Harry’s Ramblings; Royal coffins
by Harry Pope After the sad news of the passing of the Duke of Edinburgh, I thought I would share some information with you. Even though the Royal Family...
Malta Diary Farewell old friend
ALBERT FENECH e/mail – Facebook: Malta’s older generations went into solemn mourning with the announcement of the death of the Duke of Edinburgh,...
Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Beautiful in Snow and Sun
By Ann Mealor Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a charming and little known town situated in the Bavarian Alps region of southern Germany. Close to the Austrian border, it has...
Welsh Witterings: Revolting Recipes
My latest manuscript entitled, ‘A History of Revolting Recipes’, has been completed and sent to my publishers. Now my work is with my editor and I can’t stop thinking...
Warwickshire Wildlife Trust launches £3 million appeal
Ambitious plan to bring wildlife back to Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull. Ann Evans has the details. Warwickshire Wildlife Trust launched a new fundraising appeal on 30th March...
New BMW iX, due in late-2021, is an EV that is highly encouraging
IAIN ROBERTSON From weird and wacky, to plainly plugly, Iain Robertson has been seriously concerned about the design direction being adopted by the Munich-based carmaker, although the latest news...
Spring is in the air
The daffs are out! I hear this all the time. It’s spring and a new hope dawns amid fresher, warmer air and with it those bright yellow bulbous blooms...
Lyn Looks at Life 6. Crossroads and Mini-Roundabouts.
You’ve probably never heard of Frank Blackmore, but I bet you’ve cursed his blight on our roads! Blackmore worked for the Ministry of Transport in the 1960s and he’s...
An exciting city-break in lively Thessaloniki – World Meanderings (n°115)
By Annick Dournes & Frédéric de Poligny Thessaloniki is the second most populated city in Greece after Athens and is an awesome mix and match of modernity...
Reasons to be cheerful: SIX brand-new Vanwall F1 racing cars
IAIN ROBERTSON On the 19th October 2020, 62 years to the day when British racing legend, Vanwall, won the first-ever F1 Constructors’ Championship, reports Iain Robertson, a small but...
Lyn Looks at Life 5; Jack the Ripper. Do they really know who he is?
Everyone has heard of Jack the Ripper, the notorious Victorian serial killer who attacked prostitutes in 1888 in the slums of Whitechapel. But who was he? He was suspected...
Malta Diary Childhood recollections of a sombre occasion – and then one of celebration
ALBERT FENECH e/mail – Facebook: There are some things etched in childhood memory that one never forgets. When King George VI (Albert, Frederick,...
Not all Minis are destined for the road, as exemplified by this E version
IAIN ROBERTSON Being TV-advertised at present, reports Iain Robertson, the Mini E is the fully-electrified version of BMW’s take on the illustrious model that is also fulfilling, in enhanced...
Welsh Witterings. ‘The Curious case of Spotted Dick’
‘Spotted Dick’ the source of playground sniggers from the past! The classic pudding is a source of continual embarrasment it seems, as many Restaurants and canteens too have...
Showtime at the British Motor Museum, Gaydon.
The British Motor Museum is gearing up to run a full schedule of motoring shows and events this year. Ann Evans has the details. Following the Government’s...
Lyn Looks at Life 4; We want Woolworths!
One of my claims to fame is that I was the last customer ever in our local Woolworths on the night it closed down. Woolworths had always been a...
Rachel´s Wanderings in Spain – Ruined Moorish City Madinat al-Zahra and its Museum
The old Moorish city of Madinat al-Zahra, also known as Medina Azahara was rediscovered in 1911 and to date not much more than 10% of this, once astonishing...
Infinite all-inclusive & Infinite Care Protocol at “Ikos Olivia” – World Meanderings (n°114)
By Annick Dournes & Frédéric de Poligny Over the last decade Ikos Resorts has reinvented the world of luxury all-inclusive hotels. Today Ikos not only offers guests...
British Motor Museum is heading your way
If visitors can’t go to the museum, let the museum go to the visitors! Ann Evans has news of the British Motor Museum’s family fun this Easter. ...
Malta Diary Food glorious food – a taste of Malta and the Mediterranean
ALBERT FENECH e/mail – Facebook: My early culinary experiences began 70 years ago when as a four-year-old boy, on Sunday mornings, I would sit...
