There’s the hint of political change in the air. I don’t mean a resolution of the Brexit agony, or the result of the Tory Party leadership election. Although there is a link. It’s hard to believe that the current chaotic system that led to an enormously divisive referendum, and the opportunity for a tiny number… Continue reading
The great (rail) way west – to Pembrokeshire
The holiday express: through trains are running from Paddington to Tenby and West Wales this summer (2019), continuing a link which began in the days of Queen Victoria. “If there be any one train more than another, the sight of which stirs the patriotic pride of an enthusiastic Great Westernite, it is the Tenby express leaving Paddington… Continue reading →
How one of Britain’s busiest bird reserves keeps the peace
Rainham Marshes is one of my favourite wild places in the UK. I like it because of it is both wonderful and incongruous, hemmed in by the M25, clearly visible rising over the Queen Elizabeth II bridge over the Thames, by the A13 and the high-speed Eurostar line from London to the Channel Tunnel. And… Continue reading →
Wales government rejects M4 relief road and passes first big test of climate resolve
The Welsh Government will not proceed with the £1.4bn M4 relief road around Newport. First Minister Mark Drakeford axed the scheme today (June 4), citing cost and environmental impact. This is a significant, and rare, rejection of a road scheme, which was widely supported by the CBI and many local politicians. Plans to build a… Continue reading →
Pavegen funds its walk-on part in a cleaner future
UK “energy and data from footsteps” firm Pavegen has launched (May 28th, 2019) a crowdfunding campaign to raise the additional £5m it needs to expand production of its revolutionary V3 energy generating tile, and make it at a lower unit cost. Pavegen, founded by Laurence Kemball-Cook, the company’s CEO, in 2009, came up with the… Continue reading →
Are men ready for upmarket hair care?
Melogy has since closed. So I’ve amended my piece, below, to turn it into a kind of lament. When the original St. Pancras Hotel opened alongside the Midland Railway London terminus 138 years ago, the cameras picked out a host of important and august men in top hats and frock coats. But while their beards… Continue reading →