The ‘Square Mile’ has seen its fair share of fires since a settlement was first founded here by the Romans 2,000 years ago. But two big events dominate in the history books – the Great Fire of 1666, which left four-fifths of the City in ruins, and incendiary […]
If you can blot out the din from planes landing and taking off at nearby Manchester Airport, Styal is the picture perfect postcard Cheshire commuter village. Surrounded by acres of green space, the attractive 19th century red brick terraced cottages are connected by cobbled roads and alleys. Dog […]
Watching archaeologists at work on construction sites in London over the years, I’ve often wondered what happens to all the artefacts they unearth. The major finds often soon end up on show to the public in special museum exhibitions, but what about the mere fragments that – to […]
With the likes of St Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey on the “Places worth seeing” list, a modern day visitor to London would find much of the 1862 edition of Bradshaw’s Illustrated Hand Book To London And Its Environs very familiar. Written with the railway traveller in mind, the publication […]
Thomas Coram had travelled around the world as a sea captain and shipbuilder but, returning to London in 1720, he was shocked to see so many children lying dying on the capital’s streets. At a time when overseas trade was expanding fast, it was estimated that over one […]
“Save Norton Folgate,” shouts the large black print on a white banner flapping in the wind above a fine Georgian terrace a few minutes walk from Liverpool Street station. Four decades on from when Dan Cruickshank, Sir John Betjeman and many dedicated others fought a long hard battle […]
Before leaving for the airport, I went to have a look around Havana’s cathedral, a Cuban baroque building, with two vast towers and completed in 1787. Designed by Italian architect Francesco Borromini, it was described by the novelist Alejo Carpenter as “music set in stone” and is one […]
Wi-fi is hard to find in Cuba, with only tourist hotels offering their guests access at a premium price. Much more common is to see tourists queuing for creaking connections at state run cyber cafes, where some sites are blocked. Cubans are officially barred from having the Internet […]
When I told people I was coming to Cuba, most who had visited warned me about the terrible food I would eat. But dining out in Cuba, I was pleasantly surprised at the choice and quality of meals offer. The best ones that locals and guidebooks recommended were […]
There are hotels wherever you look in Varadero. Popular with tourists from around the world, the all-inclusive buffets and fine beaches at these (mostly) luxury establishments are all that many will see of Cuba during their break in the sun, especially if they land at the local airport. […]
Past In The Present 