Mining my past…

I’D seen an advertisement in my father’s newspaper for women to work on the canal boats. It said applicants should be of a robust constitution. I’m quite robust, so why not? I’d give it a go. “Look, D

Becoming an adult It’s three decades since Pulp’s ...

I always used to regard Class 31s as Western or Eastern Region locos. I most strongly associate them with depots like Old Oak Common, Finsbury Park, Stratford, Immingham or Gateshead. They were famili

Sitting just above my head on the bookcase behind my desk are the rusty remains of a Mamod steam car that I’ve had since I was 10 or 11 years old. I can’t recall if it was a birthday or Christmas pres

I PULLED back the living-room curtains and stopped singing along to the radio, frozen to the spot. How could this be? It was a beautiful morning. The sun was shining, the birds had been singing up a s

IT had been a long, hard drive. Frances had left early, hoping to get away before the rush hour – only to discover that the rush hour started earlier still. She stopped for a break further south than