’re male or female, the choice of single travel options is surprisingly wide. I’ve been looking into it a bit and have collated ten holiday ideas for a first-time solo traveller that might take your fancy.

Read more

What are the different staterooms like on AmaMagna

What are the different staterooms like on AmaMagna?

November 27, 2024/0 Comments/in BLOG, Cruise holidays, Discounts and sales, Food travel, FOODIE ADVENTURES, Holidays, Short breaks /by English Mum

Last time, I told you all about our gorgeous Christmas markets Danube cruise on board AmaWaterways’ revolutionary, double-width AmaMagna river ship. I thought I’d take the time to write a separate post about all the different AmaMagna stateroom categories, as there’s so much to tell you and I was conscious that the post was getting very long! So what are the different staterooms like on AmaMagna? Well, because there’s so much space, most of the staterooms (apart from a handful on deck 1) are suite class cabins. We explored the different stateroom categories so you can have a good look at all of them.

Read more

A guided tour of AmaMagna in pictures

A guided tour of AmaMagna in pictures

November 26, 2024/0 Comments/in BLOG, Cruise holidays, Food travel, FOODIE ADVENTURES, Holidays, Short breaks /by English Mum

If you follow me on any of my social channels, you’ll know that I was away last week on the most beautiful river ship I think I’ve ever seen. You know I love a river cruise, and AmaWaterways’ new AmaMagna is spectacular - she’s a double-width river ship, but without double the passengers. I loved the feeling of space this creates, as well as the luxurious boutique hotel feel on board. So what’s it like to take a cruise on this delightful - and rather extraordinary - new river vessel? I thought the best way to show you around would be to create a guided tour of AmaMagna in pictures, to really give you a feel for this clever, and truly luxurious new ship Read more

Great places to visit in London: Samsung KX

Great places to visit in London: Samsung KX

November 14, 2024/0 Comments/in BLOG, Days out, FOODIE ADVENTURES, LIFE & STYLE, NEWS, Short breaks /by English Mum

Have you been to Kings Cross recently? A friend of mine said recently that she nearly bought a flat there years ago, and - many years later - is seriously regretting her decision not to, as it’s now utterly gorgeous there. Walk down the side of Kings Cross St Pancras station and there’s a whole new area of lovely shops, restaurants, cafés, bars and lovely places to sit and watch the world go by. Go a little further and you’ll find Coal Drops Yard - a brand new trendy shopping district where old Victorian brick viaducts have been redeveloped into even more lovely places to shop, dine and hang out (there’s even a gorgeous Tom Dixon showroom - you know how I love a bit of Tom). And now, there’s a dramatic new addition to Coal Drops Yard in the form of a multi-tasking leisure space created by Samsung. And if you’re looking to great places to visit in London - Samsung KX should definitely be on your list.

Read more

A look at TUI's new river cruises

TUI’s new river cruises: everything we know so far

October 8, 2024/0 Comments/in BLOG, Cruise holidays, FOODIE ADVENTURES, Holidays, Short breaks /by English Mum

You all know I’m addicted to cruise travel, and one of my favourite cruise lines is TUI’s Marella Cruises. I love the bright, colourful ships, the warm and friendly staff and the fabulous itineraries (you can read all about what I thought of Marella Explorer here), so I was delighted to hear the news that TUI are moving into river cruising with a fleet of three gorgeous river ships that will be setting sail in the summer of 2020. As with their ocean vessels and land-based holidays, TUI does river cruising a bit differently, so I thought I’d take a look at TUI’s new river cruises and check out the ships, cabins, restaurants and itineraries to give you a bit of an idea of what to expect. At the moment, we only have artists’ impressions, but they’re looking pretty spectacular already.

Read more

The Z Hotel Tottenham Court Road

A mini London break and Z Hotel Tottenham Court Road

September 10, 2024/0 Comments/in BLOG, Days out, FOODIE ADVENTURES, Hotels I love, Restaurants and cafés, Short breaks /by English Mum

When I was at the Visit USA Ball recently I was lucky enough to win two tickets to School of Rock in the West End. We decided to plan a mini London break, cramming in as much foodie fun as we possibly could without actually booking anything in. Having loved our stay in Covent Garden, we thought we’d try another of the central Z Hotels, this time the Tottenham Court Road property (I guess the Soho one would probably have been nearer, but we really wanted to try a different one), and we weren’t disappointed. The Z Hotel Tottenham Court Road is actually on Poland Street, right in the heart of Soho, surrounded by shops, bars and restaurants, and about a five or six minute walk from the actual station.

