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...
Cracking new Clio suggests that Renault has finally got it right
IAIN ROBERTSON Growing from a lineage that commenced with the original Renault 5, reports Iain Robertson, the latest Clio can be said to have ‘come of age’ in its...
Steves Sojourns: Noble Caledonia announce new brochures.
Noble Caledonia have announced new brochures two new cruises aboard the MS Serenissima exploring not only the wonders of Iceland but also the remote Faroe Islands. With the possibility...
Impressive new Design Centre for Jaguar Cars provides inside peek
IAIN ROBERTSON Provided with an exclusive ‘behind closed doors’ appreciation of one of our nation’s important car brands, Iain Robertson agrees that the right creative environment is essential to...
The Fashion Icon On Two Wheels
Imagine chasing the clouds, passing meadows beckoning hearty Sunday walks, cows staring from their lazy stances, squirrels dodging your path and country pubs tempting yet another cappuccino. All this...
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...
Ford’s extraordinarily average all-electric SUV succumbs to aping Tesla
IAIN ROBERTSON According to Ford, its new SUV is inspired by the archetypal Mustang, although Iain Robertson reckons that the Mach E will be its ultimate Marmite machine, to...
Gareth Butterfield takes a drive in the latest version of an old favourite – the Subaru Legacy Outback
WHILE the world has been turning to the crossover and SUV market in droves, there’s been one pioneer of this sector that’s been quietly evolving in the background. Before...
Latest List of our Talented Writers’ Publications – great reads for everyone!
The B-C-ing-U! Writers are many-talented. A lot of them are published authors, so why not take a look at what they have for sale? You can purchase a...
Steve’s Sojourns; The Holy Island of Lindisfarne
The lazy wind, so called as it cuts right through you rather than go around you, whips up the sand into the windscreen as we sit patiently waiting for...
The all-but-perfect Honda CR-V Hybrid warrants seriously high praise
IAIN ROBERTSON Achieving perfection is the aim of every carmaker but very few of them have been as capable as Honda and its latest hybrid CR-V model has made...
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...
Taxi Noir: Save the Trees
I hate working this time of year. I love Christmas, but I hate driving around London in my cab. I dread that moment in November when I’m stuck in...
Welsh Witterings: Dining Out Drama
Lately I have done my fair share of complaining about my recent dining out experiences being disappointing rather than delightful. Sadly last weekend was no different and yet again...
Mazda creates the petrol car that obviates a need for a diesel one
IAIN ROBERTSON Skyactiv-X engine technology, a Mazda self-funded and engineered solution to real world fuel economy needs, powers the GT Sport saloon version of the Mazda3 hatchback, a model...
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...
Crisply confident Corsa is Vauxhall’s undeniable statement of brand intent
IAIN ROBERTSON Lighter, livelier and overall more likable, the all-new baby Vauxhall earns its on-road stripes with dynamic grace, more space and a smiling face, factors that enthuse Iain...
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....
Steve’s Sojourns: Undersea Cruising!
WOW! Scenic Eclipse has revealed a first look at its exclusive Scenic Neptune submarine as it dives below the clear aquamarine Caribbean waters, during its inaugural season captained by...
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...
Bedgebury Christmas Trail
Bedgebury Pinetum is in Kent, just over the Sussex border. The arboretum is an award-winning site with lots to do for everyone, from walking to cycling, or a visit...
Gareth Butterfield drives the latest version of the British-built success story, the Nissan Qashqai
BELIEVE it or not, the innocuous little Nissan Qashqai deserves a place in history as one of the great automotive trendsetters. Nissan took a punt, back in 2007, on...
Merc adds volume and punch to high-flying AMG GLS63
IAIN ROBERTSON It seems as though the high-end SUV market sector has no limits, states Iain Robertson, as Mercedes-Benz enters the fray with its latest, high-power, high-luxury semi-off-roader, providing...
A Place to Stay – Cotswold House Hotel & Spa
Photos Courtesy of Rob Tysall, Tysall’s Photography. Ann Evans took a trip to the Cotswolds and discovered a luxurious and relaxing retreat in Chipping Camden. If you are...
Lexus relents at last, with reveal of all-electric UX300e crossover
IAIN ROBERTSON The luxury arm of Toyota is the first to launch an EV, reports Iain Robertson, which is based on its much vaunted UX sporty SUV model, although...
A Place to Stay: Ibis Styles Hotel, Athens
I arrived at the Ibis Style Athens Hotel an hour late at 2 The young man on duty was very professional and spoke perfect English. Explaining the card...
A Stranger in Vegas Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort
Water is the primary source of life, and it was water that gave life to Las Vegas. Las Vegas is a small place that has flourished rapidly and...
British automotive enterprise has two key players in a loftier contest
IAIN ROBERTSON Whether you are a motorsport fan, or just love the classical streak that links aeronautics to automobiles, states Iain Robertson, two not dissimilar brands, McLaren and Aston...
Christmas Shopping in Tunisia
Christmas Markets in Europe and other countries are very popular at this time of the year, but I bet you’ve never thought of doing your Christmas shopping in Tunisia!...
Karl’s Chronicles Article 13 Tamberma Country
Driving into Tamberma country contained all the splendour of entering a national park. With the tourism kiosk behind us, the landscape took on a wilder outlook void of people...
Idiomatic Ignis (4×4) demonstrates Suzuki’s devil-in-the-details
IAIN ROBERTSON Apart from some obscure Japanese domestic market 4x4s, Ignis’s place in the European sub-compact go-almost-anywhere scene is only contested by the Fiat Panda 4×4, writes Iain Robertson,...
Steve’s Sojourns: The Corinth Canal
Having recently passed through the Corinth Canal myself on a small sailing ship I was amazed to see that Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has confirmed that its 929-guest ship, Braemar,...
Hyundai develops advanced anti-noise technology
IAIN ROBERTSON Road noise is something that the motorist hears, writes Iain Robertson, which can be exceptionally distracting, repetitively annoying and ultimately disturbing; a good reason for one carmaker...
Gareth Butterfield takes the mighty Jeep Wrangler Rubicon for a test drive
UNTIL fairly recently, the Land Rover Defender was one of the last mainstream cars on sale that looked pretty much the same as it did when its original version...
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...
Much enhanced Renault Captur builds on recent Clio platform upgrade
IAIN ROBERTSON Working to a more evolutionary than revolutionary ethos, reports Iain Robertson, Renault’s highly popular Captur continues its customer captivating process with a raft of satisfying design, engineering...
Steve’s Sojourns; The Galapagos Islands
I’ve never been to the Galapagos Islands but I’m impressed by Silversea Cruises expedition around this natural wonder, back to the beginning of time. You can sail on their...
A Place to Stay; Camber Sands Holiday Park
Fancy a low-cost Family holiday with all the entertainment inclusive? Or do you fancy a peaceful place to stay, where you can go out and explore the area? We...