A COLCHESTER councillor found a home away from home more than 3,000 miles away.

Darius Laws embarked on a roadtrip through Colchester, in Ontario, Canada, while visiting the country with his girlfriend, Kate.

Opting for the off-beaten track, the couple spent two days with a Canadian trucker and his family meeting other native Colcestrians.

They had travelled to Canada for a friend's wedding.

He said: "I'm not a poolside or beach holiday fan as I'm much more into exploring new landscapes and meeting interesting people.

"When we were planning the holiday and saw there was a Colchester, we couldn't resist a roadtrip.

"It's a small lakeside village with a café, Canada's most southern pub, which was a biker bar we had a beer at, a beach, a harbour and several vineyards.

"It was mainly a retirement and second-home village and had taken a slight economic hit from the decline in wealth over the river in Detroit.

"Hotels didn't seem an option, but it was fun meeting the locals."

Before leaving to return to Toronto, Cllr Laws sampled wine at the Colchester Ridge Estate Winery, which he said was "younger" than the Dedham Vale Vineyard.

During the two weeks he and Kate stopped at Belle Ville, Prince Edward County, Montreal, Quebec City and Ottawa.

He added: "Prince Edward County is an island like Mersea only with more vineyards and in Quebec City they have stunning historic walls, which are lit up at night.

"Their High Street had a car ban during the evening to allow restaurants and cafés to host on the pavement.

"Canada is a fantastic country full of friendly, internationally-minded people who are proud of their country.

"They had flags on virtually every street corner, which is something I wish we might do more of here."