In search of family history: empire, war and horses
Submarine commander, sailor, governor of Burma, prisoner of war camp escapee and politician – my grandfather served a fascinating public life yet remains an elusive family figure. Advertisements
Secret history of sex: welcome to the molly house
In the 18th century the secret world of the molly house was a place for gay men to socialise, cross-dress and role-play. But it was also a place of danger and treachery.
Postcards from the Loire
Wildlife, chateau, borders – notes from walking one of France’s most beguiling rivers.
5 curious, religious and macabre things to do with a human skull
Skulls are fascinating and repelling, dead yet alive with those large eye sockets filled with shadow and that endless rictus grin. The skull has different talismanic meanings across all cultures, and the power to make a serious statement. Here are five curious and often macabre uses of a human skull.
Fog on Brighton Pier: a dark side of the English seaside
Exploring the fog and dark side of a day at the English seaside.
Crawford Priory Revisited: abandoned ruins and golf balls
A return visit to the enigmatic ruins of Crawford Priory yields family memories, new secrets and golf balls.
The agony and joy of the Great Scottish Outdoors
Awesome scenery and endless rain, joyful dolphins and ruthless midges, whisky and crisps for dinner – a light-hearted look at the despair, joy, agony and peace when you try to do anything in the Great Scottish Outdoors.
A lost world at Crewe Station
Late Sunday night and Crewe Station is empty and deserted. But there is a lost world here, filled with the ghosts from a bygone era of variety theatre.
