Welcome to my website. It’s mostly book reviews and accounts of my walking, hillwalking and mountaineering trips over the years, plus a mixed bag of other articles. If you want to get in touch please email me – I’m always pleased to hear from anyone who’s read anything here!
Eat Sleep Cycle by Anna Hughes
I came rather late to this party. Anna Hughes cycled 4000 miles around the coast of Great Britain in 2011 and this book – her account of that epic journey – was published in 2015. I only discovered it late … Continue reading →
South West Coast Path – Day 37
Mevagissey – Par 27 September 2025 Distance on Coast Path: 16.5km; ascent: 489m Total distance: 17.6km; ascent: 489m Walking time: 5h 12′ Total time: 4h 46′ Overnight: AirBnB, Par When I pulled back the bedroom curtains at about 7.15 I … Continue reading →
South West Coast Path – Day 36
Portloe – Mevagissey 26 September 2025 Distance on Coast Path: 18.1km; ascent: 529m Total distance: 19.0km; ascent: 535m Walking time: 5h 12′ Total time: 7h 23′ Overnight: Tremarne Hotel How is it, I wondered, that I’ve known a verse and … Continue reading →
South West Coast Path – Day 35
St Mawes (Falmouth) – Portloe 25 September 2025 Distance on Coast Path: 22.7km; ascent: 331m Total distance: 23.4km; ascent: 375m Walking time: 5h 52′ Total time: 7h 52′ Overnight: Jen’s B&B, Portloe Logistics: By train to Truro, route 50 bus … Continue reading →
Barrelhouse Words by Stephen Calt
Calt is an academic and an expert on the history, culture and language of The Blues – the black American music of the first half of the 20th century. After an introduction setting out his purpose and intentions for the … Continue reading →
Wild Tales by Graham Nash
“A rock and roll life” it says on the cover. That’s a bit punchier than “sex, drugs and close-harmony falsetto”, though the longer version is probably a better summary as there’s a lot of all three in the book. This … Continue reading →
Le Tour de Picardie, part 2
Stage 4 – 13 May. Compiègne to Beauvais. We had an early start today, setting off alongside l’Oise under a clear sky with a slight chill still in the air. A few kilometres out of the suburbs the cycle path … Continue reading →
Le Tour de Picardie, part 1
A five day cycle tour, May 2025 There were three of us on this tour: Jack and Teresa from Oregon USA, and me. I planned the route and booked the accommodation. I used the French IGN map no.924 “Voies vertes … Continue reading →
South West Coast Path – Day 34
Helford Passage – Falmouth 12 June 2025 Distance on Coast Path: 15.7km; ascent: 254m Total distance: 19.1km; ascent: 328m Walking time: 4h 17′ Total time: 5h 33′ Overnight: Self-catering, Falmouth Logistics: To start: 35 bus Falmouth – Helford Passage Turn … Continue reading →
South West Coast Path – Day 33
Coverack – Helford Passage 11 June 2025 Distance on Coast Path: 17.0km; ascent: 280m Total distance: 17.8km; ascent: 345m Walking time: 4h 18′ Total time: 5h 47′ Overnight: Self-catering, Falmouth Logistics: To start: 36 bus Helston – Coverack. Finish: 35 … Continue reading →