Nearly 65,000 Britons living in European countries including Spain, Portugal and Greece are receiving state-funded winter fuel payments designed to help them cope with cold weather, it emerged today. The payments are worth between £125 and £400 each winter and if the 63,740 ex-patriates are receiving the average amount, a total of almost £14 Continue Reading
December 7, 2009
Film Review: White ribbon
Overview This brilliantly shot film in black and white give a startling picture of a small, rural, claustrophobic in a deeply religious,Protestant community. In some ways there is order with the count, the biggest landowner, though not liked, is respected as he controls the lives of the rest of the village. The story tells it story gradually Continue Reading
December 7, 2009
Film Review: Tales from a Golden Age
This Romanian film is really an exorcism of the communist past. It really consists of four separate stories of the urban myths, or did the event really happen?, under the perfect society of Nicolae Ceau?escu's regime, (the Romanians are good on irony). The official visit So we have the tale of the official visit, where a small, rural village Continue Reading
July 26, 2009
Theakstons Crime: Mark Billingham – crime writer
Mark Billingham is one of Britain's well established writers. His DI, (Detective Inspector), Tom Thorne novels have been spectacularly successful in the UK and abroad. He was the opening speaker on the Friday morning session of the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Festival in Harrogate. He was also the winner of Best Crime Novel 2009 prize, Continue Reading
July 24, 2009
Biscay Bay restaurant, Harrogate
The rain stopped and I dragged myself out. I quickly found that I was in an areas with lots of nice restaurants. The Biscaya Bay was particularly attractive with a distinctive Spanish colouring on the outside. For some reason the photos I took did not work. So I'll go back tomorrow and take them. Inside I got talking to the chef, who is Continue Reading
July 23, 2009
On my way to the Harrogate crime writer’s event
Crime scene on Harrogate Station which I saw on my way to the Old Peculier Crime Writers's event. Then it rained and rained and rained. Arghhh So I had to take a taxi. Seems OK now - just the odd shower - ten minutes from now, no doubt, when I'm out in the open. Hotel is quite nice. Continue Reading
July 23, 2009
Crime scene on Harrogate Station
Crime scene on Harrogate Station which I saw on my way to the Old Peculier Crime Writers's event. Then it rained and rained and rained. Arghhh So I had to take a taxi. Continue Reading
July 22, 2009
You’ve been de-Kindled
De-kindle: The arrogant removal of what was thought, by the purchaser, to be a legitimate purchase by 'Big Brother' technology Amazon's Kindle as most will know is a portable, electronic device for reading books. It differs from most of its competitors by the fact that it attached to to a wifi system, so that books can be downloaded through Continue Reading