Places
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You are now leaving the American Sector (aka: three nights in non-tourist Berlin)
Berlin was excellent. I continue to adore it, though I have no idea what it makes of me. I was there to catch up with wonderful Halie [1] rather than to do tourist things. We enjoyed many excellent conversations [2], catching up on love and life and academia. It had been a while: we last… Read more
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London to Berlin, via Harwich Ferry and European Sleeper
Last time, I came to Berlin via the night ferry and then a day train from Amsterdam. It’s now possible to flip reverse it: the day sailing from Harwich, and then a sleeper from Holland. [1] My journey started at 5:25am in Furzedown, near Tooting Common, with Murphy the dog forlornly watching me get underway.… Read more
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The Stupid Islands (fine: The Scilly Islands)
I read somewhere many years ago that Scilly Islanders prefer “the Isles of Scilly” to the Scilly Islands. It’s interesting how a pointless, possibly untrue fact can shape your imagination of a place. When I’ve thought about Scilly Islanders at all, I’ve thought of them as thin-skinned, Tory-voting, Robinson’s-jam-guzzling curtain twitchers: disgusted of Atlantic archipelago.… Read more
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The Pope’s XI: Vatican Cricket Club v Bishop’s Conference & St Mary’s University at Arundel Castle
There was a big, high wall there that tried to stop meA sign was painted said “Private Property”But on the backside, it didn’t say nothingThis land was made for you and me Woody Guthrie Walking past a folly near Arundel castle, we came across a locked fence. I haven’t yet found a “private” sign I… Read more
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The Orient Express, terminating at Luton Airport
It is late night in Brighton, and from my flat window I can hear one of the last trains crossing the ten million bricks of London Road viaduct. Arriving back from Istanbul was a strange, jarring thing. I had only been in the city for five nights, but as always, had adapted quickly. Street cats,… Read more
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Cheery marauding street dogs
I’m in Istanbul for a wedding. My friend has lived here for years and I’ve visited when I can, but this is my first time in summer for a while. The airport was pristine: a less honest gateway to a chaotic city than London’s claustrophobic Gatwick. We were picked up by a pimp-my-ride people carrier… Read more
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All the shows I saw at Brighton Fringe 2024
Over on my newsletter I’ve posted links to all the Fringe, Spiegeltent, and Festival shows I went to this year. I’ve probably forgotten a couple, but this is how posterity shall remember it. I had a lovely time, and enjoyed excellent company throughout. Next year, I think I’ll take a few more risks and see… Read more
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RIP Arthur, the best of all the good boys
“Animals are a lot like people, Mrs Simpson. Some of them act badly because they’ve had a hard life or have been mistreated. But, like people, some of them are just jerks” – An elephant expert on The Simpsons This week I have been processing the death of Arthur, dear beloved Vizsla of my friend… Read more
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You Need To Be Careful With The Tits
“Tits are quite difficult”. It is half four on a freezing April morning, and a softly-spoken man is teaching us to listen for the birds. As the light threatens, a group of mainly retired folk are standing in the woods at RSPB Arne, a place very well known to nature types. We’re shown the clearing… Read more
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Scarbados: a day trip to Scarborough
The initial plan was to walk to Whitby, until I remembered it’s 20-odd miles and the cats would kill me. So I settled for a day of bimbling around town, looking at buildings and gazing at the sea. Scarborough was the original seaside town, after a 17th century resident discovered the scam of claiming the… Read more
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