Selected articles
Dog Days in the capital: My Week
We stumbled upon our most unexpected discovery at the end of a long march through Grovelly Woods on a gloomy, rain-sodden track that the map had enticingly labelled a Roman road.
A Modern Pilgrimage
We stumbled upon our most unexpected discovery at the end of a long march through Grovelly Woods on a gloomy, rain-sodden track that the map had enticingly labelled a Roman road.
Walking the New River
A barbed wire fence stopped me crossing the railway line, the other side of which was the banks of the Lee. We had reached the end.
Review of “Mudlark'd: Hidden Histories from the River Thames” by Malcolm Russell, published by Thames & Hudson
It is one of the joys of being a mudlark that you are not trespassing on the jealously preserved of an archaeological dig, but rummaging around in one of the last great common spaces of England - the tidal shore.
Rough Journeys: George Bean and Terence Mitford
George Bean was a gentle giant, a somewhat unworldly figure whose towering 6 foot 6 inch frame only seemed to come alive on the golf course and tennis court.
A Goddess Clothed
'By Hercules' he exclaims, 'What slender hips! How delicately moulded the buttocks! How sweetly they smile!'
Houses of Bodrum
One of Sans's first laws is the retention of all existing trees. This immediately integrates the new houses in their landscape, respects the spirit of the place, provides vital summer shade and in springtime bathes the nascent buildings in the odoriferous blossom of mature citrus trees.
The Lycian Shore, the classical sites on the south-western coast of Turkey
When Rose joined me for dinner I was in a flurry of guilty excitement for I believed I had just ordered kestrel stew for two.
Between Goceck and Bodrum: the Southern Shore of Caria
Caunus is a magical site, opposite Dalyan, perched between the mountains and river and half-submerged in reedy marshland.
A double perspective and a lost rivalry: Busbecq and Lorck in Istanbul
The Turkish Letters have remained as fresh, as charming, funny and informative as the day they were first printed.
Shades of Green: An investigation into the Gardening tradition of Turkey
Regimented lines of cedar, palm and imported fruit trees provided shade while porticoed pavilions were placed to catch the aromatic breeze, scented by fragrant shrubs and grasses.
Travelling with Children: Turkey
If this had been England, there would have been frowns, but it was Turkey, a land where smartly dressed businessmen all wanted to pat and kiss the babies just as much as all the stewards and stewardesses did.
Night Train from Stamboul
One door of the station bar opens onto the platform – where the blue sleeper carriages silently await their passengers – while from a lower door you can look directly out over the waters of the Bosphorus.
The Turkish shore
All this meticulous advance preparation is entirely necessary while you are in England but melts away once you are afloat on Turkish waters.
A Short History of Ancient Lycia, the Home of Liberty
To make their honoured guest feel welcome they transported galleys full of the golden sand of Egypt so that Cleopatra would feel at home. It worked, Antony and Cleopatra loved the sandy beach and the temporary escape from their royal cares
Ten Good Reasons to Go to Istanbul
Lunch late but well on fish and mussels, getting the last boat back so that you time your return to witness a sun set over the skyline of Istanbul.
Review: “The Art of Exile” by John Freely
We learn the harshness of those times when he asks his mother if they are working class and is told that they could be if his father could only hold down his job – and by inference keep a lid on his drinking.
Empire Builder: the legacy of Ottoman architect Sinan
As the great mosques are commanded by one dome, so is the Empire ruled by one Sultan, his authority buttressed by a descending authority of viziers, pashas, beylerbeys and aghas. Together, they shelter the believer.
My first copy of Stamboul Sketches by John Freely
But the gift of the book that day, Stamboul Sketches - kick-started a lifelong love of drifting through Istanbul, on the look out for the odd things, as well as its ancient, glorious and modern monuments.
Review: 123 Places in Turkey: A Private Grand Tour by Francis Russell
You will also require a stick, thick trousers and tough boots if you aspire to follow in his footsteps, let alone join him in enjoying the view from the acropolis.