London


<p>You might know the nature-loving presenter and former star of BBC&#8217;s <em>Countryfile</em> from TV, but she&#8217;s also a best-selling author and bookworm, making her the perfect person to launch a brand new book club with <a href="https://www.explore.co.uk/four-corners-book-club#/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Explore Worldwide</a>. </p>



<p>Recent research by the top travel firm revealed up to 72% of travellers visited (or considered visiting) a destination after reading a novel set there, which inspired their Four Corners Book Club, fronted by Julia, where readers can discover travel-inspired fiction and share their own literary recommendations (plus win a £5000 trip of a lifetime!). </p>



<p>Having presented<em> Rough Guides</em>, <em>Wish You Were Here</em> and mini series <em>The Greek Islands With Julia Bradbury,</em> she&#8217;s no stranger to epic trips, but it was a breast cancer diagnosis in 2021 which led to Julia reassess her lifestyle and write her Sunday Times best seller <em>Walk Yourself Happy</em>. Following a double mastectomy, she&#8217;s now an advocate of healthy living and self-care, from getting outside every day to breathwork and curling up with a favourite book. </p>



<p>Muddy sat down with the mum-of-three to discuss all things literature (and her favourite London haunts). </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="769" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Julia_Bradbury_feature-1024x769.jpeg" alt="Julia Bradbury " class="wp-image-7139" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Julia_Bradbury_feature-1024x769.jpeg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Julia_Bradbury_feature-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Julia_Bradbury_feature-768x577.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Julia_Bradbury_feature.jpeg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tell-us-about-the-new-four-corners-book-club-nbsp"><strong>Tell us about the new Four Corners Book Club?&nbsp;</strong></h2>



<p>It&#8217;s such a brilliant idea from Explore Worldwide, and I’m thrilled to be part of it! It’s all about bringing together book lovers and travel enthusiasts to share their favourite reads and discover new stories that inspire adventure. For me, books have always been a gateway to the world – there’s something magical about reading a novel set in a beautiful location and then being able to visit that place in real life.</p>



<p>The way the Book Club works is pretty simple. You can select destinations on an interactive map and find curated reading recommendations for books set in those places – whether it’s Italy, Scotland, or Japan. It’s a great way to dive deeper into a location’s culture and history before you even pack your bags. Plus, you can submit your own recommendations for novels that have sparked your travel dreams and share them with the community.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="1024" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Explore-Literary-Hotspots-1024x1024.png" alt="" class="wp-image-7136" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Explore-Literary-Hotspots-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Explore-Literary-Hotspots-300x300.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Explore-Literary-Hotspots-150x150.png 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Explore-Literary-Hotspots-768x768.png 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Explore-Literary-Hotspots-500x500.png 500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Explore-Literary-Hotspots-1100x1100.png 1100w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Explore-Literary-Hotspots.png 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>Readers can also submit reviews of their favourite travel-inspired books for the chance to win a £5,000 Explore voucher to put towards their dream adventure. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-are-you-a-voracious-reader-nbsp"><strong>Are you a voracious reader?&nbsp;</strong></h2>



<p>I read a lot of books sporadically throughout the day when I&#8217;m writing my own books. I try to read novels that aren&#8217;t too exciting but full of colour at night, to help me go to sleep, and I love reading on holiday.&nbsp;I can quite happily have half a dozen books on the go at once. Some people find this strange but really it&#8217;s just like watching multiple television series.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-are-you-encouraging-your-kids-to-read-as-they-get-older">How are you encouraging your kids to read as they get older?<strong> </strong></h2>



<p>I have a 13-year-old boy and twin girls who are nine. Their schools are really on it with the reading which I fully approve of, and they come home with lots of good reading lists and books. We use the local library, I like sharing books with friends, and we swap notes about the books we’re all reading. I wish I did more reading aloud to my children, but the hours just seemed to slip away… &nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-any-recommendations"><strong>Any recommendations?</strong></h2>



<p>Books are like music it depends very much on your mood. I really enjoy a book called <em>Salmon Fishing in the Yemen</em> (by Paul Torday) and there&#8217;s a great little hardback called <em>How To Be More Tree</em> which I think is a great gift and I like dipping in and out of. &nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="768" height="1024" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Julia-B-x-Explore-768x1024.jpg" alt="Julia Bradbury " class="wp-image-7135" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Julia-B-x-Explore-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Julia-B-x-Explore-225x300.jpg 225w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Julia-B-x-Explore-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Julia-B-x-Explore.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-are-you-reading-at-the-moment-nbsp"><strong>What are you reading at the moment?&nbsp;</strong></h2>



<p>I’ve just finished <em>The Story Of The Heart</em> by Dr Rachel Clarke which is superb, I’m half way through <em>The Fraud </em>by Zadie Smith which I’m not really getting on with, despite my curiosity for the topics (I’ve enjoyed all her other books), and I’ve just re-started <em>A Suitable Boy</em> by Vikram Seth which I first read about 20 years ago!&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-book-do-you-gift-to-others"><strong>What book do you gift to others?</strong></h2>



<p>Ah that’s easy, <em>The Prophet</em> by Kahlil Gibran.&nbsp;It’s a book of prose poetry which has an excellent theme for most occasions from weddings to deaths.&nbsp; “For without words, in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unacclaimed.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-you-wrote-walk-yourself-happy-where-is-the-trail-most-likely-to-bring-you-joy"><strong>You wrote <em>Walk Yourself Happy,</em> where is the trail most likely to bring you joy?</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="664" height="1024" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/s-l1600-664x1024.jpg" alt="Walk yourself happy by Julia Bradbury " class="wp-image-7141" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/s-l1600-664x1024.jpg 664w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/s-l1600-195x300.jpg 195w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/s-l1600-768x1184.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/s-l1600-996x1536.jpg 996w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/s-l1600-1328x2048.jpg 1328w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/s-l1600.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 664px) 100vw, 664px" /></figure>



