As a child in the 1970s I went to a small Church of England Primary school in the rural Essex village of Colne Engaine. Situated at the edge of the village the school looked over fields and woods in three directions, in all seasons the slightly undulating expanse of countryside formed a familiar backdrop to… Continue reading Life in the Parachute Regiment, aged ten
Category: Europe
The dark side of the early eighties
The only music I really had access to when I was younger was my Dad’s record collection. He didn’t have much in the way of vinyl, maybe enough to fit into a couple of cardboard boxes and most of it had been played to death or had been scratched by us as kids. It sat… Continue reading The dark side of the early eighties
The Campsite Nazi
Dad was a camp site Nazi. It’s not something I hold against him, it’s a state of mind he developed to deal with children, adults and animals on camping grounds. I can’t remember when he became a Campsite Nazi, but it must have been around the time of the Welsh Holiday incident when he arranged… Continue reading The Campsite Nazi
5 steps to a disastrous experience with rentalcars.com
The car that we booked through rentalcars.com simply didn’t materialise at the airport in Kefalonia on 6th July 2013. We waited and waited but nobody appeared to “Meet and greet” us as promised. Just what you fucking well need isn’t it? Getting up at 4am with a hangover, getting on a flight and then standing… Continue reading 5 steps to a disastrous experience with rentalcars.com
10 things to miss about the Tour de France
1. France Possibly the worlds most beautiful country, of which the Tour de France makes fantastic use. From the Alps to the Pyraness, from Gap to Bordeaux, from the Sunflower fields to the dry dusty villages that would be missed with a blink of an eye, everything I love most about Europe can be delivered… Continue reading 10 things to miss about the Tour de France
Robert Runcie MC, Great Britain becomes a traitor
Robert Runcie spent his entire life serving Great Britain. During the second world war he saw action as a tank commander throughout Europe, demonstrating outstanding bravery on two occasions in March 1945 that would earn him the Military Cross. Despite heavy and sustained enemy fire the young Lieutenant ignored overwhelming danger and rescued a crew… Continue reading Robert Runcie MC, Great Britain becomes a traitor
A vote on Europe is the last thing we need
When it comes to ideas and interests in life, my teenage years seem have been the most formative, as they probably were with most people. During the 80s along with my brother and two friends I started riding my racing bike seriously, and with that came the obsessing over continental cycle racing. Not only was… Continue reading A vote on Europe is the last thing we need
Hell on Wheels
This is fantastic film, probably the best sporting film I’ve seen. It follows the Telekom team, focusing mostly on Erik Zabel and Rolf Aldag, through the 2003 Tour de France. It’s not so much about the 2003 Tour as a race, more about how the Telekom team, riders and staff cope with demands and pressures… Continue reading Hell on Wheels
Rapha, I just want to spend money.
As a bloke I don’t indulge in retail therapy that much, I like to buy clothes, books, gadgets and the occasional set of lego, but I’m not over the top with buying for the sake of it. I usually buy stuff that sells itself, which usually means branded products that I like and actually need.… Continue reading Rapha, I just want to spend money.
Yuri Gagarin, the first man into space
A day before the space shuttle launch in 1982 Mr Atkins, our primary school teacher at the time, asked us to find out something about the men who pioneered space travel. Easy I thought to myself, just look up Neil Armstrong, that’s all we knew about space, Neil Armstrong. At home, we had half a… Continue reading Yuri Gagarin, the first man into space