TweetOne of my fascinations in life is minerals and mineralogy. I can’t say I have an expert’s knowledge of crystalline structures or forms but I do have a good feel for the massive impact our use of minerals has on our lives, and has done in the past. I have had cause to think about [...]
Food and drink in Lombardy
TweetAs soon as I arrived on a late morning in March in the medieval city of Bergamo (Bergamo set on flickr), high up on a hill, the rain having washed its tiled and pebbled streets and the ochery renders of the Renaissance and Baroque buildings, food and drink were not far from my thoughts. It [...]
Take the Lead tango
TweetNew Strictly Come Dancing dancer, Katya Virshilas, danced a very sultry tango with Antonio Banderas in the 2006 film Take the Lead. Take a look.
The Milonga
TweetIncredible. On yesterday’s (23/11/08) Strictly Come Dancing results show, professional partners Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace danced the Milonga, apparently a pre-cursor to the Argentine Tango. They danced it to Milonga de mis amores by Juan D’Arienzo, a traditional tune but it also be found on the soundtrack to the film The Tango Lesson (1997).
Dancing the way to livening up this blog
TweetThis blog has become stale, and a little dull, even to me. Train stories and socio-political goings on are all very well – and I have a lot to say about them – but I have become somewhat bored so I am going to try and start blogging about different things. I would like to [...]
Too old to work?
TweetThe Advocate-General of the European Court of Justice is about to make a ruling on whether it is fair to force people into retirement at the age of 65. Since 2006, British Law has decreed that it is legal for employers to force retirement at 65. Over 600 challenges in tribunals await the decision. At [...]
Birdie Radio!
TweetWhile I lament the loss of several DAB radio stations, including Oneword, I was tickled to find that instead you can listen to birdsong – literally. Twist your DAB radio knob until you find the station, also called Birdsong. Birdsong was broadcasted when Oneword went off air. It was originally used for the test transmission [...]
Chippenham to Salisbury – even slower
TweetIt’s been a while since I’ve made this journey on the train, and definitely not since my little survey of train journey times between Salisbury and Chippenham. And incidentally the price has gone up to £17.50 for a Saver Return. The journey time from Salisbury to Chippenham via Bath Spa (no direct services at all) [...]
Bluebell woods
TweetToday I visited a bluebell wood for the first time (Mottisfont, Hampshire). I have always regarded bluebells as flowers of deep fascination and being in the middle of their magic carpet today made me feel like the eternal child of a great old tree. Incredible also to be in the wood within less than an [...]
Take the pledge
TweetThere now seems to be more than a glimmer of hope that from December 2008 we may get something close to an appropriate TransWilts service between Salisbury and Swindon (via Trowbridge, Melksham and Chippenham). It has been very difficult to gauge exactly how much car traffic cross-Wilts travel causes, especially by commuters, parents and shoppers [...]
