Quicker than you could say ‘the Spice Islands are at war’ it was over. 38 minutes after the naval bombardment began the shortest war in history ended. That’s three times less time than it takes to reach the capital Stone Town by ferry from the African mainland today. The British… Continue reading
Some people just don’t get out much. Out of their home nation that is. Sometimes there’s a good reason for this: North Korea and Zimbabwe are going to be difficult to leave alive, Andorra has no airport or railway stations, and the police might be taking care of the passports… Continue reading
Britain’s hardest working industrial river was never the Thames, Humber or Severn, but the little-known Wandle. It is by no means the longest or most difficult river to follow, with its short 14 mile course between south London and Wandsworth making an excellent day’s walk. It is by no means… Continue reading
Instead of a 20 kilogram backpack I had a mostly empty bag weighing little more than the notebook and novel I had inside it. Despite living in a country where it was impossible to be further than 72 miles from the coast at any point in time, it had taken… Continue reading
Something needed to be done. 50 years ago Britain’s publicly financed rail network lost £104 million. If that doesn’t sound too awful then consider that it today’s money it accounts for £1.9 billion; 36% of the Department of Transport’s current annual budget. Income had not covered costs for almost a… Continue reading
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
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
Being a Croydon boy, it’s sometimes difficult to be proud of the place I was born and brought up, faced with the obvious jokes and the ugly post war buildings. For its faults, of which there are many, Croydon does have things to be proud of. For one, it isn’t… 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
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
