I am a journalist and freelancer from Cardiff in Wales, but I often travel to London to cover stories and meet with clients. My niche is writing about the alternative side of life and the UK capital is the place to find it. It is well worth making the journey to London, because the city hosts so many conferences, exhibitions and public events where a writer like me can find plenty of subject matter to write about. Often these gatherings are for one day only, so I like to catch an early train or coach and then get one back in the evening.

I’m especially interested in writing about alternative health, herbalism, and healing therapies. There are lots of publications and websites that publish articles on these subjects, as I have discovered. For example,Kindred Spiritis a very popular magazine that publishes New Age material, as well as articles about herbs and healing.

The Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine(s): History vs. Modernity conference coming up on 2 March, 2018, is an ideal event, as far as I’m concerned. Here there will be practitioners of homeopathy, acupuncture, herbal therapy, osteopathy, biofeedback and meditation. Interviews with speakers and stallholders at this sort of event always make good copy, and provide great photo opportunities too. Taking plenty of photos is always a good idea, as illustrations for my articles, and as a bonus, some publishers pay extra for pictures.

The Mind Body Spirit Wellbeing Festival is another event that takes place every year, where I can always find plenty of great material to write about and fascinating people to meet and interview. Herbal remedies and organic treats rub shoulders with crystals, chakric healing and yoga exercise. Incense and essential oils perfume the air.

When attending conferences in the big city,it is a very good idea to book into a dayroom in London at DayBreakHotels.com. Having a private room at such a hotel provides an excellent place where I can store any samples I may have been given at the event (and I am always given all sorts of booklets and other stuff), to take a short break between talks and presentations, and to freshen up in before another meeting. Of course, you can come back to your day room at the end of whatever event you have been to, collect your belongings and leave to catch your return train, after a very enjoyable day in London. For a writer like me, a trip to a conference or exhibition in the big city, combines work and pleasure too.