Atlantic Amusements, Ireland

Bike parked in front of shuttered amusement arcade, rusty signage and totally realistic clouds in background.

The first ride in what feels like a month of lifetimes finds me heading west to Ireland, dusting off the trusty GS in order to explore the Wild Atlantic Way. Reason for the trip? Just fancied a ride worth strapping the panniers on for now that the racing’s done, and Dublin’s almost £200 cheaper by boat than Liverpool. Time for something new.

Nuclear Tourism in Ukraine

A colourful Ukrainian banknote holds place in a black and white notebook resting on the keyboard of a small Apple laptop

To mark the 30th anniversary of the worst nuclear accident in history I’m publishing my notes from a trip to the Ukraine back in 2010. The contents of the following three pages started out as excitedly scribbled paragraphs in a little black Moleskine,…

Jungle Kidnapping

Some kind of leafy creeper growing up a tree

With an unexpected weekend to kill thanks to earlier immigration difficulties, I take a train south to see what Indonesians get up to during their time off, and end up being kidnapped and interrogated. I also get a taste of the rainforest, including the kind of thorough soaking that I’m told is typical for Bogor in November.

Working in Jakarta

View from my window: low-rise dwellings dwarfed between residential tower blocks

Having finally made it to Jakarta I spend a week working with the world’s friendliest people, stay in a top hotel, and subsist almost entirely on mall-food. I shoot some mediocre street photos from the thickest traffic known to man, and there’s a small chance of a weekend in Bali. Oh, and an earthquake. I almost forgot the earthquake.

An Unscheduled Stopover

An aeroplane at the end of a terminal jetty

In part two of my Indonesian business trip I miss the last flight from Batam to Jakarta, having narrowly talked my way out of a tight spot with immigration, and spend the night as guest of the man in charge of airport security. This is beginning to feel like a trip I’ll remember for some time to come.

The Long Way Down

Docked ferry / speedboat

In November 2015 I left London on what was supposed to be another standard business trip; economy long-haul discomfort, long hours with busy clients, a week of lonely dinners for one. In this post, the first in a series of five, I find out what happens when you bring your girlfriend along, and try to enter Indonesia with an invalid passport.

REIMAHG facility, Thüringen

Black and white image of a rusting mining trolley disappearing into long grass

On a recent visit to Germany I was pointed in the direction of an interesting third reich ruin: the REIMAHG facility near Kahla. Like nearby Lehesten, this was another case of the Nazis using forced labour to construct technologically advanced weapons towards the end of the war, imposing tremendous cruelty and suffering on their captive slaves in the process.

Mini-shoot in Abney Park, London

Abney Park isn’t as popular with photographers as other members of London’s Magnificent Seven, grand cemeteries created over 175 years ago, but it’s definitely my favourite. Uneven rows of grimy tombstones, tumble-down graves and restless creepers make for a very atmospheric location – just the place when your visiting model is in the mood for a few snapshots.

Garmin Forerunner 920XT

My first foray into the world of fitness watches, I’m counting on this geeky chunk of (ahem) red plastic turning me into a lean, mean running machine. Included are some notes from a true beginner’s point of view and some basic retrospect comparisons to Apple Watch.