Category Archives: Out and about

My uncle’s television was a source of perplexity: it insisted on showing programmes from Plymouth. Each evening, he would sit down to watch the news and instead of the familiar faces from BBC West in Bristol, there were the presenters … Continue reading →

When the house was owned by Langport Rural District Council, there was a scullery at the back. It was a lean-to containing a kitchen sink and the back door. Beyond the door a concrete path to the left led to … Continue reading →

Four vehicles ahead, a large green tractor was moving slowly, its orange hazard lights insistently emphasising its presence. It seemed odd that such a modern tractor was moving so slowly, on country roads they can sometimes reach speeds beyond which … Continue reading →

Walking in the village churchyard of our Somerset village, lines of John Betjeman surfaced in the consciousness. A holiday in Ireland prompted Betjeman to reflect on his experiences of the Church of Ireland.  In his poem Ireland with Emily, he … Continue reading →

The mobile billboard standing in a field beside the M5 motorway is unambiguous in its claims, “Unity,” it declares, “the South-West’s Premier Resort.” Without wishing to detract from the claims of the complex at Brean Sands, it is not hard … Continue reading →