Author: Lyn Funnell

Author

  • Lyn Funnell

    Lyn is the co-owner of Unknown Kent and Sussex. She lives in Sussex.

    Lyn has been writing for most of her life, both Fiction & Non-Fiction. She loves cookery & creating original recipes. She's won a lot of prizes, including Good Housekeeping Millenium Menu & on BBC The One Show as a runner-up, making her Britain's Spag Bol Queen!

    She has had nine books published so far.

    History, Travel & Restaurant Reviews are her main interests.

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Animals & Wildlife, Art, Forestry and Nature, Historic Buildings, History, Kent

Knole at Christmas

By Lyn Funnell I’d never been to Knole before, although our daughter Rana and Granddaughter Isabella went there in August. https://unknownkentandsussex.co.uk/knole-park-medieval-deer-park-and-house-sevenoaks-kent/... Read more.
Celebrity, Charity, Historic Buildings, History, Kent

Quebec House. General Wolfe’s Kent Home at Christmas.

By Lyn Funnell Quebec House in Kent was the family home of General James Wolfe in the 1730s. General Wolfe led the battle that captured North America for the British,…... Read more.
Animals & Wildlife, Art, Celebrity, Forestry and Nature, Historic Buildings, History, Kent

Churchill’s Home, Chartwell at Christmas.

By Lyn Funnell Chartwell was Winston Churchill’s home. It was donated to the National Trust in 1946 at the time when Churchill was financially hard up, on condition... Read more.
Entertainment, Food and Drink, Sussex

Lyn’s Vegan Block

By Lyn Funnell I pinched this idea from Jamie Oliver’s Veggie Crown. As my family are Vegans, it had to be adapted. And it’s delicious! It’s very easy... Read more.
Food and Drink, Sussex

Two recipes for preserving Mandarin Oranges.

By Lyn Funnell Mandarins can go off quickly. But if you preserve them, they’ll last for months! It takes a while to do, but it’s well worth it! BRANDIED MANDARIN…... Read more.
Animals & Wildlife, Entertainment, Forestry and Nature, Sussex

Elf on the Shelf at Sheffield Park for Christmas

By Lyn Funnell We’ve been visiting the National Trust sites that are decorated for Christmas. Our latest visit was to Sheffield Park Gardens in Sussex. There are... Read more.
Art, Forestry and Nature, Historic Buildings, History, Sussex

Nymans at Christmas

By Lyn Funnell Nymans is mostly famous for its gardens. But we went there to see their Christmas display. We approached the house along lit-up archways, with various... Read more.
Food and Drink, Sussex

Pumpkin Bread Pudding 

By Lyn Funnell Ingredients 5-6 slices of sliced bread Butter or marge Approx 1lb/420g cooked pumpkin. I used one of my local pumpkins. ¾ pt milk ¼ pt golden syrup…... Read more.
Food and Drink

Cheesy Garlic Bread Sharing Ring

By Lyn Funnell I suddenly thought up this recipe and it’s proved a great success! 1 loaf of sliced bread, crusts cut off to leave a square. NB Don’t waste…... Read more.
Food and Drink

Cheesy Filo Pumpkin Pie.

By Lyn Funnell I have plenty of pumpkins to last me through the winter and I’m always looking for interesting recipes. This one was a great success! I’ve adapted... Read more.
Charity, Food and Drink, Further Afield

A Day in a Very Wet Palma, Mallorca

By Lyn Funnell The rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain – because it can’t go down the drain! It was the first day of our holiday in Majorca…... Read more.
Forestry and Nature, Historic Buildings, History, Kent

Christmas at Scotney Castle, Kent

By Lyn Funnell Some National Trust properties have a Christmas theme from now until January. Scotney Castle’s theme is called Cover to Cover. Author Christopher... Read more.
Coastal, Entertainment, Food and Drink, Further Afield

It’s Showtime at the Hotel BonSol!

By Lyn Funnell  The BonSol Menu Many venues hold Halloween celebrations now, but nothing like the Hotel Bonsol in Majorca – they put on a whole show! We were... Read more.
Coastal, Food and Drink, Sussex

Rose’s Fish Bar, Pevensey Bay

By Lyn Funnell Rambo waving at me. We were in Pevensey Bay in Sussex for the day. I said that as we were at the seaside, I fancied fish &…... Read more.
Entertainment, Forestry and Nature, History, Sussex

The Bedgebury Christmas Trail. 100 Years of Bedgebury Pinetum.

