I wrote this in 2011, more in tribute to the liberating power of satnav than as a homage to Hollywood, which is really a world-wide community of sitting with strangers in a darkened space and being transporting to the far corners of the imagination by images and music. Los Angeles’s dubious reputation is “The city… Continue reading
Belfast at peace: Lonely Planet’s choice of top place to visit in 2018
Feb 27th 2018 update. April 2018 marks the 20th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. In May (departing on the 20th) veteran television journalist Martin Bell will lead a five night Prestige Holidays’ escorted tour to the province. The conflict had a huge impact on the then young journalist. Martin will give talks about his experiences, illustrated… Continue reading →
Rotterdam’s revival – how direct London trains will boost Holland’s second city
Eurostar launches direct services between London, Rotterdam and Amsterdam through the Channel Tunnel on 4 April, 2018. The first passenger train, for the press and “invited guests” (above), ran on Tuesday, Feb 20th, 2018. The inaugural train was slowed by the congestion caused by regular domestic services in Holland, but it still arrived early at Rotterdam Centraal. From London that… Continue reading →
Bulldog breeds Co2-free plastic for men’s skin care products
Discarded plastic is unsightly, but it is Co2-heavy too. And this is a point which has not been made so much in the flurry of announcements, from the government down, on the subject in early 2018. While we grapple with eliminating plastic altogether, we might at least start making it from something sustainable. I look… Continue reading →
1066 Country and all that – Hastings battles up the South Coast rankings
President Macron has announced that the Bayeux Tapestry will be loaned to Britain. This will be the first time in 950 years that it is left France, although it’s likely to be five years before it arrives here. It is not known where the tapestry will be displayed in Britain, although the British Museum must… Continue reading →
Climate charity 10:10 calls for new buildings to have solar panels as standard
The climate action charity 10:10 has launched a campaign to persuade the government that all suitable new buildings should have solar panels fitted as standard. In a tweet it argues: “If every new home came with built-in solar panels, we’d increase our capacity to produce clean solar power by 50% in just seven years. British… Continue reading →