Read more

Ten products to give your skin a gorgeous glow

Weekend wishlist: 10 products to give your skin a gorgeous glow

August 24, 2024/0 Comments/in BLOG, Eco/sustainable/plastic free, Fashion and beauty, LIFE & STYLE, Short breaks /by English Mum

Recently, I’ve been researching products that are (paraphrasing William Morris), both beautiful and useful. As a consumer, I want to feel pampered and uplifted when I spend my hard-earned cash, so I tend to look for skincare products that feel like a treat - ideally I’d like them to be effective, smell delicious, and have beautiful packaging (or at least two out of three - if it’s a cracking product, I can forgive a plain bottle). I want a skin product to really earn its money: do wonderful things for my skin, make it feel plump and soft and revived and, yes, glowy. I’m incredibly lucky, because generous brands often send me their products (although some of these were purchases), and I thought I’d collate a little top ten of the very best, so especially for you, here are 10 of my favourite products to give your skin a gorgeous glow.

Read more

Les Villages Nature Paris: a different way to do Disneyland

Les Villages Nature Paris: a different way to do Disneyland

June 25, 2024/0 Comments/in BLOG, Disney holidays, FOODIE ADVENTURES, Holidays, Hotels I love, Short breaks /by English Mum

I’m always up for a different approach to a Disney holiday, and I’ve recently discovered one that I think you’ll really like - a beautiful resort just a stone’s throw away from Disneyland Paris with tons of space and all sorts of things to do. If you’re a bigger family, this is absolutely perfect for you: a perfect, self catering apartment option with a little Disney magic thrown in. Here’s everything you need to know about Les Villages Nature Paris: a different way to do Disneyland!

Read more

A weekend break at the Z Hotel Soho

A weekend break at the Z Hotel, Soho

May 15, 2024/0 Comments/in BLOG, FOODIE ADVENTURES, Hotels I love, Restaurants and cafés, Short breaks /by English Mum

You might remember that a little while ago I told you about my trip to London to stay at the fab new Z Hotel in Covent Garden. Last weekend, we were due to meet a lovely friend in London for his leaving drinks (bon voyage, Kelly!), so we decided to make a night of it and have a mini weekend break at the Z Hotel in Soho. It’s a brilliant location, literally right next to the Palace Theatre in London, so it’s absolutely perfect if you’re going to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (we’re planning a return visit when this happens), or if you just want to be right in the centre of things for eating out, going to the cinema in Leicester Square, exploring Covent Garden, shopping on Oxford Street or whatever else you have planned.

Read more

Everything you need to know about sailing the Danube with Viking River Cruises

Everything you need to know about sailing the Danube with Viking River Cruises

May 8, 2024/1 Comment/in BLOG, Cruise holidays, FOODIE ADVENTURES, Short breaks /by English Mum

I’ve just come back from a Viking River cruise from Passau in Germany to Budapest in Hungary. It’s pretty different to my usual ocean cruise and I didn’t really know what to expect before I went, so I thought it might be useful to give you an overview of everything, from the accommodation and food on board, to what to expect from the excursions and destinations. Spoiler: I absolutely loved it. I never thought I was really a city break person but it’s such an easy (and luxurious) way to tick off several different cities all in one trip. Here’s everything you need to know about sailing the Danube with Viking River Cruises.

Read more

The Z Hotel Covent Garden: an affordable hotel in the heart of London

January 17, 2025/4 Comments/in BLOG, FOODIE ADVENTURES, Hotels I love, Short breaks /by English Mum

I first heard about Z hotels after bookmarking Monica from The Travel Hack’s 10 best cheap hotels in London list last summer. I live a 30 minute train ride outside of London, but I love a little overnight in the city, and it’s always really handy to know an affordable hotel in the heart of London to turn to when you need a night away. The new Z Hotel Covent Garden is located right in the centre of all the action and 30 seconds from the famous piazza, bars, shops and restaurants. It took me about three minutes to walk there from Leicester Square Tube (anyone else not keen on those Covent Garden lifts?), and I found the Z Hotel Covent Garden tucked away just off Bedford Street.

