Oxford, 15/10/2018. I was musing on the consequences, mental as well as physical, of having an ‘off’ in the last few days. My incident happened last Saturday at dusk, when in a moment of lost concentration on a road I didn’t know, I failed to see a […]

Oxford, Sept 2018. Overland Event at the end of August 2018, in Hill End camp near Oxford, was inspiring and mundane in equal proportions. Inspiring because it brought together the largest gathering of long-distance motorcycle travellers I have seen, and mundane because in other respects it was a normal, if […]

Brussels, 31/01/2018. ACEM’s ‘Sustainable motorcycling in Europe’ conference last week in Brussels was a fascinating blend between the usual Brussels EU conference (suits, eurocrats, industry execs, etc.) and what has traditionally been seen as a niche pursuit (riding motorcycles). ACEM’s aim (representing as it does the motorcycle manufacturers) is of […]

27/09/2017. The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, or DGR for short, in Brussels this year saw nearly 300 bewhiskered and besuited supposed gentlemen (plus the odd lady) assemble at the Atomium on Sunday prior to a ride into and around the city. The weather for the day was unseasonably sunny and warm, […]

    Monday 19th June 2017. Today I received the latest air-quality bulletin from the Belgian Interregional Environment Agency, which supplies air-quality warnings that focus particularly on nitrogen dioxide, particulates and ozone. The warnings for the coming days go from poor, to very poor, to just plain ‘bad’. What is […]

Air pollution levels around the world have already disrupted much of nature – now they threaten life itself. And diesel cars are the culprit. My opinion …

Update 08/12/2016. Recent research under the EU’s Graphene Flagship programme (http://www.alphagalileo.org/ViewItem.aspx?ItemId=170781&CultureCode=en) has shown how graphene’s electrical properties can underpin much more powerful sensors. The benefits of such sensors can be double-edged. Graphene’s ability to sense impact could be used in a very positive way – for example enabling an in-helmet […]

Brussels, 02/03/2016. The European Parliament’s car-pollution inquiry committee (better known as Dieselgate), set up to investigate last year’s scandal on particulate pollution from cars, has just met for the first time. The committee is set to deliberate for 12 months. Its brief is to investigate the regulatory breakdown in the […]

“You know Le Touquet, don’t you,” I said to my father yesterday. “Yes. We’ve been there,” he replied. “A rather nice, traditional French seaside resort just down the coast from Calais. It’s popular with wealthier Parisians, who like to keep a holiday home there.” “Well,” I said, “Imagine it invaded […]

Brussels, 26/9/2015. Updates: 23/02/2016  C4 Dispatches: Dirty Secrets: What’s Really in Our Air? 23/02/2016  New Scientist: Carbon emission cuts could save 300,000 US lives by 2030. I do so loathe diesel cars. As a motorcycle rider, I have wondered for years why certain cars were unpleasant to follow in traffic. […]