Monthly Archives: January 2013

I have recently had occasion to worry about Mr Gladstone’s last railway journey. Mr Gladstone (1819-1898), you will all know, was of Liberal persuasion and several times prime minister, finally relinquishing that office in 1894. He was regarded as a great statesman … Continue reading →

This year we are invited to celebrate 150 years of the London Underground. I shall certainly be reflecting deeply on the theme, particularly as I have become familiar with so much of it for over a third of its existence, including a … Continue reading →

We come into a room. We press the switch. The lights come on. They always come on—and that’s the trouble. My guess is that we all take electricity for granted. We not only assume that electricity, in unlimited quantities, is … Continue reading →