1. Travel: Set sail for Brittany

I’ve been going to France for family holidays for as long as I’ve had my own family and we’ve grown to love the country and its people.

2. Travel: Asian escape, in Benidorm?

Benidorm – the package holiday capital of Spain – is a million metaphorical miles away from the golden sands of Thailand.

3. Travel: Lymington and the New Forest

The festive season is well and truly over but with the ceremonial taking down of the decorations comes a feeling of deflation and the need for something else to lift your spirits.

4. Travel: Enjoy the best of East Sussex

The landscapes in this part of the world could come from a Jane Austen novel.

5. Travel: Skiing Salzburg

If you are the sort of skier who likes to conquer every run on the piste map by day three, a two-resort break will ensure you can make fresh tracks each morning.

6. Capital idea for Christmas shopping

How are you getting on with your Christmas shopping? I know, Uncle Fred is always the difficult one to buy for and as for those two 10-year-olds – well, one is into Barbie, the other into barbecues, and heaven forbid you get them mixed up.

7. Travel: Berlin Christmas markets

You know when you’re in the mood. For Christmas that is.

8. Travel: Take the train to awe-inspiring Venice

9. Travel: There’s just no place like Rome

After becoming hooked on Italian ice cream and getting a taste of the fascinating sights the country has to offer, we departed Venice to explore Rome.

10. Travel: Cycling the Alpe d'Huez

I’m not fan of the Sound of Music but I think I know now why those hills made Julie Andrews want to sing.