The Council House is an icon for the City of Nottingham, often featuring in articles or on covers of Nottingham guide books. The Old Market Square, known as Slab Square locally, is another attraction.

A Striking City Centre Landmark on Old Market or "Slab" Square

Rufford Abbey and Country Park in the heart of Robin Hood country for a family day out that combines history, crafts, walks, space for children to play and bird watching.

Escape the City of Nottingham for a Family Day Out and Social Events

The house is set high on a hill top with panoramic views across the western outskirts of the city of Nottingham. It was built in 1580-8 for Sir Francis Willoughby and was designed and constructed by the famous architect-mason Robert Smythson who lived in Wollaton and has a memorial in St Leonard’s church in the nearby village. Wollaton Hall was funded by the profits from coal mining across the local area.

It is one of England’s most important Elizabethan buildings and has long been in the keeping of Nottingham City Council who use it as a Natural History Museum. There are daily conducted tours of the Hall, including the Prospect Room which was considered unsafe until it was secured and opened up as part of a major restoration of the Hall, Camellia House and Park.

The Martyred Village of Oradour-sur-Glane, Limousin, France

Anyone staying in the Limoges area of France or travelling on the A20 should make time to visit the Martyr Village of Oradour-sur-Glane. Martin and Alison Wilson took a few hours out of their journey back to the Channel ports to visit and share their saddening and emotional experience.

This article has now been moved to my new travel site and can be found at n moved to

• The Martyred Village of Oradour-sur-Glane on the new site The Winding Way

The Winding Way is aimed at free spirited travellers for whom the journey is more important than the desitination. It is a form of total immercion travel.

Nottingham as Major Retail and Shopping Centre

Nottingham has long been known as the Queen of the Midlands and has been a major shopping centre for decades. Despite the opening of out of town malls it draws shoppers from a wide area.

The centre of Nottingham is compact which makes shopping easy. With the free Centrelink shuttle bus service, buses every ten minutes, getting around is even more manageable.  Visitors arriving by car from out of town can use park and ride schemes on all the main routes into Nottingham. Some link with the tram to make the trip into the city centre even quicker.

Collioure, Take a Break and Enjoy the Bluest Sky in France

The picturesque Mediterranean town of Collioure is an ideal holiday destination as well as a haven for artists. It is unspoilt with a wide range of restaurants and activities as gentle or energetic as one chooses.

Collioure Attracts Artists, Poets and Musicians

Henri Matisse wrote that "No sky in France is more blue than the one in Collioure..." and there certainly is something special about the light. Artists such as Dali, Picasso, Chagall, along with other painters, musicians and poets have been drawn to this small French Catalan town close to the border with Spain. They have been coming to Collioure for more than a century and many working artists have made their homes in Collioure. They can be seen working outdoors around the town and in their studios which are often open to the public.