stylish

Strolling through a deep tangle of beech trees to get some fresh air after a long drive, I think of the scene in Kenneth Grahame’s wistful story The Wind in the Willows, where Mole gets lost in the Wild Wood. “There seemed to be no end to this wood, and no beginning, and no difference in it, and, worst of all, no way out.”

I’ve come to South Oxfordshire to explore what was once Grahame’s old stomping ground. Although I don’t share his character’s fear of the woods, I do share his own wonder for this part of the country, close to suburbia yet wrinkled with pockets of wildness. It’s one of those spring days when the light feels elastic and daffodils brighten the verges of muddy lanes. The moon is rising, however, and smoke drifts from the chimney of a cottage just beyond the woods. Nocturnal creatures may be rousing but I’m feeling the pull of a cosy burrow. I leave the trees and head back to my accommodation, Bonni B&B, in Hill Bottom.

Run by Koo and Denny Akers, the B&B is a spin-off from Bonni Outbuildings, the cabin business the couple set up during the pandemic. These distinctive corrugated cabins in shades of mint, moss and terracotta have been commissioned as everything from artist studios to yoga shalas and even golf-simulator games rooms. The option to order a Bonni fully fitted and decorated has helped define the brand and, although the B&B is located above a smart timber garage at the couple’s home, it has just the same fittings, furnishings and paint colours as the cabins.

Created for potential buyers (a kind of try-before-you-buy experience), the B&B also makes a stylish base for a weekend away. Technically a one-bed apartment, there’s an open-plan kitchen and living room, a shower room with underfloor heating and a king-size bed below a round window. Lined with panelling and painted in shades of clotted cream, terracotta and powder blue, details such as jugs of white tulips and salvage store swag – vintage mirrors and stripped pine drawers – add cosiness, but the star feature is the shower, with its bottle green corrugated panelling. Guests can pre-order a DIY breakfast – and I enjoy avocado on toast with velvety smoked salmon, poached egg and chilli flakes while looking out into a veil of morning mist.

By the time I’ve finished eating, the mist is lifting and I pull on my boots to explore. In the summer, visitors come to follow Grahame and Jerome K Jerome’s leads, messing about on, or by, the river (there are paddleboards or a boat with skipper to hire), or venturing out on expeditions to Oxford, Windsor and London (all reachable in under an hour by train from Goring or Pangbourne).

Koo and Denny both grew up locally and are generous with insider tips on the area. Borrowing one of their bikes, I start with a gentle 10-minute pedal downhill to Whitchurch-on-Thames. First stop is the Modern Artists Gallery, where I watch light glinting off Alice Cescatti’s gilded paintings as owner Peggy Brodie tells me of the farmhouse up the road where the seeds of Womad music festival were sown. Detouring east, I pass alpaca-nibbled fields and watch red kites circle overhead on my way to Lin’s Veg Shed; its wholesome-looking vegetables and salads can be bought steps from where they have been grown.

In Whitchurch I pedal past the Greyhound pub and over the river into Pangbourne. Grahame’s former home is here, still a private house. Although he wasn’t living here when he wrote The Wind in the Willows, Pangbourne has echoes of picnic-loving Ratty, with its cheese shop, bakery and Italian deli.

Cycling back to Hill Bottom to drop off the bike, I finish my day on foot, walking a few miles to Goring-on-Thames and Streatley along a riverside route through the Goring Gap, a topographical half-pipe where the Thames slices through chalk hills. My route joins the Ridgeway, Britain’s oldest road, as I cross the river, and the landscape feels timeless as I pass pretty brick and flint cottages, ancient churches, a mossy-roofed mill and pubs with elbow-polished bars.

Hunger starts to hit as I pass the waterside tables of The Swan at Streatley, the steamed-up windows of Pierreponts cafe and the decadently stocked shelves of the Goring Grocer. But waiting for me back at Bonni B&B is a pre-ordered Riverford recipe-box meal – a dinner-in-a-bowl dish of romesco chickpeas. With its smoky paprika, lemon and crumbly medita cheese beckoning, and the promise of another night of restorative calm through the round window, I turn from the river and pick up the path back to Hill Bottom.

Soon the Gatehampton Viaduct is stretching behind me and I reach the tunnel-like holloway that leads to Bonni B&B. In The Wind in the Willows, Ratty tells Mole that beyond the Wild Wood lies the Wide World – somewhere he’d never been and would never be going. Entering the sunken path as dusk falls, I realise I feel similarly content in this bosky corner of the Chilterns. I may not want to venture back out into the wider world the following morning either.

The trip was provided by Bonni Outbuildings. Doubles from £150 B&B; breakfast kits £15pp. Riverford dinner recipe boxes from £15 for two. Bikes or paddleboards can be hired for £30 a day

LOOKING for a breezy Gatwick airport hotel with a bit of an atmosphere?

