Hull is about to celebrate its biggest New Year ever. At midnight it becomes the UK City of Culture, an accolade it will hold throughout 2017. Its opening event (Jan 1-7), Made in Hull, is a celebration of the city, in pictures on buildings, on a trail where the streets speak and buildings tell stories. Staged across the… Continue reading
That Planet Earth sequence of baby turtles: who is really to blame?
The social media storm over the baby turtles in the last episode of the BBC’s outstanding Planet Earth series, narrated by David Attenborough, did not really nail the culprit. It was the emotional talking point in the programme on the interaction between man and wildlife. Baby turtles, newly hatched on a beach in Barbados, instead of making for… Continue reading →
Pavegen’s energy from footsteps tiles reach Washington DC
The power of the footstep was given a modest inauguration by the shoes of the staff of the British Embassy in Washington DC at the end of 2016, supporting a revolutionary renewable energy technology developed by UK company Pavegen. They joined pedestrians on Connecticut Avenue in the city to make their small but valuable contribution to… Continue reading →
A snowy, seasonal visit to New York City.
The first New York City snowstorm of the winter is one of the world’s great urban sensations. It’s a weather event to stand alongside the opening deluge of the monsoon in Delhi, or the start of spring in Paris. To the trigger of the opening snowflake, New Yorkers select from their white-out wardrobe. They take… Continue reading →
Much more to Bayeux than a famous date
It’s one of the most familiar dates in history, when the Normans invaded England and won the Battle of Hastings 950 years ago, on October 14 1066. I visit William the Conqueror’s handsome, historic hometown in Normandy, where the British have favourite visitor status, and track down the links to 1066, the D Day landings, Camembert,… Continue reading →
Oxford visitor boost from new railway link
Oxford is one of the most familiar cities in Britain, after London, even for people who have never been there. Its fine wide streets and noble buildings – its pubs too – have been the backdrop for countless TV programmes and films, from C. S. Lewis to Harry Potter. Now a new rail link between London… Continue reading →