The star of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games‘ opening ceremony was the mechanical bull. Ten metres tall and weighing 2.5 tonnes, it was moved to Centenary Square near the central library during the Games. The bull was due to be dismantled after the Games. However, it has already become a big visitor attraction. Despite appearances, … Continue reading / view photos Brummie bull
Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games
I vaguely remember visiting Birmingham about 30 years ago. It was dour and uninspiring. If you’ve not been to Birmingham recently, it’s a different place: a modern city with a high percentage of young people. The Commonwealth Games have added a buzz to the UK’s second largest city. The centre looks vibrant, the trams are … Continue reading / view photos Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games
Westminster in May
I spent quite a lot of May and early June in Central London. On a walk a couple of months ago, a friend mentioned that the backstreets of Westminster are worth walking around. A few weeks later, we followed the Westminster Hidden London walk. You see many iconic sights: St James (and its Pelicans), the … Continue reading / view photos Westminster in May
Walking in North London
Last weekend was spent in North London. I forgot how rural it can be. On Saturday, I met a friend for an improvised walk from Finchley Central to Moat Mount and back. Along the way, we popped into the Sail & Anchor Coffee for a light lunch. It turned out to be a friendly small … Continue reading / view photos Walking in North London
ABBA Voyage
When I was growing up, my family watched the Eurovision Song Contest every year. It was essential viewing. I briefly stopped watching the Contest whilst at university but resumed after I left. It’s become a much more professional affair nowadays but I enjoyed the days when countries sang in their own languages and dressed in … Continue reading / view photos ABBA Voyage
Norse mythology
In his introduction to Norse Mythology, Neil Gaiman says that many Norse myths have been lost. By the time these stories were transmitted in folktales, retellings, poems and prose, Christianity had already displaced the worship of the Norse gods. Prior to reading Neil Gaiman’s version of the Norse myths, my only knowledge came from reading … Continue reading Norse mythology
Marvellous Multiverse
The other day, I went to see Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness with a friend. She’s one of the few people I know who enjoys watching Marvel films as much as I do. This may be because she works as a visual effects artist who creates the “special effects” (as they were once … Continue reading Marvellous Multiverse
Worchester and Japan
An impromptu daytrip took me to the city of Worcester, fifty minutes from Birmingham. On exiting the train station, I walked to the town centre then onto the riverside. I saw the cathedral in the distance — a striking sight — and walked along the River Severn to find it. The cathedral is free to … Continue reading / view photos Worchester and Japan
USA itinerary
When I was in the USA, I used an app to track where I went, as I did in India. This was primarily for geotagging my camera photos but it gave me a map showing everywhere I went to and how far I travelled. The total distance was about 11,800km, similar to my India trip. … Continue reading / view photos USA itinerary
USA
A selection of photos from my 2019 USA trip and a few from 1989. The USA blog starts here and the itinerary is summarised here. View photos USA