Here’s everything you need to know about the Sandman Signature London Gatwick.

Where is the hotel?

Being positioned at the edge of an A-road isn’t normally considered a bragging right.

But in this instance, the roadside location of this airy hotel is the main reason to visit.

Around a 10-minute drive from the UK’s second largest airport, the 4* Sandman Signature London Gatwick offers excellent park and fly packages.

What’s the hotel like?

It’s basic, clean and modern, with the highlight being comfortable beds to ensure you get a great night’s kip ahead of an early flight.

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The real perk of this hotel is that guests can save on pricey airport parking by booking onto a four, eight or 15 day deal that includes parking at the hotel, one night’s stay and a private transfer to the airport the following morning.

What are the rooms like?

Clean and relatively modern rooms come in a variety of sizes and bed set ups to suit all manner of groups or travellers, including standard rooms, family rooms and triple rooms. 

The standout of my standard king room was the marshmallow-like pillows that made for an ultra comfortable snooze ahead of an early morning trip.

What is there to eat and drink?

Unless you want to hitch a ride into Crawley, eating at the hotel is your only option due to its isolated location.

Luckily, the American-style grub here is decent – and there’s a cracking cocktail menu that will help you kick off your holiday in proper style.

Loaded burgers make up a large portion of the food menu, but there are salads, pasta dishes, curries and wings too.

Margarita lovers should wash their dinner down with a Big Bite, one of the hotel’s signature cocktails.

A spicy twist on the classic margarita, this one will blow your socks off.

If you have time for brekkie, there is a good selection of hot and cold options. 

What else is there to do?

What really makes this hotel shine is the staff.

Everyone here was accommodating and, above all, cheery, gearing visitors up for their holiday.

Even at 4am, the concierge was whipping up coffees with a smile for me and fellow guests ahead of our weary-eyed taxi rides. 

How much is the hotel?

Rooms cost from £89 per night. Park and fly packages vary.

Is the Sandman Signature London Gatwick family friendly?

Extremely. Rooms come in lost of convenient sizes including four-person family rooms, with a double, single and trundle bed.

There’s also triple rooms like double and single beds.

Is there access for guests with disabilities?

Yes. There’s a lift up to bedrooms and accessible rooms come with extra space for wheelchair users, lowered features, wet rooms with pullable cords and a lot of well-thought out facilities.

The discount retailer is selling an affordable bag that could be used for multiple travel destinations

Home Bargains is selling a ‘durable’ backpack that’s said to be ‘perfect for city travel’. The bag could therefore impress a range of shoppers. It could be just the ticket for commuters looking for a bag that will survive the journey to work. It could also impress travel fans who spend their weekends exploring new cities or catching the train to the countryside.

The discount retailer is selling the Salisburys PU Leather Rucksack for £9.99 online and in stores. Shoppers can choose between two colours when shopping online, as Home Bargains offers the bag in purple and cream.

Showcasing the rucksack, the bargain chain wrote: “Discover the Salisburys PU Leather Rucksack in vibrant purple – a lightweight, stylish companion perfect for city travel with multiple zipped compartments and a durable, fully lined interior.” The description notes that the ‘stylish bag’ measures approximately H58 x W28 x D14.5cm.

Sharing more information about the brand, the retailer added: “Salisburys presents its broadest line-up of tried and tested luggage solutions with contemporary features to help the modern tourist navigate the hurdles of the twenty-first century travel.

“Salisburys PU Leather range gifts you with all the necessities for modern-day commuter/city travel in a lightweight yet durable form. A clean modern design and durable materials that have been tested to protect your possessions from the testing environments that your luggage may encounter.”

Other products in the Salisburys range include the £9.99 Salisburys Carry-On Cabin Lightweight Backpack and the £6.99 Salisburys Weekend Bag. The cabin backpack could be better suited to travellers who fly regularly.

The product description explains: “Travel light and in style with the Salisburys Carry-On Cabin Lightweight Backpack in sleek black! Perfect for your adventures, this spacious yet compact backpack is designed for easy packing and effortless carrying.”

Meanwhile, the weekend bag might be the better pick for people travelling for one or two nights, who want the lightest luggage they can find. The description says: “Meet the Salisburys Weekend Bag, your ultimate travel companion! With its spacious design, handy trolley sleeve, and a zip-off bottom for easy packing, this stylish bag is perfect for weekend getaways or short trips.”

Another option for travellers could be the £9.99 Light Luggage Carry-On Cabin Luggage Wheeled Bag. The product description reads: “Travel light and breeze through the airport with the Light Luggage Carry-On Cabin Luggage Wheeled Bag!

“Its lightweight design, easy-glide wheels, and handy pockets mean you’ll skip the queues and arrive in style—just try not to look too smug!” While some shoppers prefer bags over cases, the added wheels could be helpful for people who don’t want to carry a bag but still need compact luggage.