With gleaming waterfront apartments around London Bridge on the market today for sums that only those on bankers salaries could afford, it is hard to imagine upmarket parts of south London like Borough and Shad Thames tarred by heavy industry and nothing short a miserable place to live. […]
Fleet Street, on the fringes of the City, has to be one my favourite places to head to for an evening out with friends. Pubs like Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, tucked away down a narrow alley, are oozing in character. Here you’ll find a maze of cosy rooms […]
When the sun is shining there are few better places to be than sitting on the terrace of a dockside bar in Bristol. Even in the heat you can while away a few hours at ease as there is almost always a gentle breeze. Boats carrying tourists pass […]
Taking a stroll along the promenade at Blackpool is always bracing. No matter what the month there always seems to be a constant gale and, if my own experiences are anything to go by, the sun never shines. Yet despite the unreliable weather, I love this northern seaside […]
Dancing to the lively sounds of the Africa stage at the River of Music festival on Saturday evoked happy memories. The infectious rythms and energy of the performances at London Pleasure Gardens, in the shadow of the ExCeL centre, reminded me of the happy sounds I heard last […]
The breadth of history on show in London for all to see never ceases to amaze me. Last week I saw the remains of a Roman bathhouse hidden below a City office block. This weekend I viewed, beneath another modern building, traces of the first theatre to be […]
It’s getting trendy these days for museum exhibitions to examine the world that famous historic figures would have seen. ‘Dickens and London’ which ran at the Museum of London earlier this year for example was an excellent portrayal of the Victorian capital, timed to coincide with the 200th […]
Lurking beneath a rather dull and grey London office block there is a fascinating discovering to be made. After passing through an unassuming entrance at 101 Lower Thames Street and descending a flight of concrete steps, you are greeted by the extensive remains of a Roman bathhouse. This […]
Budget airlines have been heavily criticised in recent years for flying to airports that are miles from the places they are meant to serve. Travellers can feel short changed when they are forced to fork out for expensive transport to their ultimate destination. Using smaller, less busy airports […]
There is just one dress code required for Pamplona right now. Wherever you look in this packed, alcohol-fuelled city, people of all ages are wearing their white trousers and tops adorned with red neckerchiefs. They dance in the streets to the sounds of impromptu gigs from bands, tossing […]
Past In The Present 