The AD122 must be one of the most picturesque bus routes I have encountered in Britain. It is a relatively new creation following an ancient path, running the 84 mile route of Hadrian’s wall as it crosses Northumberland and Cumbria from central Newcastle (not quite the end of the wall,… Continue reading
The future cities exhibition at The Crystal building points out a startling truth early on: half the world’s population lives in cities, and by 2050 this number will have risen to 70%, something like 6.5 billion people. Every second another two people move to a city. The Crystal proclaims itself… Continue reading
Check out encircleafrica.org for this month’s updates now! (You made need to refresh your browser.) In 1872 French author Jules Verne ensured that English gentleman Phileas Fogg made it from London’s Reform Club and back within the novel’s 80 day time limit. Using predominantly public forms of transport – anything from… Continue reading
My love of travel by public transport doesn’t normally entitle me to travel by cable car. And until a few months ago this small adventure across the River Thames wouldn’t have been possible. The ‘Emirates Air Line’ cable car is the first urban cableway in the UK. It was with… Continue reading
Have you visited the updated interactive encircleafrica.org? For me nothing can induce the fernweh* like running a finger across a map or standing beneath the electronic departure and arrivals boards of an international airport as they tick over. This yearning doesn’t mean I like airports: the waiting, the drudgery and the… Continue reading
January 9th 2013 sees the London Underground celebrating its 150th anniversary. Shortly after 1 pm on January 9th 1863 the inaugural train of the world’s first underground railway left Paddington station for the three and a quarter mile journey. Queen Victoria had just celebrated her silver jubilee, and Lord Palmerston… Continue reading
Encircle Africa was the first solo and unsupported overland circumnavigation of continental Africa by public transport. It came as somewhat of a surprise to me that I would be attempting to achieve something never completed before in such as manner. Africa’s a big place; the second largest continent. So I… Continue reading
I wouldn’t need much luggage. A small holdall would probably suffice, containing a notebook and novel as well as a sandwich, scarf and gloves. The last section of the London Overground rail orbital was officially opened at the beginning of the week. The orbital makes use of a group of… Continue reading
Spending the weekend in the Royal Geographical Society’s Ondaatje Theatre at their London headquarters for the annual ‘Explore’ weekend (see last blog) got me to thinking of those adventurers who predated me. The theatre’s wood-panelled walls are marked out in gilding with the names of the world’s most important explorers…. Continue reading
