Helen and Neil Matthews have lived in Prestwood, in south Buckinghamshire, since 1991. Helen is an academic manager at one of the UK’s largest universities, while Neil is a Chartered Marketer and works for a heritage association. Both hold PhDs in history; Helen’s thesis focused on the illegitimate children of medieval English nobility and gentry while Neil researched the Polytechnic Touring Association, a leading UK travel agency of the 19th and 20th centuries. They have travelled widely, with highlights including piranha fishing on the Orinoco and acting as bridesmaid and accessory to a wedding in Pakistan. Neil is a past winner of the Bradt/Independent on Sunday travel writing competition and the author of Journeys from Wimbledon Common (2012, Palace Park Press) and Victorians and Edwardians abroad (2016, Pen & Sword).