My grandmother’s grandmother
by Harry Pope My grandmother was born in south London in 1891. She wrote these words as family history when she was 74, which I transcribed onto my computer....
Steve’s Sojourn’s : Allier France
Cradle of the Bourbon dynasty the department of Allier, in the Massif Central in the most northerly part of the Auvergne, is famous for its landscapes. Its also has...
Nimes boasts its Roman heritage – Meanderings through France n° 207
By Frédéric de Poligny & Annick Dournes Nimes is a French southern town created in ancient times by the Roman invaders. At only a few miles away from...
Ultimate automotive arrogance, or a viable future proposition?
IAIN ROBERTSON As one of the largest vehicle and technology companies in the world, Toyota has an important responsibility to fulfil, highlights Iain Robertson, but he also questions the...
Malta Diary Malta and Gozo – islands packed with ancient treasures
ALBERT FENECH e/mail – Facebook: My Blog: Malta and Gozo comprise one of the smallest island groups in the world. However,...
Taxi Noir: Billionaires Row
I occasionally find myself driving my cab along one of London’s most upmarket streets; The Bishops Avenue. Some people say it’s in Hampstead, others Highgate. While it’s close to...
Karl’s Chronicles Article 17 Benin -Twelve Kings
A column of grey gunpowder was discharged into the air like the venomous spit of a cobra, but where the defensive attributes of a serpent came silent and cunning,...
Rachel´s Wanderings in Spain 14 New Year, New Century and Day of the Kings
Happy New Year to you all. Red underwear or not (see previous article Christmas in Spain Then and Now for clarity) we´re into not only a new year but...
Steve’s Sojourns : Victoria Capital of the Seychelles
The Seychelles are thought of by many as the ultimate all year round paradise holiday destination and rightly so. However, they are not as expensive to get to and...
Walking in the foot path of Salvador Dali, the Spanish Master of Surrealism – World Meanderings (n°77)
By Frederic de Poligny What could be the future of Catalonia, Cadaquès, Figueras and Putbol will forever stay as the Salvador Dali’s country. These three places are...
My Year’s Favourite Article. A Stranger in Vegas. The Golden Nugget Hotel Casino
In 1946, project Diana bounces radar waves off the Moon proving that communication between Earth and outer space is possible. In 1946, the current US President Donald Trump was...
Jane’s Favourite Article of 2019. Minis, Marvelettes & Mary Quant
My Favourite 2019 Article. An exhibition to honour sustainable fashion Hot-pants and minis, panty hose and PVC… this was the swinging sixties and the age of Mary Quant when...
Sad Seaside Victorian Hotel
by Harry Pope You may have read or seen on media outlets about the Claremont Hotel in Eastbourne on the south coast. It suffered a major fire mid-November 2019,...
Favourite Article of 2019; Steve’s Sojourns: The Northern Lights
The Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) is one of nature’s most fantastic shows and something that has become a ‘must do’ for so many. A vibrant, dancing display of green,...
Annick’s Favourite of 2019. Winter white paradise in Saint-Gervais – Meanderings through France n° 173
By Annick Dournes & Frederic de Poligny After going down in history during the glorious times of the Mont-Blanc’s conquest, Saint-Gervais is today a trendy ski resort....
Darting about in Devon
Devon is an English county located in the UK’s South West. Within the county, the River Dart is one of the country’s majestic waterways. It starts with the coming...
Malta Diary If the sun shines too much outside, block it out – but deploy floor and wall tiles to bring the colour in!
ALBERT FENECH e/mail – Facebook: My Blog: Artistic craftsmanship has been slowly but surely dwindling and disappearing throughout the Maltese Islands, previously...
Rachel’s Wanderings in Spain What a Busy Year Since My Introduction in April – Me and ‘my’ bit of Spain
I’m very happy to be joining this eclectic group of rambling writers from all around the world. I’m in Spain, but let me start at the beginning and introduce...
Frederic’s FAvourite. A visit to Äland, the last ‘Treasure’s Island” – World Meanderings (n°76)
By Frederic de Poligny Lying right in the middle of the Baltic Sea, Äland is the main island of an archipelago of the same name, which consists...
Lyn’s Favourite Article of 2019. Trafalgar Square; London’s National Heritage Grade 1 Square.
I love exploring in London. I choose an area, then I just walk. This is my article about Trafalgar Square and the area around it from earlier this year....
