● Take a trip to Windsor (30mins on the M4) to see the castle, the queen’s residence and one of the oldest buildings in Europe. The Great Park there and the river make for glorious walks (www.windsor.gov.uk). Nice pub there too The Two Brewers, literally right on the castle walls

● A day in the famous university town of Oxford (50mins on M40) among its honey-coloured ‘dreaming spires’ is wonderful. You can punt along the waterways through the incredible architecture, visit the ancient colleges and stroll along the river (www.visitoxfordandoxfordshire.com)

● For a round of golf, drive to Stoke Park (30mins on M40) where James Bond plays his golf (in the movie Goldfinger) and where Bridget Jones’ Diary was filmed (www.stokepark.com). There’s a spa and great restaurant there too

● To see the most beautiful countryside in England go to The Cotswolds in Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire (about 1.5hrs on M40). It is the classic ‘shires’ of JRR Tolkein’s imagination in Lord of the Rings, and is all gorgeous villages, tranquil rivers, and wonderful pubs and walks (www.the-cotswolds.org). Best to stay overnight in a pub there. Try the King’s Head in Bledington or the Swan at Swinbrook.

● Head to Henley on Thames (50mins on M40), home of the world famous Royal Regatta, for walks on the glorious river and lunch at the Hotel du Vin, or try one of the well-known gastro pubs in the area.

● Windsor Racecourse (30mins on the M4) hosts lovely Monday evening races in Summer, it’s all very relaxed, it’s quite a small course, nestled cosily on a bend in the river, and it never gets that hectic, so it’s perfect for family evenings, take a picnic, have a flutter and be back in town by 10pm (www.windsor-racecourse.co.uk).

● The city of Brighton, just 47 miles south of London, represents the nearest beach for a day trip. While it may not be exactly the Cote d’Azur, It does have a very famous pier, eight miles of unbroken (shingle!) beach and lots and lots of brightly coloured beach huts. Go there just to have a laugh at the sight of English people singularly unprepared for sunshine.

● Treat yourself to a day in the life of the Countess of Grantham lording it up at Downton Abbey (real name Highclere Castle) in a beautiful part of Hampshire not far from town. There are 300 rooms, 1,000 acres, a beautiful cricket pitch, all lovingly put together by the 18th Century’s master gardener Capability Brown (www.highclerecastle.co.uk).

● Just throwing this out there; it is possible to board a train at London Euston one evening, have a nice gourmet meal, a wee kip in your own private railway suite …. and then wake up the next morning for breakfast in the middle of the Scottish Highlands, snow capped peaks, steep gorges, dramatic landscapes et al. Just saying. It’s called the Caledonian Express (www.sleeper.scot).