‘As we venture into an uncertain century, we should be as concerned about the future of our children and grandchildren, as we are respectful of the past of our dead grandfathers.’ ——— We revere the soldiers who died in the First World War. Many villages display the metal silhouette or outline of a soldier with… Continue reading
How upstart train company plans to speed the way to the west
When Britain’s railways were privatised in the 1990s, the plan was that passengers would benefit from competition. It didn’t really happen. 30 years on, and many major routes are still only served by one company. But, belatedly, that most traditional of market forces is beginning to assert itself. Independent company Grand Union proposes to take… Continue reading
Sad countryside silence as the cuckoo moves north
Silence in the countryside is usually a good thing. If that means the absence of road traffic, aircraft noise and man-made bustle allowing us to better appreciate the sounds of nature. But not if silence is a gaping aural void left by something as familiar as the cuckoo. We are too far into the decline… Continue reading
Green stay – the hotel that will produce more energy than it uses
As the world seeks a path to net zero over the next crucial decades, travel must play its part too. There are many areas where action is required, such as reducing the impact of flying and other carbon-based transport, and making accommodation greener and food and drink more sustainable. But as the tourism industry prepares for… Continue reading
How Cornwall’s ‘lost’ Beeching railway beats the car to St Ives
Sometimes the case for rail over road is so overwhelming it scarcely needs to be argued. The short branch line from St Erth to St Ives in Cornwall is a shining example. It now carries more passengers than in any year since it was opened in the 1870s. That’s an awful lot of cars taken… Continue reading
Ferry force – two villages linked by swift boat across the Towy
For years Llansteffan has been a tantalising prospect for people in Ferryside and the many tourists who pass through on the railway that hugs the coast and the Towy Estuary in Carmarthenshire, Wales. So close, with a line of prettily-coloured waterside houses and the magnificent ruined Norman castle on the hill, yet quite out… Continue reading