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Continue reading →: Aristotle, the web and modern citizenship
In early August 2011, the UK’s citizens got involved in politics in a very practical way. They looted, burned and rioted their way across London, Salford, Manchester and Birmingham. Commentators will debate the reasons – and the ethics – for years to come, but its clear that these were people who…
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Continue reading →: Dolores Umbridge. Now in charge of speed limit policy.
Figures from the Home Office show that, in 2018, there were 2,105,409 failures to match the number on the dial to the number on the stick. That’s 85% of all motoring offences reported. In 2021, there were 2,378,373 speed limit offences recorded. It leaves one wondering what happened to things…
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Continue reading →: Well, it’s certainly an Apple, but is it a watch?
The world’s gearheads were gathered around their laptops this evening as Apple unveiled their new Apple Watch. It’s a remarkable piece of kit. It’ll tell you if your heart’s beating (handy) and how fast. It’ll tell you where you are, how quickly you’re running and even the reason – an…
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Continue reading →: The one watch I’ll never sell.
Gun to your head… which watch would you never sell? Unless you have Harrison’s H5 marine chronometer or George Daniels’ Space Traveller stashed in your watchbox (and if you do, an invitation to tea would be splendid), every watch you own is utterly replaceable. And if they’re all replaceable, it…
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Continue reading →: Don’t vote. It just encourages them?
It’s election day 2015. Politicians are, depending on the colours of their allegiance, either about to start weeping into their espresso or taking a pull on another celebratory pint of bitter. In the European elections last year, Marine Le Pen’s Front National topped a nationwide poll for the first time…
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Continue reading →: Situation normal.
The more you ride an old bike, the more its quirks and wrinkles become normal. I realised this today after spending most of it tinkering with the Ural. Urals are possibly the exemplar of quirks and wrinkles. I went to retrieve it from its new garage on the other side…
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Continue reading →: Epic Fail
I want to teach you how to fail. And I want to suggest that you welcome – rather than fear – failure. In fact, even more than that, I want you to learn to harness failure and make it work for you. I’m going to explain the Three Rules of…
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Continue reading →: None of the gear…
I was lucky enough to be 550 meters up, at the top of Bozburun Tepesi. It was just before sunset and the resin from the pine forests mixed with the Land Rover’s diesely, oily, metallic tang. The old thing had had a tough climb up the gravel track, dotted with…
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Continue reading →: Dalyan Dolmus station
A Formica-wood topped table, a plastic chair and one of the worst cups of coffee I’ve had in my life. But a view of the local dolmus station across the road from the bakery-cafe. Ancient white Renault 12s rattle past full of families, the back seats wedged with bodies. The…




