Do you know where the first modern Olympics were held? If you guessed Athens, Paris, St Louis or London, you’d be wrong. The answer – unbelievably – is a small town in England called Much Wenlock in rural Shropshire. Much Wenlock’s Olympian Games first took place in 1850, almost 50 years before […]
Ullswater is often described as England’s most beautiful lake and it’s hard to disagree with its top billing. Not only does it boast stunning scenery with a mix of mountains, woodland and water, there are plenty of hiking trails and scenic walks for hardened ramblers and leisure walkers alike. But by far the best way of […]
“There is nothing – absolutely nothing- half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. Simply messing.” Kenneth Grahame in The Wind in the Willows. Messing around in boats is one of life’s great joys, so I’m told. Sailing is the latest passion in my family – […]
Summer beaches are often overcrowded so it’s good to escape to a quieter and more relaxing sandy cove. Beadnell Bay is one of Northumberland’s most popular small seaside towns. It’s not as dramatic as some of Northumberland’s beaches but boasts stunning views of Bamburgh Castle and the coast. There’s just the right amount […]
The Tour de France in Yorkshire has got everyone in Britain going crazy for cycling. The nation has fallen in love with bikes in a big way. Standing by the roadside at East Witton on the opening stage of this year’s Tour in Yorkshire is like a surreal dream. I never thought […]
Sir Bradley Wiggins must have woken up this morning wondering whether making his comeback in the Tour of Britain was a good plan. The weather was appalling. I was also thinking it was a bad idea when I got up at 6am to chase the Tour from Peebles, […]
Formula One in the 1970s was risky, competitive and oddly glamorous, largely because of the charismatic drivers who vied for pole position in the sport – James Hunt and Niki Lauda. Posh Brit James Hunt and Austria’s driven Niki Lauda were arch-rivals, fuelling one of the most exciting […]
The Tour de France 2013 is entering its final stages as the 170 riders leave the Alps behind and head towards Paris for the grande finale of this year’s race. The 100th Tour has been full of spills, thrills and fewer pills than previous years – with great racing on the […]
This weekend’s Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge was a predictable affair with the sporting action being overshadowed by the bad language of the winning crew’s cox. So I picked a rather different boat race to watch this weekend – the Grandtully Slalom – a premier event on the UK’s […]
I’ve always been a huge Lance Armstrong fan… but this week has been one of dismay and disillusionment. I met Lance by accident after his final Tour win in the mid 2000s. By all accounts the combative Texan seemed like a decent guy and he impressed me with […]
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