Holiday
WG’s Summer Cruise, June 2026 – Part Two
Wednesday 10th June – Home to Southampton and to sea Very little to do this morning before leaving home. I did have to lug my suitcase downstairs from a spare bedroom where I had been [more…]
Travel
Holiday
WG’s Summer Cruise, June 2026 – Part One
The Prologue I booked this cruise while onboard P&O Arvia in the Caribbean the Christmas before last (2024). P&O are a bit artful, they leave a copy of the latest cruise brochure in your stateroom, [more…]
Arts
A Laotian Farewell (past memories part II):
It was early March in 1975 when the editor wandered into the newsroom of the New Zealand Herald and asked for volunteers to go to Vietnam. Specifically, Saigon. The older men kept their eyes down, [more…]
19th Century
An Easier (Circular) Route to Plutocracy
Known for muck and brass, the grim north of England was formerly a hotbed of the Industrial Revolution, rich in sweat, resources, enterprise and plutocrats. Nowadays synonymous with grim decline, my wife and I have [more…]
Business
A Plutocrats’ Tour of The North
For generations, the phrase “grim up north” has lingered in the national imagination — conjuring images of soot-stained skylines, struggling towns, and industries long past their prime. It is a shorthand that flattens the region [more…]
20th Century
Afghanistan as it was (1973)
After several requests from fellow Puffins, I finally got off my arse to rummage around in the attic and miraculously unearthed a bunch of diaries from over fifty years ago, and most importantly the one [more…]
Travel
Off We Go Again (Fingers Crossed)
Devastation struck Puffindom earlier in the year when readers heard of Mrs AWS’s Christmas present falling flat. Her once-in-a-lifetime diverted train trip from Carlisle to Preston via the scenic Settle-Carlisle railway suffered a last second [more…]
19th Century
Easter Railway Review
I’ve been meaning to tell you this for a while, but real life keeps interrupting. One’s pen’s been distracted by a diminishing Navy, war in the Gulf, Question Times, Holy Week and even the installation [more…]
Arts
(A Little) Off the Beaten Track in Rome and some Rugby Thing
Mr A and I had been to Rome to watch the 6 nations match, England versus Italy, 2 years before and enjoyed it so much we wanted to go again. Last time we visited all [more…]