Still feeling lucky after procuring the much coveted leather sofa in the newly opened branch of Costa, I browse the weekend edition of The Times whilst waiting for my wife, son and mother-in-law to emerge from the depths of the Christmas crush. A multitude of passers-by, walking with intent, crosses the main street of the [...]

The screech claws at my eardrums every time my dialup modem connects. With less than half an hour to go for the new millennium, I am sending last minute emails to family and friends down south and abroad. Contemplating the early fireworks across the football pitch, today’s snapshots take ages to upload though; seconds seem [...]

It is not hard to forget where everything started; time is a very good memory eraser. The few remaining decrepit but gigantic brick chimneys alongside the once well-trafficked canal remind me that Britain – and its northern towns in particular – played an important part in the industrial revolution of the 18th century. Not so [...]