Tim Saunders

Motoring: Fiat Tipo Station Wagon

Sidmouth, Devon

On a trip to Sidmouth it becomes apparent that there is a huge amount of bed and breakfast accommodation available. We experience two quite different offerings at Travelodge, Sampford Peverell Service Area, Sampford Peverell, M5 (Junction 27), near Tiverton and at The Barn and Pinn Cottage, near Sidmouth.

Motoring: Volvo V60 D4 Cross Country

I do like this Volvo and feel quite at home behind the wheel.

A vehicle for America

That is my opinion of the fourth generation Lexus RX450h Sport. Why? It’s the type of SUV (sports utility vehicle) the Americans like, ultra luxurious inside, large and its hybrid credentials help the driver feel that they are no depleting the earth’s resources, too much anyway.

Magnificent and a memorable family holiday awaits you at Tehidy

Tehidy is a small village in Cornwall, near Portreath, St Ives and the coast. It is a magnificent part of the world and a memorable family holiday awaits you at Tehidy Holiday Park.

Motoring: Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo

The city of Monte Carlo has had a long association with motorsport, ever since the Monaco Grand Prix was founded in 1929 using the city streets as part of the challenging circuit. A circuit that has seen some of Britain’s finest racing drivers clinching victory such as Graham Hill and more recently Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.

Volkswagen Trendline

It is necessary to adapt your driving style when behind the wheel of a vehicle that does not have a rear view mirror.

Travelling to Hell and Back

“It’s not a place where travellers first think of staying,” smiles Shige Takezoe, who with his wife Diana, owns Hell Barn Cottages in North Chideock.

Few vehicles raise a smile in the way that a Range Rover does

Few vehicles raise a smile in the way that a Range Rover does when you are behind the wheel, I find. It’s always an absolute privilege to find yourself sitting in the high quality cabin and it is a fantastic experience. Imagine your favourite armchair and then add all the electronic gadgetry that you can conjure up and here is a seat that can be electrically adjusted to your heart’s content providing that ultimate driving position.

VW Passat Estate

This fact becomes blatantly clear when I park the sleek Volkswagen Passat Bluemotion estate on the busy main road outside my house. The previous day I had done this with my own ageing mark 5 Ford Fiesta and had very quickly proceeded to be bibbed and tooted by a series of impatient motorists fed up with queuing to get passed me.

A slower pace of life can be found in Suffolk

This comes as quite a surprise when you think that it is only 80 miles from London. In Suffolk there is great support for local produce and the independent trader. So much so that I am told even a well known supermarket chain has been unable to secure planning permission to build a store in Halesworth.

Motoring: Honda HR-V

When the Honda HR-V arrives on my doorstep (it’s a tough job being a motoring journalist) I am very pleasantly surprised. You see I remember the original HR-V in production from 1999 to 2006, which looked, frankly, strange. It was a quirky vehicle that didn’t really look comfortable in itself and quite boxy, too.

Travel: Wiltshire

Motoring: Fiat 500x

ART NEWS: 1.3 tons of plasticine to be exhibited at Chelsea Flower Show

Over a ton of plasticine would be any child’s delight. But for Cambridge sculptor Edward Waites this is the first step in making a monumental horse head, which he will be exhibiting at the Chelsea Flower Show and Royal Ascot.

TRAVEL FEATURE: Sidmouth, Devon

In 2009 over £1m was raised to save a dilapidated Regency mansion in the heart of Sidmouth.

Motoring: Mazda 2

The art of deception is a difficult thing to master. The Victorians were particularly adept at this when building their terrace houses that appear small from the outside and are often far larger than expected on the inside. I know because I live in one.

ART NEWS: New Glenn Miller painting for British eatery

When a well-known British company commissioned a Welsh artist to produce a painting, he was given just one week to create a masterpiece.

Motoring: Citroen C1 road test

“It’s the same car isn’t it?” asks a friend as he looks at the Citroen C1 parked alongside the Peugeot 108. They even share the same glass tailgate and handles.

Travel feature: Bridport and Lyme Regis

Holidays are sacred. So when a bank holiday arrives you don’t really want to be stuck at home doing the chores. Much better to explore the great British countryside. That’s what I did when I visited Dorset with my wife Caroline and baby daughter Harriett.