Podcast #013: Travel in West Africa (Part One)

Welcome to Episode 13 of my “Travel Tales From Beyond The Brochure” podcast. Again, this pod…

West Africa and The Atlantic Slave Trade

I’ve alluded to this before, but remarkably, as Brits, we don’t really learn too much about…

Podcast #005: Vanuatu

Welcome to Episode 5 of my “Travel Tales From Beyond The Brochure” podcast. As mentioned last…

Nambas & Cannibals: Culture & History of Malekula

Malekula, the second largest island in Vanuatu, is noted in culture for two things, and they’re…

The Ballad of August 1993 (and other stories)

So, let me take you back to the heady days of the mid 1990s. What were…

The Valleys

“The miner in the Rhondda, the coolie in Pekin / Men across the world who reap…

Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain

I’ve always been interested in history. But history on my own terms, about topics I can…

Flanders – … But there *are* no poppies!

Flanders. And no, nothing to do with Ned. I’m sure you’ve all been subjected to the…

Pendle Hill – Religion, Witchcraft, and Meteorology

Part of the Pennine range of Northern England, and geologically part of the same branch as…

Snip Snip Snip – the Cragg Vale Coiners

“I heard the coiners took the scissor to the Union Jack, with a snipper and a…

The Other Dead Sea

The Aral Sea shoreline. It’s pretty cold; I’m even wearing socks. The sky above, coupled with…

A morning at Pere Lachaise cemetery

Although the breeze was light, and the rain had stopped before sunrise, I was glad of…