Germany’s Moehne Dam and Brexit…

Anglo-German friendship on display at the Moehne dam of Dambusters fame. Rapidly repaired in 1943, by forced labour, following death of 1600 civilians (including 1000 Russians) in the 7-metre-high tsunami unleashed by the dam’s breach. With Dunkirk, one of the great WW2 myths that, all these years later, helped fuel Brexit. To whose supporters I […]

Tandeming with Guenther and Irmgard, nearly 40 years on.

Complete delight supping, stopping, tandeming, smiling at seriously real toy railways with old friends Günther and Irmgard Reichle in Menden on way home from the Danube. Old pictures of us cycling in Berlin 1980, then us today, then videos of Günther’s amazing train set in warm evening action. PS their tandem is the same Motobecane […]

1000km down the Danube

Great 1000-km tandem trip just concluded into Budapest from Regensburg, through 12 days of baking Central European heat down the shockingly dry and low Danube (climate change, anyone?) and with warmest thanks to stoker Jutta on the back and steed Daisy below. Both arriving in rudest of health, though one of the two did need […]

Musings on Russia, 45 years on.

To say that Russia and the ex-Soviet space is complicated (think war journalist Arkady Babchenko, whose back-from-the-dead story unfolded during our spring 2018 trip here) is something of an understatement. As we’ve travelled (not by bike this time), we’ve of course been aware and on occasion reminded of unpleasant undercurrents that remain, both Soviet and […]

BBC Response to my Complaint over Humphrys Today interview with Blair on Brexit

Rather than posting the full story on Facebook, here’s the concluding exchange BBC’s response to my complaint last month over John Humphrys’ interview with Tony Blair over Brexit. First their response, then my response to their response, then my original (3rd in this series) complaint. 9 February 2018 Dear Mr Brayne, Today, Radio 4, 4 […]

Daisy’s home, fully resprayed and refurbished, with a tough new Rohloff.

Riga to Tallinn (almost) – five days and 466km

After three weeks on the road with Daisy our tandem, from Warsaw through Kaliningrad (didn’t see any Iskanders, but BIG Russian manoeuvres about to happen) and Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia (saw three British NATO trucks, seriously intimidating if you’re a Russian), we’re almost there. Mileage to be confirmed, and a selection of Riga-Tallinn photos below, […]