History
Mancs, Marx and Mill Towns
More notes from 45 years of cycling If you are following this series, you will know that my kind of curiosity is one that is still making money, or at least providing a public service [more…]
The North
Arts
The Swaling, Part Fifty
“Very nice,” declared the Colonel while the pair of us looked towards a bungalow, stable block and paddock, one of a number of exclusive homes sitting in a knot about twenty minutes drive from the [more…]
Arts
The Swaling, Part Forty Nine
“Silly old fart.” Never slow to turn thoughts into words, Davies expressed that one from his side of our shared room, above a Sleescale corner shop, while sat in bed reading a three-day-old newspaper by [more…]
Arts
The Swaling, Part Forty Eight
Having been indoctrinated into my new task by the Colonel, I wandered into the town centre with his money to suit and boot myself. Jeans, T-shirt, top and trainers made way for a Marks and [more…]
Arts
The Swaling, Part Forty Seven
The Colonel toured Sleescale’s backstreet digs in his battered Transit van picking up our colleagues as if they were black economy workers to be delivered to building sites, cockle beeches or docks. Most of us [more…]
Arts
The Swaling, Part Forty Six
Davies brought me breakfast in bed. Was it genuine concern or his army humour? I was in a bit of a state. His cooking wasn’t great. The culinary school that he relied upon seemed to [more…]
Business
Free Ports
There has been much welcome talk of a government initiative to nominate free ports in the north & develop a platform for the renaissance of some of the great cities of yesteryear, the cities that [more…]
Animals
Larry’s Diary Week Twenty Seven
Monday Another week to document and it’s a big one. We leave the EU on Friday evening at 11pm. Bozzie and Dom are still planning and don’t want to appear triumphant, even if they are. [more…]
Christianity