Hobbies
Overland to Russia, Part Five
Just off Red Square in Moscow, by a Metro entrance, is a curious little basement exhibit, the Museum of the USSR. The day I visited it, I was almost alone as I viewed the dozen [more…]
Travel
Travel
Christmas Postcard From Manchester
Thank you for all your contributions below the line on last week’s article about my dreadful spelling. Turns out I don’t have some bizarre neurological condition after all; rather, I’m just like the rest of [more…]
Authoritarianism
Overland to Russia, Part Four
How popular is Putin really? Before trying to answer this, a bit of background is needed. The political landscape of Russia is not really comparable with, say, Britain or France, where the mechanism of democracy [more…]
Engineering
Christmas Transport Catastrophe!
A catastrophic disaster unparalleled in the history of transport unravelled itself towards the tail end of 2025. This threatens to ruin every little boy’s Christmas. Or does it? In fits and starts from the end [more…]
Communism
Overland to Russia, Part Three
“So how are things in Russia today?” The taxi driver was a burly, working-class man in his 50s; I imagined a brickie now too old for the game. He thought briefly and mumbled a reply [more…]
History
Postcard From Northumbria, Part Two
The second half of our trip into Northumberland started with a drive into the countryside to the village of Heatherslaw which is the home of the furthest north narrow-gauge steam railway in England. The Heatherslaw [more…]
Culture
A View From The Sofa; Ennui And Pain
I’ve hardly been out of the house since I got out of hospital. I’m sure some of you will know what it’s like, believing you’re fifty four when you’re actually twenty years older than that [more…]
History
Postcard From Northumberland, Part One
Some time back, Mrs JT decided we needed another break and arranged to rent a remote holiday let in Northumberland. I have been suffering from a chronic chest infection for most of the year but [more…]
Arts
Ocean-to-Ocean, Part 10
The ultimate destination of this Ocean-to-Ocean trip, which started in Southampton six weeks ago, is the small town of Tofino, right on the Pacific Coast of Vancouver Island. It’s not the most westerly point in [more…]