When it comes to audiences for the performing arts, it’s safe to assume that men and women have differing tastes. I’ve always supposed, although I haven’t seen the evidence, that more women will go to classical ballet performances than men. And I bet there are more men than women in the audience for a Wagner… Continue reading
Could London Olympics give lift-off to the electric car.
The London Olympics are likely to be the best advertisement yet for the electric car. BMW, who will be exclusively providing the vehicles for athletes, officials and VIPs, have fallen far short of the initial target of 4000 electric vehicles shuttling noiselessly and emission-free to and from the Olympic facilities. But in this new era… Continue reading →
Our day in Homs, just another nothing special city in Syria
Homs, in Syria, is a good example of the dull, nondescript place that, in iteself, would never interest the average tourist. It has no buildings or historical landmarks of note and no stories from the past worth retelling. Now, quite unexpectedly, it has an awful celebrity. An evil government is bombarding its own innocent… Continue reading →
Canadian resort shows how to tread lightly on the environment
Taking a long distance, expensive holiday can test your conscience. You worry about the Co2 emissions from the flight, about that big expensive hotel with all those staff and that enormous heating (or air conditioning) bill. Isn’t the best model for sustainable tourism a cosy little “staycation” in your home country to which you travel… Continue reading →
Is this the greenest fleet of company cars in Britain?
RCS Printers, a printing company in Retford, Nottinghamshire, has bought six Nissan Leaf all-electric cars for use by its employees. The cars will be powered with renewable energy, generated by solar panels recently fitted on the company’s roof. So this ought to be, near enough, zero-emission driving. Using the slowest form of powering up, simply… Continue reading →
Peaceful Abu Dhabi passes new tourism test
The second test match between England and Pakistan (January, 2012) shone a fresh media spotlight on Abu Dhabi. I was there recently. The place of the gazelle is less frantic than Dubai, its near nighbour in the United Arab Emirates in the Gulf. As well as a peaceful place to play big sporting events, the… Continue reading →