He’ll probably get off the train at Cannon Street or London Bridge. Along with his important AACCA documentation, his work clothes and sensible shoes will be tucked inside a cheap Fitness First day bag strapped to his back. On alighting the train he will go about unpacking his Brompton folding bike, tugging and screwing at… Continue reading London cyclist #1: The city accountant
Category: Great Britain
London cyclists
What is it about London cyclists? In the space of about six months they’ve morphed from a few people commuting to work into a whole army of renegade road users battling for survival. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good for air quality and general congestion, but does it really have to be quite so aggressive?… Continue reading London cyclists
Play Up Pompey!
FA Cup Final, Saturday 17th May 2008. Portsmouth Vs Cardiff. The day starts with a journey down to Portsmouth on the South West Trains’ superb service out of Waterloo. Great station, quiet new trains with spacious carriages, £30 return. You can’t argue with that. People who moan about trains in this country usually listen to… Continue reading Play Up Pompey!
The crime of ink stained skin
The news is on, BBC. I haven’t seen it in ages and now I know why. A completely unrelated story focuses on a man with an England tattoo on his forearm. He’s done nothing wrong other than to offer some first hand evidence. Yet that evidence has already been doubted by the production crew, the… Continue reading The crime of ink stained skin
The sanitisation of war
When I was younger I used to read small colorful comic books about war called, Commando. You can buy them concatenated as huge volumes in bigger bookshops. Gripping and predictable stories from all wars about fighting and destruction. I couldn’t get enough of it, the struggle between good and evil laid bare by Tommies with… Continue reading The sanitisation of war
I hope protesters ruin the Olympics for the Chinese
The most depressing sight of the Olympic torch making its way through London on Sunday was those figures decked out in the blue and white shell suits. Having swapped tunics for disguises from JJB, the two lines of identical Chinese ‘Officials’ pushed and shoved their way passed anything that stood in their path. The ‘Officials’… Continue reading I hope protesters ruin the Olympics for the Chinese
Herosim is easy to deal with
I was reading a list of names yesterday, members of the armed forces who have died whilst serving in Afghanistan. Each one of them leaves behind a lengthy and complex network of friends, family and loved ones who will spend the rest of their lives thinking about them. With each death, the years of history,… Continue reading Herosim is easy to deal with
The NHS and negative nationalism
I have fractured my ankle, not seriously but enough for it to be in a cast for the next four weeks. And a great cast it is too, bright orange plastic set off with a smart little black bootie. Nice. The handiwork was carried out by a nurse at Kings College Hospital in Denmark Hill,… Continue reading The NHS and negative nationalism
Oasis at the City of Manchester Stadium
The Twenty 20 cricket on Friday night at Edgebaston was superb entertainment, loads of noise and action washed down with plenty of lager. Okay it’s cricket for people that don’t know about the sport, like me, but hugely enjoyable all the same. It was nice also to see so many dads there with their kids.… Continue reading Oasis at the City of Manchester Stadium
1968: The year that rocked the world, Mark Kurlansky
I like the way that this book sounds, an historical text rewritten as a story by a journalist who has the ability to make anything sound interesting. The research involved is penetrating in the way that it picks up on personal points from eye witness accounts, this leaves the reader with a genuine sense of… Continue reading 1968: The year that rocked the world, Mark Kurlansky