Ian Weightman

Coming soon… A new Grand Route: 'Ardenne Tour, in the footsteps of Arduinna' is a 350km loop round the French and Belgian Ardennes. The route can be completed in fifteen stages, of around 23km per day. Launches Autumn: bit.ly/3Puw41Q Image credit: ADTA, ©David Truillard

A terrific image of a cosplayer outside the #MuseumofMaking in Derby. A clever 'mash-up' - given that Lara Croft was 'made' in the city, and that there will be a lively series of exhibitions and events staged there during this, her 30th 'birthday', year. Image credit: @VisitDerby

Here's the link to the May 'News in Brief' @VisitDerby, giving #travel writers, editors and influencers access to news, upcoming events and blogs from the city. Stories this month include an art-historian influencer’s 'take' on "Wright of Derby". bit.ly/3OIGGKb

A great moment - seeing this post from David Parr House in Cambridge go viral bit.ly/3QztnfB. Exactly the kind of profile this place deserves... (But I guess it means we can no longer call it a "hidden gem"!) #ArtsAndCrafts

Here's the link to the April 'News in Brief' @VisitDerby, giving #travel writers and influencers access to news, upcoming events, and blogs from the city. Stories this month range from Lara Croft 30 years on, to discovering where the writing's on the wall. bit.ly/47UIV3e

Beer & Biking in The Ardennes made it into the ‘18 Ideas For A French Mini-break This Spring’ in The Times #travel section, at No. 11. As The Times says: “These great trips are all about joie de vivre!”. [Image credit: ©ADT Ardennes -- Loïc Lagarde]. bit.ly/4t2uQJg

Keith Brymer Jones, at his ‘spiritual home’ of Gladstone Pottery Museum, last week. An expert judge on TV’s Great Pottery Throw Down, he was in town to help launch a new visitor experience in Stoke-on-Trent linking the city’s past and present to its future bit.ly/4bdvCx9

Great recognition for “one of Cambridge’s most underrated museums”, as well as #travel news about a new walking trail in the city. David Parr House - “an unassuming little house that contains its own treasure trove” - hits the headlines at Time Out. bit.ly/40nKumj

Here's the link to the March 'News in Brief' @VisitDerby for travel media: giving #travel writers and influencers access to news, upcoming events, and blogs from the city. Stories this month range from AA rosettes -- to a ‘Psychic Dancehall Festival’! bit.ly/4aXv4tM

Great to see ‘Wright of Derby: From the Shadows’, @NationalGallery, recently. Packed with power and drama - and well worth the trip. The exhibition runs to 24 April, before it goes on show @derbymuseums, @VisitDerby, from 13 June to 1 November, 2026. bit.ly/3MNj7ij

Here's a snapshot of a recent stroll around Derby: Dracula's Return to Derby, major artworks at Derby Museum & Art Gallery, Pickford's House toy theatre collection, and the eclectic Electric Daisy. Add 'Wright of Derby' and Lara Croft to the mix, and it's all @VisitDerby in 2026!

Media coverage still coming through as a result of the success of the Stoke-on-Trent's centenary celebrations @SoT100… Most recently, in The Scotsman's travel pages by Cat Thomson, who “went potty” in October @GladstoneMuseum @Middleport_Pot @WorldofWedgwood & @PotteriesMuseum

Here's the link to the travel media’s February 'News in Brief' - @VisitDerby Press Room: giving #travel writers and influencers access to the latest news, upcoming events and blogs from a city which "gave birth to" Lara Croft 30 years ago, on 14 February! bit.ly/3LQ5xdC

Nice profile for Stoke-on-Trent at the weekend, as The Sun selects "Ten of the UK’s cosiest pubs with bed and breakfast". The Fitzherbert Arms puts you within easy reach of world class attractions in The Potteries... #SoT100 is still working its magic! bit.ly/4qvsnpW

Well this is some great recognition for Derby, today. Named one of the 14 'Best Places to Visit in the UK in 2026' by Time Out: "Right now the Midlands city is an exciting destination in its own right"… bit.ly/49pOw1w @VisitDerby @VisitEngland

On a walk in snowy Staffordshire, with the temperature showing minus 7 degrees, this morning...

Here's the link to the travel media’s January 'News in Brief' - @VisitDerby Press Room - giving #travel writers and influencers access to the latest news, upcoming events and blogs from a city (where, amongst other things, something spooky is happening!). bit.ly/4s6RWyA

Top of the pots! As the 2025 Stoke-on-Trent centenary year celebrations draw to a close, the Potteries is on MasterChef tonight; Antiques Roadshow 21 December; and The Festive Pottery Throw Down on Boxing Day - with a new Great Pottery Throw Down series starting 4 January #SoT100

"Where in the world..?" (It’s also every bit as good as it looks!) The Tawny - 'a hotel like no other' - is a huge asset to Stoke-on-Trent and is just a 15 minute drive away. A great place to stay for anyone now inspired to visit The Centenary City #SoT100 thetawny.co.uk

The perfect book to appear during Stoke-on-Trent's centenary celebrations! Tunstall Tortillas by David Fletcher takes a fresh bite out of the Staffordshire oatcake, and is a mouthwatering portrait of a city's food and culture. "Bon appetit, Duck!" bit.ly/48yeY8E #SoT100