First Impressions

An informative and compelling journey exploring the former homes of some of the most inspiring and formidable British authors of the 19th and 20th Centuries - including Robert Louis Stevenson, Jane Austen, Thomas Hardy, The Bronte Sisters, Rudyard Kipling, Agatha Christie, Lewis Carroll, Elizabeth Gaskell, A.L. Rowse and Violet Clifton. The publication will include details of how you can also visit these amazing houses and places of interest. From humble abodes, Pacific hideaways, island retreats, to grand hotels and ancestral stately homes. It will be a journey you will never forget!

The decision to visit the former homes of some of my favourite authors of the 19^th and 20^th centuries turned into, not just an exciting adventure, but also a spiritual experience. It is certainly a journey I will never forget. It went way beyond my initial expectations, and the reason I decided to create this book was not only my desire to share my experiences, but also to encourage others to make the journey for themselves.

Visiting the homes of these extraordinary authors, along with other famous places associated with them, I began to realise that it was not just about old buildings or bricks and mortar. I started to allow myself to connect with them on a deeper level, to the point where it became a quest to have a moment of personal and spiritual connection in each of the homes and places I visited. After all, these were authors I had known all my life; the characters they created were like friends to me. They shaped my life and helped to form my opinions about the world and the emotional journeys we all embark upon. They also allowed me, through their work, to have a window through which I could understand history.

I often wonder if these authors know when a reader opens their books. Do they see a glimmer of light wherever they are in eternity, that lets them know they are still inspiring us? It would be nice to think that somehow, somewhere, their souls still connect with ours. They are the past, the present and most importantly the future. We can still learn so much from them. I hope you enjoy the journey and, you never know, when visiting one of these places, from the corner of your eye, you may see a fleeting shadow of them flicker by.