Giles Catchpole on riverside ghosts

Fitting-out time is here again. Because I winter up in the Baltic where the sea still sometimes freezes, my season doesn’t really start until May. It was different when I berthed my 22ft wooden sloop

We have always felt as though, in the past, we neglected France – opting for more exotic destinations. But this year we decided to remedy this with a ten-day trip to western France. Our chosen slot wa

In 1939, at the start of the Second World War, the government planned to evacuate 1.5 million civilians, mostly school children, mothers and other vulnerable people, from cities at risk of bombing to

Last autumn we embarked on a campervan adventure through Portugal, a country largely unknown to us, despite spending several winters touring its neighbour, Spain. There is free movement between them n

“ Parked up at The Little Roadway Farm Campsite at the top of Challacombe Hill, we excitedly made our way across the National Trust car park and then carefully down the old Smugglers Path towards town