Have you ever wondered about the allure of a name? I mean, I have one of the plainest names out there but as a kid (and a little as an ad...

If you haven’t checked it out already then take a look at Futurelearn.com. It’s an excellent website that allows you to sign up to online...

I was watching the film version of David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas the other night and, I have to admit, I rather liked it. It got me thinki...

David Mitchell has to be one of my favourite authors at the moment. Cloud Atlas, Jacob De Zoet, Black Swan Green, Number 9 Dream – they’r...

It’s a point of contention, isn’t it: how to make that perfect cup of tea? Putting to one side the fact that some people insist on having...

So, I’ve finally got around to watching House of Cards these last two weeks (I know, I know, very late on this one!) and I have to say th...

Tonight’s episode of Game of Thrones was a great start to the new season. It doesn’t exactly kick-off with a bang and it doesn’t particul...

Our journey into Japan’s Daisetsuzan National Park started with a six-foot bear. Luckily, it was stuffed and confined to the Tourist Info...

Fairly common question but what better question is there for a first blog post? A friend asked me to choose 7 books from my bookshelf the...