With the start of direct Eurostar trains from London last May [2015], the rebirth of this once run-down and edgy Mediterranean port is complete. Crumbling shops and factories have become cool designer B&Bs, galleries and concert halls. The famous old harbour has been renewed by Britain’s Norman Foster. And they make the perfect bouillabaisse…. Continue reading
A message to the future – why were we so quiet about climate change?
September, 2015. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness.” — “Elephant in the room’ is a metaphorical idiom for an obvious truth that is either being ignored or going unaddressed…also applies to an obvious problem or risk no… Continue reading →
Could Anglo-Saxon Lenborough Hoard lift a county’s tourism?
Buckinghamshire, my adopted county, is a place of minor, restrained tourist attractions. The Chilterns are its main landscape asset, a quiet conglomeration of hill and valley and wood. Not so tall and commanding, but appealing on a small scale, and very convenient to London. There are many attractive small market towns, their old hearts preserved… Continue reading →
Start-ups offer smart solutions for our climate-stressed times
The big advances in slowing climate change will come from international agreements backed up with strong national government programmes. But there will be technological fixes too, chipping away at that inexorably growing CO2 emissions figure, and providing cost and other efficiency savings at the same time. Taken together, the ones that turn into products and… Continue reading →
Motorola makes Moto G force in the smartphone market
I have a new camera / radio (though I mainly use BBC iPlayer, liberating me from the schedule) /tape recorder / personal communications centre / computer. Oh, and it’s a telephone too. It’s also a timepiece and very handy alarm clock. My day is punctuated by short-term alarms – a great motivator which I can recommend…. Continue reading →
Beyond selling houses: Property website Plentific adds services for homeowners
We’ve just moved into our (hypothetical) new home, and there’s work to be done. We need an electrician to fix that dodgy wiring, a plumber to sort out the en-suite, and an architect to give us some thoughts on that extension we are planning. In time we would find all those people, and they might, or… Continue reading →