Author Archives: Neal Atherton French Travel Book Writer

Darwen in Victorian Times – Desperation, Poverty, and Family Resilience

The late 1870’s are the most desperate of times for the Atherton family. Central Darwen either side of the main road is home to hundreds who slave day after day, hour after hour in the dark satanic mills of East Lancashire. Water Street and the area around it is the home of the Athertons until a breakout from the area in the 20th Century. In our cossetted lives it is difficult, impossible really, to fully comprehend what these people went through in those times.

Fairport Convention – Unhalfbricking

I appreciate Liege and Lief is considered the most important album Fairport produced but Unhalfbricking is my favourite. It is difficult to imagine that there was a finer group of British musicians at this time. The whole album has moments of sheer perfection. In the case of Sandy’s immortal ‘Who Knows Where the Time Goes’ the perfection holds throughout the track.

Paul Simon – Live Rhymin’

Live ‘Rhymin’ is a largely forgotten gem in Paul Simon’s catalogue. It captures the Simon of the time beautifully, as well as giving an insight into how he must have sounded in those heady mid ’60s days touring the bleak Northern towns of England.

Joni Mitchell – Court & Spark

Blue is my favourite Joni Mitchell album and that will never change. However, I listen more often to Court & Spark. This is probably because of the musicality of the album and also it coincided with the only time I saw her perform live – at Wembley stadium in 1974. That was a never to be forgotten day when she blew all the cobwebs out of that old stadium with an exhilarating performance with Tom Scott and the L.A.Express. Please enjoy my new book of Musical Memories & bit.ly/bookneal

Bruce Springsteen – Darkness on the Edge of Town

It is this classic, definitive collaboration with the E-Street Band that is my number one go-to album by him. It is pre the superstardom he was to have. The process of making great art is pressed into these tracks on ‘Darkness.’

A NEW French Journey by Photography – Take a tour – BOOK OFFER ON AMAZON

All the photography was taken by myself on our visits to Paris and the French regions. I hope you enjoy them and please look up my stories of our travels on Amazon.

My new book is a tour around France starting in Normandy. I hope you will come with me and be inspired to travel a similar path. I hope it will inspire you to travel to France or at least enjoy it in your imagination from home.

Lavender in Provence – Where to find the best views

I appreciate that there are many people for whom a visit to Provence must be made in the lavender season as it is crucial to their experience of the region. My wife Niamh is one of those people. Our old friend the village of Banon is a good starting point for a lavender tour. Around the village are some magnificent lavender fields and a climb to the church at the top of the village will reveal them in all their stupendous glory. If you briefly go out of the village on the D950 in the direction of Forcalquier you can turn off to go down one of the minor roads on your left, experiencing driving as if through a lavender field. There are some glorious photo opportunities. After that you can then go back through Banon and take the D950 in the opposite direction to Revest du Bion

Provencal Summer – Photography from Lavender Fields

Travellers have their own favourite areas of Provence where they appreciate the vast fields of lavender. For me the finest spot is close to Banon. In fact anywhere around that village whether you head towards Forcalquier, as in this shot, or north of the village back across towards the famous area around Sault, you willContinue reading “Provencal Summer – Photography from Lavender Fields”