James Marston

Island trip turned into a family affair

IMAGINE you are in the hairdressers or at the dentist or somewhere similar and you get asked how your holidays were. It happens doesn't it? And as a man much concerned with himself I am always ready to answer and often find myself talking about myself to complete and utter strangers.

Paul Geater

Government cannot buck the market

WE WHINGE and rage at the government when things go wrong in this country, but the fact is that Gordon Brown and his team is as powerless as the rest of us when major economic storms hit the country.

Kindred Spirits

How I finally conquered Devil’s Elbow

EVERYTHING at HMS Ganges, the Royal Navy training base at Shotley, had to be kept either polished, cleaned or painted. A speck of dirt on a uniform during parade would bring severe punishment to the young boys who were often reduced to tears by tough instructors.

Aidan Semmens

The South Banksy Show

JUST a few yards from the South Bank and only a short riverside stroll from Tate Modern, an old Victorian tunnel has been transformed into an art gallery that puts even that grand collection to shame.

Beverley Bowry

Adults born to swing

I'M so excited and I just can't hide it. I feel like a kiddie again which is quite a shock because I've never been one for harking back to my childhood.