By Lyn Funnell Every year Bedgebury puts on an amazing display all around its Trail. There were wonderful colourful  lights and music around every bend. I’m sure... Read more.
Food and Drink, Sussex

Cauliflower Greens; Cook them, Don’t Waste Them!

By Lyn Funnell See this photo? It’s the greenery from four cauliflowers. It fills a whole large saucepan. Most people would cut them off and bin them. But they’re... Read more.
Art, Historic Buildings, Sussex

Standen House and Gardens; Sussex National Trust Property

By Lyn Funnell Standen House was started in 1891 and finished in 1894. It was designed by Philip Webb for the Beale family and their seven children and their guests…... Read more.
Food and Drink, Further Afield

Binissalem, Small Majorcan Town and Wine Producing Region

By Lyn Funnell We caught the train from Palma to Binissalem. It was so simple to buy tickets and find the platform. I’d been to Binissalem once before and I…... Read more.
Charity, Entertainment, History, Sussex, Villages

100 Years of East Hoathly and Halland Carnival Society

By Lyn Funnell Sitting on a bench in East Hoathly, I watched a family of Zombies pass me, followed by a cowgirl and an Aztec. No I wasn’t hallucinating! I…... Read more.
Art, Coastal, Further Afield

Hotel Bon Sol, Majorca; A Tardis Treasure Hunt!

By Lyn Funnell You won’t believe the Bon Sol until you see it yourself! The 5-star hotel is 8 kms along the coast from the Capital, Palma and the airport.…... Read more.
Entertainment, History, Sussex

Sussex Bonfire and Carnivals

By Lyn Funnell The Sussex Bonfire season has started. It will go on in different towns and villages until the end of November. We went to the Crowborough Bonfire... Read more.
Celebrity, Eastbourne, Food and Drink, Sussex

Mangoffi Pie – Easy & Delicious Recipe

By Lyn Funnell I was at a book signing recently, and on the next table was Ian Dowding. Ian’s one of the most famous  unknown chefs in the world! Let…... Read more.
Art, Coastal, Food and Drink, Historic Buildings

West Station Tea Rooms and Sivyers Antiques, Bexhill-on-Sea

By Lyn Funnell The weather was terrible. It was bucketing down and visibility was bad. So we parked the car opposite a very interesting building. I had trouble getting... Read more.
Health & Beauty, Kent

Essential Guide to Homecare in Kent

Choices and Top Provider Choosing the right care for a loved one is one of the most significant and emotional decisions a family can make. Whether it’s for elderly... Read more.
Entertainment, Food and Drink, Sussex

An Impressive Buffet in a Small Space.

By Lyn Funnell Note the salad jars against the wall. We threw a once-only Garden Party for all our friends. I wanted to put on a really good Buffet for…... Read more.
Further Afield, Unexplained

UFO Over Stonehenge?

By Lyn Funnell Last week I published the strange object in the sky photographed by Granddaughter Isabella while on holiday in Somerset. Is This a UFO? – Unknown... Read more.
Coastal, Further Afield, Unexplained

Is This a UFO?

By Lyn Funnell My Granddaughter took this photo Tuesday around 1310 at Watchett. They’re on holiday in Somerset. Look in the sky to the right. She didn’t... Read more.
Historic Buildings, History, Unexplained

Malta’s Catacombs, Aliens & The Disappearing Schoolchildren; True or Urban Myth?

By Lyn Funnell I wrote this article several years ago and I’m still hoping to find out information about it so I’m re-publishing it. Our Journalist Albert Fenech,... Read more.
Food and Drink

Meatloaf Medley

By Lyn Funnell I had a lot of leftovers in my fridge and I was thinking Bubble and Squeak. Then I had an idea; I would try to make a…... Read more.
Food and Drink, Sussex

Halloumi Japanese Style.

By Lyn Funnell Halloumi is a useful addition to your food supplies. Known as Squeaky Cheese, it doesn’t melt when it’s cooked, and it squeaks when you bite it!... Read more.
Food and Drink, Sussex

Candied Watermelon Rind: Sounds awful; tastes Delicious!

By Lyn Funnell. It’s very easy to make and takes a longish time, but it’s worth it! If you take off the dark green skin of the watermelon you’ll find…... Read more.
Food and Drink, Further Afield, Historic Buildings, History, Villages

Mondaino; a Rimini Village torn in Two

By Lyn Funnell Mondaino is one of the spectacular fortified villages that dominate every hilltop in the Territory of Rimini. It is completely split into two areas,... Read more.
Food and Drink, Sussex

Sundried Tomatoes – I nearly Forgot!

