June 2026. Gyumri. Armenia. Stepping outside the Alexandrapol Palace at 8pm you see the length of the rebuilt main square up to St Saviours Church, but our thoughts are only on Untappd check-ins and healthy food, so it’s good that the Untappd options include an upmarket fish restaurant, kebab shop, and doughnut...

June 2026. Gyumri. Armenia. Unexpectedly, the two carriage “commuter” train left Yerevan bang on time, and arrived in Gyumri bang on time, 3:05 hours later. With that sort of reliability Armenian Rail should take over Northern Rail; it’d take a day to cross the Pennines but at least you’d know that in advance. A...

June 2026. Yerevan. Armenia. Mrs RM had curated (ugh) an exhaustive, and exhausting, itinerary for our seven nights in Armenia, on the basis we probably wouldn’t be back unless Manchester City play FC Noah in a qualifier for the Conference League. So, barely having arrived at Yerevan “Boutique” Hotel the night...

I’m disappointed that I’m missing the 2026 UK heatwave; don’t get many of those, do you ? Meanwhile in Yerevan; Oh. On our tours this week all that visitors from the Netherlands, Sweden and Kaliningrad wanted to talk about was the World Cup the weather, yet another thing the UK cultural export. Can we blame global...

June 2026. Armenia. There’s no stopping Mrs RM. No sooner did Wizz Air start twice-weekly flights from Luton to Armenia than she’s booked bargain seats and got a full itinerary for the trip, 16 hour bus tours and all. The theme for Yerevan will be ticking camels. I haven’t seen a camel yet. Or a pint of Bass. Our...

June 2026. Cambridge. Dad’s appetite was back on Sunday afternoon, and ours was raised by the sight of the Wrestlers opposite our £25 Travelodge on Newmarket Road, a rare Cambridge bargain. Charlie Wells have subtly worsened the sign after what feels like 30 years, but the menu is unchanged since my first Pad Thai...

June 2026. Leeds to Bradford. Comfort break at Newlay’s Abbey Inn over, we resumed Day 2 of the Cask Camino with a route from posh Leeds to almost posh Bradford. Today’s “Identify the bird” is a tough one. Lots of interesting canal traffic, including the Absolute Madness tour boat on its way to a nostalgia festival...

June 2026. Leeds to Newlay (er, Leeds). I bet you thought the Cask Camino had stalled at the first hurdle lock, didn’t you ? Never underestimate Mrs RM’s tenacity and desire for blog views; Saturday saw us parked up at Apperley Bridge station (free !), 3 minutes before the train to Kirkstall Forge from which we’d...

June 2026. Sheffield. Having just got back from Sudbury (the drives are now more physically than mentally wearing, which I think is a good thing), I had an actual day in Sheffield. Obviously, I’m not staying at home, that risks gardening or something worse, but a proper walk to Abbeydale Road and beyond. Why DO...

June 2026. Sudbury. Suffolk. Mrs RM is, of course, correct in all matters (though she thought she saw Gareth Southgate playing for Australia v Turkey the other night), and is adamant that the only way you understand a place is with an overnight stay, whether the £227 Valley View, or my own more economical option...

June 2026. Sudbury. Now Sunnyside is sold I have to make other overnight arrangements when popping down to Cambridge, which seems to believe that £155 is a reasonable price for a night at a hotel. Luckily there’s still a few places you can park your campervan without enraging the locals, and Sudbury in Greater...

June 2026. Sheffield. An aimless Sheff walk up and down hills to get those 15,000 calories in finds me at the string of public parks above the University, harassing ducks. I think they’re ducks. Floral Weston Park leads to the reservoir at Crookes Valley, and the studenty Dam House. Unlike the Sheffield Hatter I...