Read more

A Magical Christmas at Disneyland Paris. Pic: news.disneylandparis.com

A magical Christmas at Disneyland Paris

November 20, 2024/0 Comments/in BLOG, Disney holidays, Featured, FOODIE ADVENTURES, Holidays, NEWS, Short breaks /by English Mum

It’s been a bit of a whirlwind weekend for my pal, Mickey Mouse, as he’s been celebrating a very special anniversary - it’s 90 years since Mickey first appeared in Walt Disney’s iconic cartoon, Steamboat Willie. This weekend was also pretty special at Disneyland Paris, because as well as celebrating Mickey’s 90th with a celeb-filled party, and an enormous cake baked by Pastry Chef and Chocolatier Pierre Hermé, there was a special celebration to mark the opening of Disney’s Enchanted Christmas. If you’re thinking of experiencing a magical Christmas at Disneyland Paris, I’ve teamed up with Isango.com, the specialist retailer of tours, experiences and Disneyland Paris Tickets to bring you all the latest news this holiday season.

Read more

Page 1 of 3123


15% off APH airport parking for you!








Toy Story 4 2019 250x250







Recent comments

  • English Mum on Weekend baking: delicious, no knead rye bread rolls
  • English Mum on Slow and easy soft wholemeal rolls
  • Susan Gowing on Slow and easy soft wholemeal rolls
  • Sharon Hills on Weekend baking: delicious, no knead rye bread rolls
  • English Mum on The positive life plan - how to define your values

Recent Posts

  • Ugly vegetarian lasagne
  • On forgiveness
  • A really autumnal creamy veggie pie
  • The positive life plan - how to define your values
  • Weekend wishlist: how to wear this season’s chunky boot

Follow English Mum on Bloglovin’

Follow on Bloglovin
November 2020
M T W T F S S
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
30  
« Oct    

Tags

autumn baking beauty birthday cake Boden breakfast cakes Charlie chocolate CHRISTMAS Christmas baking Christmas dinner christmas presents competitions cookery books Cruise cruise holidays Days out Death Wish Dude Disney Disney holidays Disneyland Paris family family holidays family travel fashion Florida giveaway Holidays home hush London NEWS/REVIEWS Orlando restaurants Sam self Shopping skincare step by step teenagers Virgin Holidays Walt Disney World weekend wishlist wine

Red Hot Women Awards



Archives

Recent Posts

  • Ugly vegetarian lasagne November 3, 2024
  • On forgiveness October 21, 2024
  • A really autumnal creamy veggie pie September 29, 2024
  • The positive life plan - how to define your values September 26, 2024
  • Weekend wishlist: how to wear this season’s chunky boot September 19, 2024

Pages

  • About English Mum
  • Advertising and competitions
  • Archived posts
  • Becky Fantham (Wiggins) - my work
  • Contact
  • English Mum
  • Privacy policy
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • Terms and conditions
  • Weights and measures

Categories

Archives

L'Occitane UK
© Copyright - ENGLISH MUM 2018
  • About English MumI’m a 40 year old mum and I work at home developing and testing recipes for magazines and recipe books, and writing about food and travel. I also write for readyforten.com and travel blog havealovelytime.com. I am an excessive twitterer (tweeter?), a bit blonde, a bit of a nerd, an occasional hysteric and the most unsporty person on the planet (I was the one round the back of the bike sheds having a fag during PE) and, apart from a small group of my very close and adored friends, am rather unsociable (I like my own company – possibly a throwback from hours spent fielding in the sea during childhood beach cricket games: ‘go deep! No, deeper!’). I can jabber for England and can be lured anywhere with something pink and sparkly or anything that smells nice. I am married with two sons: #1: our oldest son (the mad scientist of the family – he’s 15, sings like an angel, strums a mean guitar, reads books faster than that bloke off Criminal Minds, has a wit sharper than a razor, is the only tidy person in the whole house and always smells nice too – all fan mail gratefully received) and #2: our very own Death Wish…
  • ContactSomething to say? Leave a comment or drop me a line via the form below. All mail gratefully received.

      Your Name (required)

      Your Email (required)

      Subject

      Your Message

      By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website.

    We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

    You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.

    ENGLISH MUM
    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

    Strictly Necessary Cookies

    Strictly Necessary Cookies should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

    If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. This, of course, is your choice and we are happy to abide by your decision.

    Terms and Conditions

    More information about our Terms and conditions

    Scroll to top