The stage version of The Girl on the Train, adapted from the novel by Paula Hawkins, has just arrived at the Duke of York’s theatre in the West End. No waiting at faulty signals, or delays by the wrong type of leaves on the line for this play. It travelled directly from the West Yorkshire… Continue reading
England and New Zealand – the greatest cricket game ever?
So, was Sunday’s World Cup final at Lords the greatest cricket match ever? Some are certainly calling it that. Others stop short with “the greatest ODI final ever.” Sky commentator Ashley Giles slipped in a qualifying ” one of the”, but the Sky website (after all, they were the broadcaster) called it the greatest… Continue reading
How the looming battle over Oxford to Cambridge Expressway might be won
Could the purposed Expressway be the next big road battle in the UK? And is it winnable? Until last month (June 2019), few opponents would have held out much hope of resisting the combined forces of the Highways Agency, which first advanced the £1.5 bn project, and the Westminster government, which almost without fail wins… Continue reading
Festivals in fields – how WOMAD catches the spirit of Woodstock
As final preparations proceed for the 2019 music, books and ideas festival season, I’m republishing an account I wrote earlier on one of the most international, cheerful and animated jamborees that break out in random, rural corners of Britain, regardless of the weather, throughout the summer. 50 years on, Woodstock cannot be matched. But WOMAD, with or without the mud,… 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