Leon undergoes comprehensive evolution for revitalised Seat
IAIN ROBERTSON Provided with an early opportunity to review the latest Seat Leon, Iain Robertson admits that it took a ‘double-take’ to appreciate that it is a completely new...
The devil’s in the details and the all-new Toyota Yaris proves it
IAIN ROBERTSON Having already provided a glimpse of Toyota’s forthcoming rally weapon, Iain Robertson is delighted to reveal the rest of the Yaris line-up, which is the first application...
A stranger in Vegas The McKee Ranch Foundation
Life is beautiful and funny if instead of just complaining about it, we start deeply looking at it. I recently lost a deep close person to my heart. The...
Drawn to T-Roc R? VW might have a less trendy, less costly option to consider.
IAIN ROBERTSON You cannot blame carmakers from wanting to make a buck, states Iain Robertson, but trendiness carries invariably a premium and, with T-Roc R running just shy of...
Karl’s Chronicles Article 22 Sao Tome & Principe: After Chocolate
In the first of this two-part article, we explored the Portuguese arrival to Sao Tome & Principe and the import of both coffee and cacao from South America, chiefly...
Steve’s Sojourns. Cruising the Nile!!!!
Orbital Travel are experts in providing small ship Nile cruises that visit all the major sites and their English-speaking qualified Egyptologists accompany you, bringing the past to life with...
New Audi RS4 could be an admirable ‘dinosaur’ from the Bronze Age
IAIN ROBERTSON It is a strictly limited-edition model, of just 25 examples, priced from a whopping £82,395, but Iain Robertson is tickled pink that Audi is adopting a defiant...
Harry’s Ramblings. Lecturing accuracy
I have recently lectured on the P&O ship Oceana, giving seven talks over a 14 day period. The first four talks had already been previously written and presented, the...
Gareth Butterfield tests the posh and pretty Range Rover Velar
I CAN remember the days when, if you walked into a Land Rover Showroom you’d have a choice of the Defender or a Range Rover. Simple, clear-cut options that...
“Courtyard Paris Gare de Lyon”, a room with a breathtaking view – Meanderings through France n° 209
By Annick Dournes & Frédéric de Poligny The Courtyard Paris Gare de Lyon hotel is the very first Parisian Courtyard by Marriott address and this first...
Origami ID.3 may have insufficient identity for the VW brand
IAIN ROBERTSON As the biggest car company in the world, Volkswagen has a notional responsibility to lead the new car market, opines Iain Robertson, although he is concerned that...
Merc indulges in diesel with its latest GLE/GLC plug-in hybrids
IAIN ROBERTSON In a genuine case of ‘if Merc doesn’t know better, nobody will’, writes Iain Robertson, its latest hybrid development relies on diesel as its core resource, while...
A Place to Stay, Ibis, Southampton
If you’re considering a pre or post cruise stay in Southampton, then do have a look at the Ibis. Its location is very good for the cruise terminal and...
Back-to-basics for brilliant Jazz will pay dividends to Honda
IAIN ROBERTSON Convinced that Honda has actually heard his criticisms and pleas over the past couple of decades, Iain Robertson delights in the latest Jazz model, which winds back...
Karl’s Chronicles Article 21 Sao Tome & Principe: Chocolate Before
Tumbling down over cobbled stones in the humid murkiness of dense hillside forest, one could be rightly forgiven for not seeing the wood for the trees. Mesmerized by torpedo...
THE MAD MUSEUM
Photos by Rob Tysall, Tysall’s Photography Ann Evans introduces us to a museum that runs like clockwork – Stratford upon Avon’s MAD Museum. If you or...
Steve’s Sojourns: Maiden Voyage of new CMV cruise ship
Traditional British Cruise company Cruise and Maritime Voyages have announced the Maiden Voyage of their latest ship Amy Johnson. Following delivery and a refurbishment programme she will sail from Singapore Thursday...
Wrapped up in the Cotswolds House Hotel & Spa
It’s a cold January weekend and I’m wrapped up in a warm woollen coat. Quite fitting really as I’m in the heart of the Cotswolds, once a rich trading...
Being a cruise ship lecturer
by Harry Pope It’s a great life, lecturing on cruise ships on a topic that is close to my heart – entertainment. I speak about the great British comics...
With new 3-Series Touring, BMW polishes an untarnished and popular model
IAIN ROBERTSON Popularity counts for a lot in today’s new car scene and the BMW 3-Series Touring, of which over 500,000 examples of the previous iteration found contented homes,...
