Dylan Thomas’s A Child’s Christmas in Wales is set in epic snow “as white as Lapland”. This year, 2010, snow fit for Dylan’s famous story fell on Swansea.
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Linz’s bold opera vision pays off in new Musiktheater am Volksgarten
Over many visits to European cities, I’ve concluded that two things set them apart from similarly-sized places in Britain. One is public transport. The other is a commitment to culture, and in particular music. We hold our own in fine historic buildings, and archeological remains. It’s when we look at the creations of planners and… Continue reading →
Salcombe sports Riviera style on tip of South Devon
Tucked away in a quiet estuary at the very tip of South Devon is the small, chic town of Salcombe. It has a long waterfront, sheltered harbour, clean, sandy beaches, and that crucial and ancient detail, a ferry to take you over the water. One of the quietest of the county’s resorts, just beyond the… Continue reading →
Coburg – the town that made Queen Victoria smile
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were married 175 years ago, on February 10th, 1840. This, one of the one of the great royal love stories, began in Coburg. The small duchy in Bavaria, representing unalloyed happiness for the young couple, is one of the principal stops on the new “British German Royal Heritage Route“. Albert, second son of… Continue reading →
Norwich – England’s taste of medieval Europe
Norwich is one of our finest medieval cities, with a pluperfect cathedral, a Norman castle, a maze of historic shopping streets of distinction and miles of riverside walks. Now it’s been named the first English UNESCO City of Literature. Yet many of us miss this hidden gem, out there in East Anglia. There is something in the… Continue reading →
Dylan Thomas’s worldwide party centres on Swansea
A shorter version of this piece appeared in the Mail on Sunday, May 18, 2014. The helpful app on my smartphone treats my request as just another random A to B walking route. Those navigational algorithms may be clever, but the Muse is missing. Without any comment, Google delivers me 5 Cwmdonkin Drive to Swansea Grammar School. Don’t they… Continue reading →