Sandown revisited
The place you first explore independently has a special meaning for everyone, and I’m no different. My first walk to school was down leafy Carter Street, in Sandown. Afterwards, through
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Is the fixed link the the Isle of Wight’s Brexit taboo topic?
I often dine in company. This is less a claim of social indispensability, and more an admission of my inability to cook for myself. During a recent engagement I was
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In praise of those tourism superstars who don’t work in tourism
If you’ve ever crossed the Solent by Red Funnel‘s car ferry, you will undoubtedly have enjoyed the performance of ‘Dancing Jim’ O’Reilly, Visit England‘s Tourism Superstar of 2018. Vehicle marshaller
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There is no Planet B
Sometimes I think I must sound like a dreary old gubber, a throwback of a bygone age. And I’m not alone; a fan wrote of my last column, “This belongs
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Confessions of a celebrity collector
When I was a nipper it was not unusual to see old Teddy Boys in the street, slicking back their hair into a silvery ducktail the way they had for
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Dearly beloved, eyes down – let us play!
It was revealed last week that more than half the people in this country couldn’t give a fig leaf about religion. And yet, despite the biggest drop in church affiliation
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Back to the future
The 1970s! What a time to be alive! If you were a grown-up back then you might equate the Decade That Style Forgot™ with the three day week, Women’s Lib
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Take your (litter) pick
Years ago a friend and I planned a holiday in Devon. She was particularly excited about the prospect of exploring Dartmoor. The landscape looked delightfully picturesque in the brochure, with
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Give a dog a bad name
When was the last time you saw a naked dog? Sure, most dogs wear a collar of some sort – otherwise where are their owners going to affix their pet’s
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Crocheting for the zombie apocalypse
For the past four weeks I have been confined to barracks, recuperating from surgery. I’m not soliciting sympathy, just creating some context. My face is mostly bandaged and my left
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