Gareth Butterfield tests the Toyota Corolla, Toyota’s new British-built stunner
THE Toyota Corolla bears the best-selling badge in the world. We might not have seen a new one pootling around the UK for a long time, but this genuinely...
Mumbai Memoir 120- Orissa Diary Part 2- Arabian Sea to Bay of Bengal!
Around 8:15pm, after a very fulfilling visit to the Sun temple at Konark, I decided to leave for Puri the same evening. Since I had to attend an urgent...
A city-break in Paris side by side with Napoleon
By Annick Dournes & Frédéric de Poligny When Napoleon took power as France First Consul in 1799 he already knew that he wanted Paris to become the most beautiful...
Steve’s Sojourns: The Azores, Portugal’s Atlantic gem.
Put quite simply the Azores are stunning. I had never visited before and I guess like most people I only knew about them from the weather forecast with the...
No surprises from Mitsubishi, with its latest bargain basement Mirage
IAIN ROBERTSON It is an inescapable fact that some new car buyers just want a cheap motorcar and, suggests Iain Robertson, with Suzuki having withdrawn its ‘not so green’...
Charles Rennie Mackintosh house to be extended.
Photos courtesy of 78 Derngate and Rob Tysall Changes coming to the famous Charles Rennie Mackintosh house, 78 Derngate, Ann Evans reports. Following on from...
Karl’s Chronicles. Article 20 Ghana: House of Three Colours
A plump lizard lay just behind a python, all coiled up like rope down at the harbour. In front walked a contented crocodile, tail in the air with a...
Honda adopts a different and defiantly attractive slant to the ‘EVolution’
IAIN ROBERTSON Japanese carmaker Honda has performed a magical ‘volte face’ with its all-electric contender for mini-car honours, states Iain Robertson, and it is one that reflects everything unsurprisingly...
A real feel of Elizabethan splendour
By Ann Mealor Taking the time to read up just a little about the history of Billesley Manor will reap genuine reward. This 16th century Elizabethan manor house in...
Steve’s Sojourns: Walking in Madeira and the Canary Islands
I have always been a keen if not dedicated walker and cruiser so when I saw the Ramblers Walking Holidays Trip to Madeira and the Canary Islands with Fred...
Go off the beaten tracks, go to Oman with Al Nahda Hotels (Part three) – World Meanderings (n°80)
By Annick Dournes & Frédéric de Poligny Photos ©Frederic de Poligny & Annick Dournes Back to Oman to continue our discovery of this incredibly varied country set...
Driving abroad post-‘Brexit’? There’s nothing to worry about, for the moment.
IAIN ROBERTSON If you were concerned about the impact of the UK departing the EU political construct, while understandable, writes Iain Robertson, mainly due to a distinct information shortfall,...
Under-fire Land Rover proves that it can over-endow in tech terms
IAIN ROBERTSON Over the past few months, Land Rover has responded to its critics by introducing the remarkable new Defender, highlights Iain Robertson, which is armed with advanced technology...
SHELLY BEACH SNIPPETS No. 118 January, 2020
Patricia Newell-Dunkley Photographs Reginald J. Dunkley Website: Facebook: Patricia Newell-Dunkley Writer/Artist Google: Patricia Newell-Dunkley for all previous Snippets. Greetings and Happy New Year from down-under. Such a...
78 Derngate
Photos by Rob Tysall, Tysall’s Photography Tucked away in Northampton is a gem of a house that is totally unique. Ann Evans goes along to visit 78 Derngate. ...
Steve’s Sojourns. Viking
For those of you who like Viking Ocean Cruises “Which” has revealed that the company has come top of the table in its annual cruise satisfaction survey, making it...
Dacia, whether pronounced ‘Dacier’, or ‘Datcher’, is an automotive gift
IAIN ROBERTSON Every industry needs its ‘Poundstretcher’, its entry-level to whichever, to gain market traction and to provide a perception of good value, where none may exist, and Iain...
Rachel´s Wanderings in Spain 15 El Caminito del Rey – The King´s Walkway
Once known as the world´s most dangerous walkway, the caminito – which means little walkway – and it was little. The old path was built as a narrow path...
Beachy Head
by Harry Pope Nature has her own way of weeding out the weakest, but sometimes people have to be protected from themselves for their own good. Eastbourne’s Beachy Head...
Mumbai Memoir: Orissa Diary Part I- Seeking blessings from the Sun God at Konark
Being a travel buff, its always fun to explore places even on a work trip. Late last year, when I was invited to conduct a workshop & lecture at...