Running From Paradise

Oxford’s Colleges

Oxford has plenty to offer; beautiful churches, cosy beer gardens, castle and leafy parks. But the main attraction are the colleges. Many of the world’s leaders, writers, artists and many more have attended colleges at Oxford University and it has an incredible reputation as a learning centre. Most colleges are open to the public. Unfortunately, these are not free and you’ll need to pay a small…

Visiting Szechenyi Bath | Budapest

Imagine the best outdoor swimming pool you’ve ever been to. Now imagine the nicest spa you’ve ever been to. Put the two of them together and add some summer sunshine into the mix and you can almost picture how nice the Szechenyi Baths are!  The Szechenyi thermal spa baths were built in 1913 in a very distinct neo-baroque style which has made them not only the largest thermal spring bath…

This project started when a bunch of creative folk and I met up for a one-off mini-Shindig event at St. Paul’s church in Cambridge. Shindig organiser Wesley Freeman-Smith was the mastermind behind the sessions, while photographer and all round genius Matt Widgery played the piano;  the poets were Tim Knight Uppahar Subba and myself. We spent the day recording poetry to improvised music and did…

Hammer & Tongue National Finals 2017

After an incredible season of Hammer & Tongue slams and an exciting Regional, it was time for Cambridge to journey to London for the Hammer & Tongue National finals held at the Royal Albert Hall!  Hammer & Tongue was founded in 2004 in Oxford by Steve Larkin and is now a Community Interest Company that runs a year-round programme of touring guest artists and qualifying slams with…

Create a Travel Journal

It is no secret that I love to travel and every time I journey somewhere new, I return home in love with the world. My experiences abroad have been my greatest source of learning and personal development. Bringing these lessons home with me is a rewarding part of the experience. To do this I do a few things; every night whilst travelling I write about my day in my travel journal, I keep…

Oxford, a city in central southern England, revolves around its prestigious university, established in the 12th century. The architecture of its 38 colleges in the city’s medieval center led poet Matthew Arnold to nickname it the ‘City of Dreaming Spires’. ​

A Day in Charming Faro | Portugal

Faro is Portugal’s third city and is the capital of the southern Algarve region. This seaside town is little and laid-back making it the perfect holiday destination. In the cidade velha, Faro’s partly-pedestrianised old quarter, storks swoop through the skies, settling on church spires. From the vantage points of their nests, they keep watch over Faro’s residents as they go about their…

I Published a Book….

Last week Sparkthewords officially launched its first publication: Haiku to F*ck to and I couldn’t be more proud! As some of you may have seen, we opened up submissions for an anthology of haiku a couple of months ago and now the final product is ready. Thomas Dedola and I loved all of the submissions and it was challenging to choose who would be published in the collection so I want to start…

Art of Float Cambridge

Sensory deprivation or flotation therapy is something that I have always been curious to try. However, I’ve always worried how it will effect me as I am someone who is over stimulated all the time. So when Allographic was given the chance to partner with Art of Float, I jumped at the chance to give it a try. What is Floating? Flotation is a cutting edge method of relaxation and recovery…

Top Free Things To Do In Venice

Many people don’t enjoy Venice precisely because there are too many tourists, but if you just venture off said beaten track, you’ll find rewarding things. Isola di San Giorgio Maggiore The island of San Giorgio has the ultimate views in Venice – looking out over the the Doges Palace and the Grand Canal – and the landmark church, designed in 1555 by Andrea Palladio, is a must-see. There is no…

This weekend I found myself at my first folk festival! I attended the FolkEast festival for the weekend as I was performing on the Soapbox stage (which can you read more about here.) The festival returned for its fifth year at Glemham Farm Estate in Suffolk. I’ve always enjoyed folk music but never considered myself a fan. However, the music that I listened to at FolkEast was great! I…

Reykjavik: A City of Colour

The first thing I noticed about Reykjavik was that it was a colourful and vibrant city, and so before we delve further in the wonderful city; I thought I would show this side of it.   In a bid to conserve money, most of my time was spent walking around the streets of this lively city. The buildings, architecturally speaking, are far from beautiful or intricate yet its surprising colourfulness…

How To Teach English Abroad Part 1

Teaching English abroad is a great way to travel the world and make money (or cover your expenses) at the same time. By becoming an English teacher overseas, you get to spend an extended period of time in a location and learn what it feels like to actually live there, rather than just visiting as a tourist. ​However, when you’re first starting out it can be overwhelming!  When I started teaching…

Peter’s Day Out

On Saturday 23rd Carter Jonas and Method Creative worked together to create a lovely event at Hodson’s Folly in Newnham. There was yoga for families, storytelling by Arianna who was dressed as Bellatrix Potter, poetry from us (Allographic Poets) and lots of yummy food from Steak & Honour and Jack’s Gelato. There was even a visit from Peter Rabbit! The event was created to raise awareness…

Cambridge Bardic Trials 2016

Cambridge has chosen a Bard!!

On Sunday 19th June the In Other Words literary fringe festival hosted Cambridge’s first ever Bardic Trials. The Bardic Trials was an open competition before a live audience and a panel of carefully selected judges. The judges and the trials aimed to represent the different aspects of Cambridge and what it means to be a weaver of words

The judges were:…

Exploring Caves & Boat Tour | Portugal

The coastline of the Algarve is worldwide known for its stunning rock formations and marine caves. Benagil Sea Cave in the Algarve is a true natural wonder. It’s a sea cave with a natural occurring oculus that towers over its own secluded beach. At the right time of day the sun casts light through this dome, illuminating a stunning scene that anyone visiting Portugal should try to see.