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A lovely review of the new edition of ‘Steaming to Victory’ in Choice magazine – which selects it as  ‘Pick of the Paperbacks’. The reviewer says: ‘A story of quiet but vital heroism…’

Delighted to be talking to the Royal National Institute for the Blind nationally tomorrow about the business of  book writing, and my own books. Hurrah for this community who really love books! 

With publication of Steaming to Victory in paperback, it’s nice to see it’s now Five Stars with reviewers on amazon\1

It could hardly be more be surreal. Here I am discussing the significance of the Lord’s Prayer, that most emblematic totem of the Christian liturgy, with the most powerful woman in British Judaism in the magnificent Victorian-Byzantine setting of the West London Synagogue at Marble Arch – church-like in almost every respect, with its pews, […]

Here’s a link my article from today’s Independent newspaper about how I bonded with my 12-year-old boy through our twin faiths as he prepares for manhood http://ind.pn/1eQiE8o

  Chatting with my friend Chris Milner, Deputy Editor of the Railway Magazine, he points out that in 1954, it took a steam train, on average, 1hr 15min to travel the 33 miles from Nottingham Midland to Lincoln St Marks, calling at all stations. All but one of the stations are still open today, and […]

Phew! Just passed 42,500-word halfway mark for my new book for Random House out next year – ‘The Trains We Have Lost’. With thanks to the British Library for a tranquil research berth and historically minded train companies, including East Coast, FGW, Virgin, Eurostar, for all sorts of backing to dig in dusty archives…

The air is thick with the fragrance of frangipani and bathed in the velvety warmth of the approaching day as I steal out before dawn, clutching my precious parcel of sticky rice. I can feel it hot against my chest as I hurry through the darkened streets, with just a few insomniac cats for company. […]