Arts
Crossing the Atlantic, Arrival
Every morning the Chief engineer and his #2 would be having breakfast. He was a cheerful Ukrainian man and I always used to ask him, tongue in cheek, if the engine was still OK. On [more…]
Travel
Arts
Crossing the Atlantic, At Sea
I unpacked my belongings and noticed that outside of my cabin windows was a little orange motor boat that was lowerable down to the water via a crane that swung the thing away from the [more…]
America
Crossing the Atlantic, Departure
Over the years I have read many books regarding the Battle of the Atlantic and the role of the U-boat. This was largely due to a guy I once worked with suggesting I read a [more…]
America
Mississippi Valley
Last time I left you we were crossing the de Soto bridge from Memphis into the badlands of Arkansas. Even though I didn’t see the river again for another few hundred miles you’re in the [more…]
Hobbies
Postcard from Tromso
A few months ago, I took a trip way up north. To be specific, Tromsø towards the top of Norway. As we were travelling by sea and the weather had been quite inclement for the [more…]
Business
A Landscape of Lies
In 2007 I was the joint owner of a building services consultancy which undertook the mechanical and electrical design and production tender documentation relating to new construction and refurbishment projects. In addition, we also undertook [more…]
Arts
Manouche – Part Two
After leaving the Manouche, I stayed in London for about a year, putting some money together, and surprised myself by getting married to a Colombian lady. While in London, Beudjeu and I still wrote to [more…]
Arts
Manouche – Part One
Ernesto sang a beautiful haunting rhumba from his native Brazil, and then Chocote took the guitar to accompany Memé’s singing. Chocote’s big labourer’s fingers were transformed as they danced nimbly around the chords, his other [more…]
Business
Somewhere to Hang Your Towel
The phrase “grim up north” lingers in the national imagination and conjures images of soot-stained skylines, struggling towns, and industries long past their prime. Yet this caricature of tired decline obscures another, less frequently told [more…]