A few questions about nice things...

Who do you most admire?

First and foremost, I admire of course my parents, as well as my fantastically supportive older brother, Rob. I also admire people who are focused and committed enough to make their dreams a reality, people who devote their time to making a positive difference to the lives of others, such as the teachers that I work with in my day job, who do not get anywhere near enough credit that they deserve and people who are able to find a passion in life and make it their career.

What are your favourite possessions?

Aside from old black & white and sepia family photographs, I’d say that my most treasured possession is a small, brown case I uncovered amongst dusty newspaper wrapped items inherited by my father after my Great-Uncle’s death, around ten years ago now. I was going through my parents shed one sticky summer’s afternoon, when I came across the battered looking box. Upon opening it, I was moved and amazed by what I discovered. Piles of old love letters, greetings cards and photographs, sent back and forth to each other by my Great Uncle and Aunt during his time serving in World War II, each one unique, crumpled, worn and with messages of love and longing scrawled upon them, some, just tiny scraps of paper, the writing minuscule, some with their envelopes sealed with S.W.A.L.K and one even containing a cutting of lavender, untouched for decades.

Tell us about your perfect day or weekend...

My ideal weekend would begin by waking up to the smells of freshly brewed coffee and buttery rich croissants wafting from the oven. I would have a leisurely start to the morning, taking time to read one of my favourite magazines over breakfast; I’m particularly fond of Oh Comely and Frankie magazines with their dreamy and whimsical photographs. I am a little bit of a Pinterest addict so I would have to spend a little time taking a peek and getting some inspiration from the latest pins. After that I would catch a train to an unfamiliar town or city, where I would spend they day taking in the sights and documenting interesting spots with my camera and mooching in vintage and second hand stores for a bargain. I am just a tad obsessed with books, so I would naturally look for some interesting ones to add to my collection (although this is something I am trying to avoid recently as it is getting a little out of control!) Lunch would be spent in a quirky cafe and tea and cake would definitely be on the cards. Ideally, I’d spend the afternoon looking around a museum or gallery. I’m particularly fond of natural history collections, especially birds and butterflies.

Sunday morning would be spent walking in the great outdoors at one of the many beautiful national parks and heritage sites we are so fortunate to have here in the UK. I love walks in the forest at autumn-time especially, when everything is crisp and golden. If there is a stately home nearby or within the site, even better! I could spend hours admiring the opulent decor of historic houses and imagining what it would be like to live in such a beautiful place.We would take along a picnic and enjoy it in a suitably picturesque spot, before heading home to get cosy and watch an old black and white film. Hitchcock is one of my favourite Sunday matinee directors. Of course, a small afternoon nap wouldn’t go amiss, and then to round off my perfect weekend, it would be by stuffing myself silly with a good old Sunday roast. Bliss!

What makes you happiest?

I am happiest when outside, exploring unfamiliar territory, my camera around my neck and my love by my side. Lazy afternoons laughing with friends and taking road trips to the beach, lazing around in bed talking about grand plans for the future, afternoons spent with my nose in a good book (with endless cups of tea on tap) and when baking, cooking and sharing hearty, comforting meals with loved ones.

What would you like to do in the future?

My ultimate aim for the future is to work full time doing what I love: writing and photography. I am in love with print, there’s nothing better than flicking through a beautiful publication and really losing yourself in words and pictures for a few hours, and one day I would like to own my own magazine. My main life goal is to travel and see as much of this beautiful planet we live in as I possibly can, documenting it all, spending time living in other countries and experiencing other cultures and learning new languages. I would like to build a happy, quirky home and just generally live a simple, creative and contented lifestyle. I dream of building a unique and amazing space to live in and perhaps one day have my own gallery/workshop/cafe where I can work together with others to organise events and generally inspire people to be creative.