Arts
Postcard From The Moon
The Puffin is a well-travelled bird, although a trip to the moon might be beyond even the most enthusiastic non-reader of articles and comments. Fear not, the moon might be coming to you. The Museum [more…]
Islam
Democracy
New Realities in Old Holborn
Old Holborn Between 1983 and 2015, the Labour MP for Holborn and St Pancras was northerner Frank Dobson. A railwayman’s son from York, Dobson was a grammar school boy and economics graduate. After leaving the [more…]
21st Century
Postcard from Mumbai
After a long, hot site visit in Panoli, a small industrial town in Gujarat, the traffic on the main Ahmedabad to Mumbai highway was even more hideous than usual. It was the last day of [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…]
History
Israel and Iran, an Eternal War?
The history of relations between Jews (and later Israel) and Persians (later Iran) stretches back over two and a half millennia and is more than a simple narrative of continuous hostility. For much of that [more…]
20th Century
Tanker Wars
All has changed. Or has it? We have been here before, literally. The Puffin is a well-travelled bird with a good memory and can recall rolling dunes, desert villages, remote sun-drenched harbours and trails of [more…]
Diary
A View From The Outside Bit; More In Common?
I’d say that I’m at about 95% on my road to recovery, still one or two niggling issues, but I’m hoping time will sort them out. I did manage a few pints and a decent [more…]
Islam
Death in Lyon
When our neighbours travel, we look after the cat. Being a feline, at feeding time we go to it, not it to us. But upon their return, her owners come to us bearing a present. [more…]
Democracy
Gorton & Denton By-election: The Constituency
Last time, we looked at the three serious candidates in the forthcoming Gorton and Denton by-election: representing the Greens, Labour and Reform UK. This time, we will look at the constituency. Part of it lies [more…]