Aznom Palladium: either the wittiest, or twittiest, new car to ever break cover
IAIN ROBERTSON Seldom lost for words, Iain Robertson admits to struggling with one of the strangest ever attempts of a notional Italian carmaker to formulate an entirely new strain...
Bentley notoriety has hiked its GT Speed coupe to ‘most desirable’ status
IAIN ROBERTSON It is almost unwarranted that a car linked to gap-toothed caddishness, via gadabout Bentley Boys and more recent Germanic inferences should become an object of automotive pleasure...
The Greek Mani Peninsula, made for wild beauty lovers – World Meanderings (n°113)
By Annick Dournes & Frédéric de Poligny With Greece opening its gates to foreign tourists next May 14 it’s time to think of our next holidays in...
Wine and dine amongst the vines at Denbies
By Ann Mealor Located on the North Downs and within the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is the 265 acre Denbies Wine Estate. The estate’s...
MALTA DIARY: Urine, umbilical cords, chicken heads and necks – popular natural cures in the past – pretty distasteful!
ALBERT FENECH e/mail – Facebook: As we have seen in recent days, today’s medications very much depend on what the World Health Organiation decrees, backed...
Welsh Witterings: How to Make a Perfect Fish Pie
When people talk about comfort food, fish pie is frequently mentioned, and this is a delicious dish that should be celebrated. A perfect fish pie is as good...
Taxi Noir: All Jabbed Up but Nowhere to Go
Over the years I’ve built up a programme of regular annual events. When the weather starts to get warmer it’s a joy to start planning. I’m all vaccinated...
Can the new XE become the much-vaunted Mark Two in Jaguar’s line-up?
IAIN ROBERTSON Subtlety is the current buzzword in Jaguar’s styling suite but Iain Robertson, long-time Jaguariste, worries that living in the past may not be the answer to future...
Hopes Rising for Warwick’s Folk Festival
While organisers of the Warwick Folk Festival are planning for the event to go ahead this summer, the emphasis is still on playing it safe. Ann Evans has...
Peugeot’s design language is almost ‘on point’ with new 308
IAIN ROBERTSON As a long-standing advocate for the Peugeot brand, Iain Robertson has always felt that, when left to its own devices, the French carmaker is capable of turning...
Fresh talent devises new Jaguar F-Pace that now looks/feels like a Jaguar
IAIN ROBERTSON Jaguar Cars has endured more than enough problems over recent years, states long-time brand fan Iain Robertson, and there is nothing quite like a vital blood transfusion...
Try to ignore the ‘schnozz’ on the latest BMW 128ti, as it is what lies behind it that matters most!
IAIN ROBERTSON Cyrano de Bergerac was a Gallic novelist, playwright and duellist, highlights Iain Robertson, yet he will forever be remembered for possessing a most sizeable nose, a factor...
Welcome back to Greece next May – World Meanderings (n°112)
By Annick Dournes & Frédéric de Poligny May 14th. This is the official date announced for the reopening of Greece’s gates to international tourists. The Greek Minister...
Malta Diary Beautiful and priceless – Malta and its Gobelin Tapestries
ALBERT FENECH e/mail – Facebook: Some five years ago a leading economic consultant pronounced that if all else fails in the Maltese economy...
Welsh Witterings: How to be a 1950’s Housewife – Polish and Shine
Put down the sweet smelling, synthetic spray polish and step away from the cans of air freshener, for these are fool’s gold, which will not only make your home...
Green Charities Unite
Five leading environmental charities unite to call for nature’s recovery across the West Midlands. Ann Evans has the details. Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, TheAC Wildlife Trust for Birmingham...
Rachel’s Wanderings in Spain. Cordoba City
Cordoba city is a day trip away from home in Jaén province but it is occasionally an overnighter too. The Casco Historico is the best known, most visited...
Problematic British bike industry may have a new champion in Langen
IAIN ROBERTSON It does not matter that you cannot recall why sometime world-beating motorbikes were invariably British, highlights Iain Robertson, but they were and, despite several attempts to revive...
The Fontfroide Abbey, a gardeners’ paradise – Meanderings through France n° 229
By Annick Dournes & Frédéric de Poligny The Fontfroide Abbey is a Cistercian site built in the 11th century. Here the southwest French mild climate allows all...
Malta Diary Water, water everywhere – but must have precious drops to drink
ALBERT FENECH e/mail – Facebook: Wheat for bread and as a basic foodstuff, olives for precious oil for consumption and as a source of fuel to provide...