This year is the two-hundredth anniversary of the invention of the bicycle. Two hundred years ago in Mannheim in Germany, Karl Freiherr von Drais invented the ‘draisine’ – the forerunner of the bicycle. It had two wheels, with the front able to be steered by handlebars. But it had no pedals, the rider instead ‘scooting’ … Read more
Ely is just a short train journey from Cambridge, where we live, so it is easy to do in a day. This is the lantern in the cathedral, and it’s just a quick shot on my phone. Next time I go I will set up something with my camera to get a better shot, but … Read more
The Joke Goes Like This The joke goes something like: Name five famous Belgians – and of course no one can. It’s supposed to prove that Belgium is boring. It’s not true – at least as far as Brussels is concerned. After spending a week there, we suspect that Belgium has just had bad PR … Read more