As a recently self-appointed self-employed contractor – sole purpose to experience as much of Blighty as possible at every presented opportunity – I now find myself luxuriating in everything the quintessentially charming Windsor has to offer.

Many years previously I’d before only visited Windsor Castle; drove to the castle, explored inside and out and then back to London. I missed the chance to discover further afield; however, now I have returned and, for a total of 3 weeks, I am making up for the miss.

With less than a ten-minute walk to Windsor’s town centre and of course the castle, I absorb myself in the surrounding beauty, mostly along the river’s edge, at least two hours every day or evening. At weekends it’s a bit longer.

This past Sunday, my friend travelled from London to join me on a hike amongst Maidenhead Thicket, a twenty-minute drive from Windsor town centre, through cool woodlands and golden wheat fields.

Back to Windsor, we next explored Windsor Great Park that appeared to be lightning struck land. With dead silver bark spiking the threatening sky in such vast openness, I couldn’t help feeling connected to nature. And then the heavens opened and blissfully soaked us to the bone; a little more connected would never go amiss.

I’ve never seen such a concentration of swans in one place vying for tourists’ bread; children, watch out for your fingers!

As an experiment, I’ve only used my iPhone 6 to photograph every moment thus far, and with a touch of ‘processed’ effect, the results have delighted me.