By Lyn Funnell I could kick myself because we’ve had lovely hot weather lately but I never thought about making  sun-drying tomatoes. And it’s ever so easy.... Read more.
Animals & Wildlife, Food and Drink, Forestry and Nature, Health & Beauty, History, Sussex

Stinging Nettles; Nature’s Medicine Cabinet

By Lyn Funnell Gardeners regard nettles as a nuisance. But they are the most valuable and useful plant in the garden, if not the world! The Romans introduced the... Read more.
Coastal, Food and Drink, Forestry and Nature, Further Afield, History

Historic Train Journey from Palma to Soller, Majorca

By Lyn Funnell The journey from Palma to Soller takes just under an hour, travelling through the picturesque Serra de Tramuntana mountains. We were looking forward... Read more.
Entertainment, Food and Drink, Sussex

A Harry Sandwich

By Lyn Funnell Harry’s Bar in Venice is famous for its food and drinks. One of its recipes is a toasted sandwich. This is my version of it, which is…... Read more.
Coastal, Food and Drink, Further Afield, Historic Buildings, History

I love Palma Majorca (or is it Mallorca?)

By Lyn Funnell The buses went to Palma every 15 minutes, opposite our hotel, the Bonsol. We all speak Spanish and our daughter went to pay the driver. But he…... Read more.
Food and Drink, Sussex

Sister Sarah’s Veggie Crumble

By Lyn Funnell A mixture of vegetables, chopped. Use whatever you have. Instead of boiling them, you can use any leftover cooked veg you have. I used cauliflower,... Read more.
Animals & Wildlife, Forestry and Nature, Sussex

Pond Life

By Lyn Funnell Since we dug out a large pond in our garden recently, it has really attracted the wildlife. We piled up the clayey contents of the pond and…... Read more.
Charity, Kent

Ross Bowie takes on The 13 Bridges Challenge, in aid of SSAFA and This Is Us CIC – “If I can, anyone can”

By Lyn Funnell Tunbridge Wells, Kent, June 2025… “Hi. I am Ross. I am 33 years old, I have cerebral palsy and have spent most of my life in a wheelchair.... Read more.
Food and Drink, Sussex

Savoury Cheesy Bread Pudding

By Lyn Funnell All ingredients are approximate. It doesn’t matter if you vary them a bit. 1 ½ lbs/650kgms bread 3 eggs 20zs/50k Ashdown Foresters Cheese from... Read more.
Further Afield, History, Uncategorized

Majorca’s Cuevas del Drach; Dragon’s Caves.

By Lyn Funnell While staying in Majorca at the Hotel Bonsol, we decided to visit the Cuevas del Drach. We’d been there several years ago and thought they were... Read more.
Food and Drink, Kent, Sussex

The High Weald Dairy Cookbook;  Classic Kent and Sussex Recipes Updated

By Lyn Funnell Lyn’s latest book has just been released on amazon. Food & Travel writer Lyn Funnell brings you a delicious celebration of British cheese and... Read more.
Coastal, Eastbourne, Food and Drink, Sussex

Back to the Bay Side, Pevensey Bay

By Lyn Funnell I have eaten in the Bay Side Diner several times when I’ve been in the area, and its high quality and low prices always amaze me. Last…... Read more.
Animals & Wildlife, Art, Coastal, Food and Drink, Forestry and Nature, Further Afield, Historic Buildings

Bonsol. My Favourite Hotel

By Lyn Funnell The view from our balcony I stayed in the Bonsol Hotel in Majorca several years ago and I absolutely loved it. I always intended to return. Earlier…... Read more.
Food and Drink, Sussex, Uncategorized

Showercaps have Many Uses! Here are 30 of Them.

By Lyn Funnell Free showercaps are often found in hotel bathrooms. I  always put them in my bag and take them home as they come in very useful. Here are…... Read more.
Coastal, Food and Drink, Further Afield

Portsmouth’s Spinnaker Tower

By Lyn Funnell On a day trip to Portsmouth, the first thing that we noticed was the Spinnaker Tower. It dominates the skyline wherever you walk and it can be…... Read more.
Food and Drink, Sussex

High Weald Halloumi Hotpot

By Lyn Funnell 4oz/150g Halloumi, cut into small cubes. Dry fry in a pan , turning it, until each side is golden. Take it out of the pan, into a…... Read more.
Entertainment, Sussex, Uncategorized

Free Book of the Week Offer!

  Lyn’s book, Fat Hope! is an amazon Book of the Week. It’s FREE to download for one week, starting today. Do read it & enjoy it. and would... Read more.