Listen to the music of the Doobie Brothers
The Doobie Brothers have been making music with various line-ups since 1969. They combine elements of hard rock, rhythm and blues and boogie with elements of country to create a very distinctive guitar-based sound all their own. You’ve probably heard of the Doobies, but if you can’t remember exactly let me remind you: “whoa, whoa [...]
Hand drawn maps of Oxfordshire villages
When I began sketching my first map in June, I never anticipated that just a few months later I would be publishing a triptych of hand drawn maps. First came the map of Eynsham. After I’d finished it , I wanted to do more, so I set my sights on nearby Stanton Harcourt. Again, this [...]
Jeff Beck makes magic
I’ve blogged about Jeff Beck – one of the most influential musicians in the history of rock music – before, here and here. And I make no apology for blogging about him again, especially as his appearance on stage last night was the best I’ve ever seen him. He played a set of soaring, emotive [...]
Machu Picchu magic
Of the many iconic sights the world has to offer, Machu Picchu is on the ‘A’-list, up there with the Taj Mahal, the Pyramids and Petra. And so we knew that it would be a highlight of our trip to Peru last month. The legendary ‘lost city of the Incas’ is surprisingly modern, built c1450 [...]
Apple chutney
We’ve had an apple glut. I think it’s been a good crop for everyone this year. So I have been making apple chutney. Here my recipe. The thing about chutney is to use whatever you have to hand and not be too prescriptive, so all quantities are approximate. Lob in some green tomatoes if you [...]
The birds of Peru – jungle
After watching the birds of the coast and mountains of Peru we flew east to Puerto Maldonado, a frontier town in the jungle on the Tambopata river. The Tambopata is a tributary of the Amazon, and is absolutely vast. We were to stay a jungle eco-lodge on its banks, about an hour and half away [...]
The birds of Peru – coasts and mountains
Peru is home to nearly 2,000 species of birds, that’s a fifth of all the world’s bird species. To someone like me who is fascinated by birds, but by no means an expert, that’s a hell of a lot of birds to swot up on. And OK, I can tell a tern from a cormorant [...]
Map of Woodstock
I have been working on a map of Woodstock. After hours and hours of work it is finally finished. Woodstock’s history is very long and much of it is recorded history, thanks to royal connections. Trying to fit everything in has been hard work, but a lot of fun. Here it is. Click on the [...]