Albert’s Favourite Malta Diary How did they die and why were they interred there? The mystery of the bones in St Gregory’s Chapel
ALBERT FENECH e/mail – Facebook: My Blog: On 12th March, 1969, fifty years ago, work was being carried out on the transept...
Karl’s Chronicles Article 16 Long Walk to No Freedom
Ouidah, a small town on Benin’s south coast is synonymous with two powerful entities: one- slavery confined to the crumbling architecture of European Empires and the four-kilometre route from...
How to Build a Victorian Theatre
by Harry Pope. The letter started Dear Mr. Phipps, We are a group of Eastbourne businessmen, and wish to attract visitors to our lovely resort town by providing them...
My Favourite Mumbai Memoir- In search of freshness, greenery & Duke’s Nose!
The arrival of monsoon in Mumbai is a huge relief from the heat & humidity that is experienced during the summers. Every Mumbai’kar wishes to embrace Mother Nature when...
Steve’s Sojourns: Birding on St Kilda
The uninhabited Island of St Kilda lies some 41 miles off North Uist in the Western Isles and with over a million birds it is the most important seabird...
Christmas’ Magic in French iconic chateaux, part three: Chambord Château – Meanderings through France n° 206
By Annick Dournes & Frederic de Poligny Welcome back again to French chateaux festivities! This year for Christmas time we invite you in three different wonderful French chateaux,...
A Place to stay; The Grange Hotel. A racing certainty in York
The Grange Hotel is a Grade II listed, four star hotel, located in the Bootham part of the historic city of York. A racing theme influences the decoration of...
Malta Diary Were space aliens present in Malta – are elongated skulls the proof?
ALBERT FENECH e/mail – Facebook: My Blog: Malta overflows with myths and mysteries. One theory is that Malta was the ‘nerve control centre’...
Taxi Noir: Boris Johnson’s Channel Bridge
So, Boris Johnson has been mandated to govern the UK for another four years. I shan’t be drawn into making value statements on the outcome of the recent General...
Don’t Give the Beggars Any Money
by Harry Pope …So said our coach driver as we approached the drop-off point in Lille last Saturday, which was the first in December 2019. We had come from...
Christmas’ Magic in French iconic chateaux, part two: Château de Cheverny – Meanderings through France n° 205
By Annick Dournes & Frederic de Poligny Welcome back to French chateaux’ festivities! This year for Christmas time we invite you in three different wonderful French chateaux, Vaux-le-Vicomte,...
A Place To Stay. Stoke by Nayland Hotel
I’m sitting on a spacious decked terrace of a luxurious country lodge at Stoke by Nayland Hotel looking out over a landscape of undulating woodland, lakes and apple orchards....
Karl’s Chronicles. Article 15 Benin – Grand Popo
With Togo behind me, the coastal road continued flowing like one of Africa’s great rivers, staying close to the Atlantic after turning southeast from The Ivory Coast and Ghanaian...
Harry’s Ramblings; I Do Like to be Beside the Seaside
A Monday stroll in November by the seaside is a wonderfully invigorating exercise. Not too many people about, the main body of tourists are long gone home, back to...
Christmas’ Magic in French iconic chateaux, part one: Vaux-le-Vicomte – Meanderings through France n° 204
By Annick Dournes & Frederic de Poligny This year for Christmas time we invite you in three different wonderful French chateaux, Vaux-le-Vicomte, Cheverny and Chambord. Each...
A Place to Stay; The Chequers Inn, Maresfield.
The Chequers Inn, in East Sussex, is an old Coaching Inn dating back to the 1400s. See my article It’s full of character and it’s a very popular...
A Place to Stay. Dukes in Dubai
The number 15 bus to Tower Hill looks at me, framed and gilded. The Union Jack waves and the telephone kiosk makes the call to my homeland. Positioned side...
Karl’s Chronicles. Article 14 Togo: Between History & High Water.
Romantic poetry that had painted a slow boat to China had decompressed into a slow-boat to Togoville. A pirogue (a traditional fishing boat) was punted along the lethargic kidney-bean...
The Land Girls & Apple Orchards of the Stoke by Nayland Hotel
I’m sitting on a spacious decked terrace of a luxurious country lodge at Stoke by Nayland Hotel looking out over a landscape of undulating woodland, lakes and apple orchards....
Rachel´s Wanderings in Spain 13 Guadix, Renaissance Cathedral, Amphitheatre and Cave Dwellers
Usually I ignore the emails I get with special offers, but this particular hotel just kept popping up. What could I do? Cheap night away, spa circuit included in...