Category Archives: Travel Guides
I Left My Tent in San Francisco
It`s 1989, and Emma and her best friend Dee head to the USA to make their fortune. But completely inept and virtually unemployable, they discover that they can`t even get a job in McDonald`s. Forced to travel from California to New York with only pennies in their pockets, they bounce from scrape to scrape, surviving
Tea at Fortnum & Mason
The internationally renowned Fortnum & Mason store in Piccadilly, London, is synonymous with style, elegance, English charm and, above all, that most traditional of pastimes: tea-drinking. Celebrating the long-standing British institution, this beautiful pocket book covers everything on the art of taking tea – from the history of afternoon tea drinking to Fortnum`s relationship with
Extreme Rambling
`Good fences make good neighbours, but what about bad ones?` The Israeli separation barrier is probably the most iconic divider of land since the Berlin Wall. It has been declared illegal under international law and its impact on life in the West Bank has been enormous. Mark Thomas – as only he could – decided
Casa Moro
The Moro restaurant was born out of a desire to cook within the wonderful traditions of Spanish and North African food and to explore exotic flavours little known in the UK. It has established itself as one of the most talked about restaurants in the UK winning both the Time Out and BBC Good Food
I Never Knew That About London
Travelling through the villages and districts that make up arguably the capital of the world, Christopher Winn’s ‘I Never Knew That About London” takes us on a captivating journey around London to unearth the hidden gems of legends, firsts, inventions, adventures and birthplaces that shape the city’s compelling, and at times, turbulent past.Brimming with stories
Charlotte Street
My name is Jason – and I have just met the most incredible woman, on Charlotte Street. Well, I say `met`. I sort of held her bags for a second. But she smiled at me! And it was this amazing smile. Of course, I don`t know her name, or anything about her at all. But
I Can`t Believe You Just Said That: The truth about why people are SO rude
You`re not imagining it. People are getting ruder. And this is a serious problem.The book that inspired the iTunes Top Ten podcast Did you know that even one rude comment in a life and death situation can decrease a surgeon`s performance by as much as 50%? That we say we don`t want rude politicians, but
Playing the Moldovans at Tennis
All I knew about Moldova were the names of eleven men printed on the inside back pages of my newspaper. None of them sounded to me like they were any good at tennis …An eccentric wager finds Tony Hawks, a man who loves an unusual challenge, bound for the little-known Eastern European state of Moldova.
Uneasy Rider
A broken heart and a moment of drunken bravado inspires middle-aged, and typically rather cautious, journalist Mike Carter to take off on a life-changing six month motorcycle trip around Europe. Never mind that he hadn`t been on two wheels since an inglorious three-month teenage chapter involving a Lambretta, four crashes and an 18-month ban for
A Beginner`s Guide To Acting English
It`s 1977 and life in Iran is becoming unpredictable. The Shah will be overthrown and events are about to take place on the world stage. But for five-year-old Shappi Khorsandi all this means is that she must flee, leaving behind a mad extended Iran clan and everything she has ever known. Shappi and her beloved
A House in Fez
When Suzanna Clarke and her husband bought a dilapidated house in the Moroccan town of Fez, their friends thought they were mad. Located in a maze of donkey-trod alleyways, the house – a traditional riad – was beautiful but in desperate need of repair. Walls were in danger of collapse, the plumbing non-existent. While neither
Hope and Glory
In Hope and Glory Stuart Maconie goes in search of the days that shaped the Britain we live in today. Taking one event from each decade of the 20th century, he visits the places where history happened and still echoes down the years. Stuart goes to Orgreave and Windsor, Wembley and Wootton Bassett, assembling a
Adventures On The High Teas
Everyone talks about `Middle England`. Sometimes they mean something bad, like a lynch mob of “Daily Mail” readers, and sometimes they mean something good, like a pint of ale in a sleepy Cotswold village in summer twilight. But just where and what is Middle England? Stuart Maconie didn`t know either, so he packed his Thermos
Full English
From West Country cider brewers to Yorkshire tripe dressers, Tom meets the punters and producers at the heart of our food traditions. He samples the very best of real English food: Bury black pudding, home-cured Wiltshire bacon and the planet`s finest cheddar. But “Full English” is no paean to an imagined land where yokels sip
You cannot live as I have lived and not end up like this
Though born into privilege and inheriting a fortune, Willie Donaldson ended up dying alone in a seedy rented flat, his computer still logged on to a lesbian porn site. To some, he had been one of the great, under-rated comic writers of our time, and to others, a dangerous force of corruption and decadence. His
The Tent, The Bucket and Me
For the 70s child, summer holidays didn`t mean the joy of CentreParcs or the sophistication of a Tuscan villa. They meant being crammed into a car with Grandma and heading to the coast. With just a tent for a home and a bucket for the necessities, we would set off on new adventures each year
Aid and Other Dirty Business: How Good Intentions Have Failed the World`s Poor
Do you know why Africa is so poor? What really happens to your charity money? Why do trade rules fail African countries and yet cost you too? We`ve heard it all before: the corrupt leaders, heartless global corporations, the wicked World Bank. But the answers are much closer to home…and so are the solutions. When
New Flavours Of The Vietnamese Table
A land of vibrant cultures and vivid contrasts, Vietnam is also home to some of the most delicious and intriguing food in the world. While its cooking traditions have been influenced by those of China, France, and even India, Vietnam has created a cuisine with a spirit and a flavour all its own. Travelling from
A House In The High Hills
I was warned by all those who knew me that to take on a project like this was madness.` At the peak of her fast-paced career, presenter and interviewer Selina Scott bought a house in the Tramuntana hills of Mallorca. It was a dilapidated old farmhouse without even mains electricity or water, but she had
Belching Out The Devil
Coca-Cola and its logo are everywhere. In our homes, our workplaces, even our schools. It is a company that sponsors the Olympics, backs US presidents and even re-brands Santa Claus. A truly universal product, it has even been served in space. From Istanbul to Mexico City, Mark travels the globe investigating the stories and people