<p>I list five walks in the back of <em><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Walk-Yourself-Happy-healing-nature/dp/0349436231" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Walk Yourself Happy</a> </em>that I call ‘Walks of Your Lifetime’.&nbsp; For me one of those is Mam Tor in the Peak District which I hiked with my family, including my 87-year-old parents, after my mastectomy in 2022. I doubt we will ever all be up there together again, but it will certainly bring me joy every time I get to that summit.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-are-you-working-on-at-the-moment"><strong>What are you working on at the moment</strong></h2>



<p>I&#8217;m writing my second book in the health and well-being sector and this one is covering personalised medicine and the future of healthcare. There are so many incredible tests available these days that can highlight our individual health profiles, which can be really useful throughout our lives. For example, we know that some people are better at processing alcohol than others. </p>



<p>Alcohol definitely isn&#8217;t good for any of us but some of us will be more vulnerable than others. If you know something like this, or you know you&#8217;re at risk of say, cardiovascular disease, there&#8217;s so much that you can do to course-correct in the 21st century.&nbsp;I&#8217;ve donated a lot of blood, urine and saliva for the book! And we’ve got some incredible experts sharing their knowledge.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-julia-s-london-life">JULIA&#8217;S LONDON LIFE </h2>



<p></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-favourite-lunch-spot"><strong>Favourite lunch spot</strong>?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="702" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Screenshot-2024-12-03-at-10.27.19-1024x702.png" alt="Dayelsford Farm shop " class="wp-image-7147" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Screenshot-2024-12-03-at-10.27.19-1024x702.png 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Screenshot-2024-12-03-at-10.27.19-300x206.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Screenshot-2024-12-03-at-10.27.19-768x526.png 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/Screenshot-2024-12-03-at-10.27.19.png 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>I enjoy any <a href="https://www.daylesford.com/our-locations/daylesford-farm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Daylesford Farm</a> lunching spot because it&#8217;s all organic. There&#8217;s a great new low sugar, low carb place on Golborne Road in West London called <a href="https://www.klear-labs.com/?srsltid=AfmBOopG5ZK2IvOAmL0XAdq3DLG66kOCn-2YcoAYHQulMqZ6qIrnXBDQ" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Klear Labs</a>. They do fantastic mushroom lattes, how very London is that?! They also do gluten free biscuits using almond and coconut flour which are tasty little treats. &nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-favourite-view"><strong>Favourite view</strong>?</h2>



<p>Unless you&#8217;re living with me, I&#8217;m afraid you can&#8217;t share the view because it&#8217;s out of my bathroom window looking out onto a gorgeous garden, which is where I do my breath work every morning.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-favourite-restaurant"><strong>Favourite restaurant</strong>? </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/7-scalini-exterior-1024x683.jpg" alt="Scalini in Chelsea " class="wp-image-7148" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/7-scalini-exterior-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/7-scalini-exterior-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/7-scalini-exterior-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/12/7-scalini-exterior.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>Our family favourite is an Italian called <a href="https://scalinilondon.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Scalini</a> on Walton Street in Chelsea. We&#8217;ve been going there for decades. There&#8217;s a chicken dish called Zarina which is basically a very posh, plump Chicken Kiev and oozes garlic and parsley butter when you cut into it.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-favourite-museum"><strong>Favourite museum</strong>?</h2>



<p>Ha, at the moment it’s the <a href="https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Museum</a> because of the kids,  but I adore <a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-modern" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tate Modern</a> and get back there as often as I can. &nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-favourite-walk"><strong>Favourite walk</strong>?</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.kew.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kew Gardens</a> is a family favourite, we have a special Cedar Tree that we picnic under, and the Christmas lights are spectacular every year.&nbsp; I like walking in the parks, my favourites are Hyde Park, Holland Park and St James’s.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-favourite-shop">Favourite shop?</h2>



<p>I don’t go clothes shopping any more, it’s all about the food, so farmers markets and anything low sugar/low carb and healthy is on my list.&nbsp;<a href="https://boroughmarket.org.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Borough Market</a> is a real experience &#8211; it’s like being part of a TV show. <a href="https://www.lfm.org.uk/markets/queens-park/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Queens Park Farmers Market </a>is also a good one; I’m always on the look-out for good honey, sustainable fish, colourful veggies. I think it’s important to connect with our growers and our food.&nbsp;I have a friend in Surrey whose husband is a fishmonger (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/thewildfishproject/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The WildFish Project)</a> and it makes such a difference knowing the provenance of your grub. &nbsp; &nbsp; </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-favourite-place-to-take-the-kids"><strong>Favourite place to take the kids</strong>?</h2>



<p>We are spoiled in London because there&#8217;s always something new to go and see. We&#8217;ve been lucky to get to <a href="https://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Making of Harry Potter</a> experience at Warner Bros studios this year, and we met Paddington Bear!&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong><em>Find out more about the Four Corners Book Club and your chance to win £5,000 travel voucher at <a href="https://www.explore.co.uk/four-corners-book-club#/">Explore</a></em>. </strong></p>


Five minutes in conversation with TV presenter Julia Bradbury

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