Let’s do this….
Off the beaten track resources.
As we approach the time of year when it’s natural to look back in an attempt to sense of the preceding twelve months. A year it seemed of war, of royal milestones, of financial turmoil and tumult. But also a time to look forward to start planning, scheming working out how to make 2023. I usually begin by plotting my travels for the year ahead. I will never cease to be amazed at the cultural and historical density our tiny little island, however a few resources I usually use for inspiration/compiling an itinerary are:
Atlas Obscura (website & book).
This normally the first thing I consult when going anywhere new anywhere in the world. The website, you have no doubt heard of, is a user compiled list of at the time of typing) 24,060 bizarre and eccentric destinations around the world. It’s constantly being updated and edited, and in revisiting it now I stumbled across this in a nearby church, which I was unaware of.
Best Wild Places (+ Wild swimming guides)
If the UK can sometimes feel overcrowded this guide to 500 of Britain and Ireland’s wilder corners is the antidote. Through this book I discovered the amazing Penhale Sands as well as the incredible story story of the Wenheston Doom. I pair this with a number of wild swimming guides, which are unfortunately quickly outdated (two of our favourite river swimming sites in the book have been closed to the public and fenced in recent years and I’ve never discovered a single online resource to find good wild swimming spots only a set of disparate forums and blogs)
Old Stones book + Megalith Pocket Guide
The app is again a user compiled/curated map of all of the megaliths, stone circles, hill-forts, tumuli and holy wells in the UK (as well as lot more). The interface needs an update but there is no better resource for appreciating the sheer depth and density of historical sites in the landscape, normally hidden in plain sight. Each entry os accompanied by a short description and (usually) access details and photographs. The book is a spin off, and features the highlights of Britains’ pre-and early-Christiain heritage.
1000 Things to Do in the UK/London
Does what says on the tin. I mean what other city could you even compile such a list? There is undoubtedly some geographical bias at work here but Amazon shows me that only New York has a similar book, and London now goes one better by offering a 1000 things to do there for under ten pounds.
Other.
Two further and final good resources for further abroad are the UNESCO list of world heritage sites and Patricia Schultz’s 1000 Places To See Before You Die which has been a constant companion since I first discovered in fifteen years and has recently been given the Deluxe Edition treatment.
Massage peanuts.
Twelve days without broadband, and I’ve been forced to move my work in a Starbucks on the A303.
As a consequence I am now a) known by name b) given free coffee and a reserved table (I’m not joking, they’ve been amazing) c) suffering from a tight back, due to day after day of being bent over a laptop in sub-optimal working conditions.
The obvious answer is for BT to fix my damn broadband, but in the meantime there’s this double massage ball.
Particularly good for any muscular tension in the neck, traps or Latissimus Dorsi. It is, however, no substitute for a working internet connection.
Tactics app
This is great little app, that came in handy a few weeks ago to explain the finer points of defending to a group of ten year olds. It has a incredible generous freemium model which means you can get all the features in the free version and can even turn the ads off for 24 hours if they get in your way whilst using the app.
(Side note the above gif was made from a screen recording of the app then converted using the EZGif converter)