Time for Wiltshire Blog

A cold Thursday night in Swindon was warmed up by a great performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat at the Wyvern Theatre, the latest in their varied programme.

It started, for me, on a misty July morning back in 2012, when all the aircraft were moved from Boscombe Down, six miles down the road to a new home at Old Sarum under police escort. This was nothing to do with national security, just the business of avoiding the rush hour.

I love a challenge, so when I heard that about The Salisbury Escape Room, a new and unique real-life escape game, I dared colleagues to see if they were up for taking on this particular one.

Thankfully, they took up the challenge and we made our way across Salisbury wondering what was in store.

We’ve been experiencing some glorious April weather this month which lent itself perfectly for a day visiting Avebury, in the heart of Wiltshire.

Cricklade North Meadow (a National Nature Reserve protected by Natural England) is an ancient flood plain on the banks of the upper Thames, which is renowned as one of the best examples of a lowland hay meadow in Europe. Before the days of intensive farming, many British meadows used to be covered in wild flowers. Today Cricklade is a living example of how the meadow used to look with its lush carpet of meadow flowers.

It’s not long until bluebell season will be upon us once again in Wiltshire. Usually flowering in late April and into May, seeing the carpets of blue flowers is one of my favourite times of year. I have so far seen a couple of lone bluebells bravely conquering the still very fresh mornings however I’m looking forward to the bigger displays which will be here before we know it!

When it comes to the kitchen, I’m certainly no MasterChef Champion. However, like Gregg Wallace, I do have a sweet tooth and a big passion for puddings. When eating out, I’m always drawn straight to the puddings and dessert menu to whet my appetite. And, if there’s some sort of chocolate or sticky toffee pudding on the menu, then nothing else usually gets a look in.

On a blustery day after paying a visit to Stonehenge, I made a visit to the recently refurbished Solstice Bar and Grill at the Holiday Inn Salisbury – Stonehenge, located on the outskirts of Amesbury and just a couple of miles from the famous stone circle.

In celebration of their 50th anniversary, the Hawk Conservancy Trust has just launched a new ‘Wings of Africa’ arena display at the site.

I was lucky enough to go to the opening event on a very windy day to see the new birds that feature and the new display area created to simulate some of the landscapes of Africa.

During a lovely weekend across the county, I decided to make the most of it and take my Mum out for the day to the National Trust’s Stourhead gardens, in the south west of Wiltshire.

We’ve been to Stourhead many times throughout the years and it never fails to disappoint. For me, it doesn’t matter what time of the year you visit as there’s always something different to see and a different vista that you might not have seen before.

On a beautifully sunny February day, I made my way to the charming town of Corsham nestled between Chippenham and Bath, just off the A4.

Are you stuck for ideas on what to get your Mum for Mother’s Day? Perhaps you’d like to do something other than the traditional flowers and chocolates? We’ve asked around the office and put together a list of some great places that you can take your Mum this Mother’s Day in Wiltshire.