Somewhere in that odd bit between Xmas and New Year, where people start dissolving into a creeping puddle of unpredictability and fatigue, you might find yourself with some ‘free’ time on your hands. This is ideal if you happen to live in rural England, as it’s round about this time of year when you can [...]

I wasn’t going to write a Xmas-themed post, but then the other night I heard a track by Yorkshire folk-singer, Mike Harding and thought I’d write a few lines about Xmas spirit. To some people, Xmas is no more than an excuse to eat, receive presents and get pissed in an otherwise dull part of [...]

Whilst most of us are trying to remain calm against the frenetic and slightly sickly ripples of the Christmas rush, something rather pleasant and magical is happening to our good planet Earth today. We Northern-Hemispherians have, without really trying to, reached our  furthest distance away from the sun. Solstice. Our shortest daylight time for the [...]

Outside, unforgiving snow tumbles its way to the frozen ground and the city looks blue and fatigued – Ready for the sparkling, whiskey-stained Xmas break. Some snowy cold weather here has really put the festive hat on things recently and it has got me thinking about traditional toys and the pre-XBox Christmas  presents of yesteryear. [...]

It was my 30th birthday on Monday and with a heavy heart I said a fond farewell (with hankie waving) to my dearest twenties . But over the weekend there other more important things afoot to be concerned about… For one there was my planned excursion with friends into deepest Essex to visit the Kelvedon [...]

What can you get for a penny these days? Nothing really – maybe some kind of horrible land investment that would see the end of your sanity or maybe a penny jelly if you’re lucky. But back in Victorian Britain you could get yourself a Penny Dreadful (or Penny Blood as they later became known [...]

It’s been a while since I’ve been to the Netherlands. But I certainly don’t remember much of it looking as sunny and polite as the Ladybird book, ‘Come to Holland‘ would have you think it is. Never mind. I think we can excuse it… It is after-all a Ladybird book (quite an uncommon one too) [...]

Go on then… Just one quick post before bed then. I’ve been enjoying the work of photographer Marion Dubier Clark quite a bit today. She’s been popping up fairly frequently on the likes of ffffound and I have to say that I think if I ever got married, I’d like her to take the pictures [...]