Hi, I'm Sarah and in my blog I want to bring you a fresh and fashionable view of the Lake District. I hope you enjoy my selected picks from the Lakes' growing list of stylish places to eat, shop and visit, all within the UK's newest UNESCO World Heritage Site.

 I live here with my partner and young son but before we moved to the Lakes full-time we came every weekend and school holidays. It means I see the Lakes both through the eyes of visitors and those of us who are lucky enough to live here. I'm the first to wax lyrical about the stunning, year-round beauty of the Lakes - usually best viewed from the top of a hill - but, while I am a walker, there are many others who can speak more knowledgeably of the fells and natural landscape than I can. Instead, I aim to offer a taste of a Lakes lifestyle. I only share and recommend things I've tried and genuinely like and think that you, as a person of good taste looking for something different and special, will like too.

The eagle eyed may notice that not everything I include lies with the Lake District National Park - this doesn't reflect my grasp of geography, it just means there is some cool stuff nearby that I just can't leave out. I've been a journalist for 27 years - including spells as Women's Editor and Travel Editor - so some of my posts are reviews, some are feature interviews and some are general musings. More often than not they involve coffee and cake. Whether you're visiting or live here, I hope you find something you like.