More Than Just a Holiday: Uncovering Suffolk’s Secret History with Julie Johnson

For seventeen years, my professional life has been defined by the Suffolk landscape. As the owner of a holiday cottage business, my mission has always been simple: to encourage people to discover the unique beauty of our county. I never wanted to just build a portfolio of properties; I wanted to give people a reason to stay here.

This commitment is why we have historically produced more blog content than almost anyone else in the industry, with well over 1,000 posts. However, staying relevant means adapting. In today’s digital world, that means embracing video.

From Marketing to Music

At the beginning of 2026 , I decided to produce a series of short videos on Suffolk and Tuscan folklore, history, and ghost stories. The initial logic was purely commercial. I wanted to boost the profile of my Holiday Cottages, Barns & Barges, and build a layer of trust with potential guests. I wanted them to see the face behind the business and understand the passion that goes into our accommodation. It was a strategy to give people a proper human reason to choose us over a faceless hotel.

But then, something unexpected happened. For most of my life, my creative outlet was music. After years of writing and performing in bands, osteoarthritis in my hands forced me to put down my guitars. I didn’t just lose a hobby; I lost the “studio” environment; that technical, rewarding process of taking a raw idea and crafting it into a finished piece of art.

What started as a deliberate marketing move for the business quickly became the creative outlet I had been missing for a few years. Digging into Suffolk’s legends, from the Black Shuck, our ancient ruins, or the whispers in the marshes, kinda felt like songwriting again, just without the guitar.

The Snowball Effect

The response has been, frankly, staggering. These videos have “gone ballistic,” garnering well over 2.5 million views in the first couple of months of 2026, and thousands of positive comments. The real “lightbulb moment” now happens at the front doors of my holiday cottages, where guests arrive and tell me, “We’ve been watching your videos!” From a business perspective, that is the holy grail of customer connection. On top of that we have started to get bookings from people who have discovered us this way.

As this project has evolved from a marketing idea into a genuine historical mission, I realised I wanted to bring even more depth and academic rigour to the stories I tell.

A Partnership Rooted in History

I am absolutely delighted to announce that I am now collaborating on some videos with Julie Kathleen Johnson.

Julie is a Suffolk-born historian and writer whose work is dedicated to bringing overlooked local stories back into view. She is the founder of Back to your roots, a historical research business shaped by a lifelong interest in the “real” lives of the past. Her expertise is truly top-tier; she holds an MSc in Genealogical, Palaeographic, and Heraldic Studies and is currently working through a History PhD, exploring the lived experiences of poverty and workhouses in rural Suffolk.

You may have seen her writing in national magazines such as Family Tree and Who Do You Think You Are?. Through her research, Julie gives a voice to the forgotten, restoring their place in the wider story of our county.

By combining my passion for the Suffolk landscape with Julie’s deep historical expertise, we are going to peel back the layers of our local history like never before. I am thrilled to have her guidance as we continue to show the world why Suffolk is such a magical place to visit.