The industrial age, the time of metal and machines and global manufacturing, began 250 years ago in a deep and tranquil river valley in Shropshire. The fire, smoke and din are long gone, but the world-leading legacy survives on the banks of the Severn. It was a time for making heavy and powerful things, but… Continue reading
Browsing Category Travel
The Garden Route – the majestic drive at the foot of Africa
At the foot of South Africa is a spectacular 150 mile journey through the narrow band of land between the Indian Ocean and the mountains. Travellers are seduced by a floral paradise, sands that are wide and white, the double majesty of elephants on land and whales close to the shore, a world record bungee… Continue reading →
How to enjoy the gilded Algarve, without golf clubs
A shorter version of this article appeared in the Mail on Sunday, January 8th, 2017. Were we the only tourists on the Algarve who didn’t play golf? It certainly felt like that at Faro airport as we searched for our suitcases on the arrivals hall carousel under a mound of bulky bags of clubs. Many… Continue reading →
Stoke-on-Trent’s tourism evolution
Stoke-on-Trent is buoyed up by the Emma Bridgewater factor, helping its advance as a busy and interesting short break destination. Pottery Until recently Stoke on Trent was associated with one main thing, pottery. And it still an essential visit to pay, to the places where they make the things that underpin our daily lives – teacups and dinner… Continue reading →
Could King’s Cross grand approach be an inspiration for a remade Euston?
This isn’t Euston station. That’s too much of a mess to be worth showing in a photograph. But plans are afoot for big improvements up there, and King’s Cross, just down the road (seen here in early 2017, should be the inspiration. The wonder at King’s Cross is the space. There is no cluttering structure, just a… Continue reading →
After the Beatles, will Elphie be the new sound of Hamburg?
Why the Elbphilharmonie, on the banks of the river Elbe in Hamburg, cost ten times the original figure, and took six years longer to build than the first estimate, is likely to matter less and less after its formal opening on January 11th, 2017. The venue is as imposing and spectacular as most new performance centres seem to… Continue reading →