I was born in Blackpool, a seaside resort in the the north of England. After studying  Economics and Politics at the University of York I went to live in London where I worked as a journalist for Which? the magazine of the Consumers’ Association. In subsequent years I’ve written for major newspapers including The Guardian, The Independent, The Times and The Telegraph as well as for magazines such as Geographical and British Airway’s High Life.

For Lonely Planet’s Walking in Britain guide I hiked the Coast to Coast route and the Pennine Way. For StyleCity Europe I wrote the chapters on Lisbon, Antwerp and Brussels. I’ve also reviewed restaurants for Time Out’s London Eating & Drinking guide and Lonely Planet’s Out to Eat London.