Prior to living in Northampton frequent visits were made to see family as well as the buses, for me at least! In early 1993 the transport scene was one which had changed very little over the preceding years. Council-owned Northampton...

Of the four major railway companies that were combined to form British Railways, the Great Western was perhaps the most independently minded. Resisting the corporate image of British Railways, the Western Region often seemed to be able to retain some...

Five Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About Secret Dorking Dorking has a long and fascinating history dating back centuries, but it also has many secrets hidden just below the surface. Many of these secrets have been long forgotten or excluded...

Steam Railways - Final Operations in the Southern Region and the Early Preservation Years, published by Amberley Books is my first book. It traces my first years as a railway photographer, from which the enthusiasm for photography generally has blossomed...

One question often asked of authors of books is, “How long did it take to write?” for many authors, myself included, this is a surprisingly difficult question to answer. It all depends on the starting point. Out of curiosity more...

On 15 May 1940, five days after becoming Prime Minister, Churchill ordered the creation of a new intelligence agency to focus entirely on Germany. M.I.3’s Lieutenant-Colonel Kenneth Strong, and the small staff of three regular officers that had comprised M.I.3’s...

The Special Relationship is one of those oft used and little understood sound bites of international affairs. Is there a special relationship? Did it ever exist? Who benefits most? Is it reciprocal? The problem is that the relationship between Britain...

During the 1970s and 80s the north lost industrial capacity, and political influence. For one reason or another, industries which had employed huge numbers of people fell by the wayside. These were seen as having more to do with the...

Scania AB is Sweden’s second largest, (next to Volvo), manufacturer of heavy-duty trucks and buses. It was formed in 1911 through the merger of Sodertalje company Vabis, and Malmö based Maskinfrabiks-Aktiebolaget Scania. In September 1969 Scania merged with car manufacturers...

Aldershot is proud of being a Victorian town. Every year (pandemic allowing) it holds its ‘Victoria Day’, which begins with a grand parade through the town led by “Queen Victoria”, with marching bands, floats, vintage vehicles, and community groups all...