This week I am pleased to announce the release of my third non-fiction book, Jack the Ripper Suspects: The Definitive Guide and Encyclopedia. When I began writing it ten years ago I knew that it would be difficult to say something new about Jack the Ripper, given the plethora of books out there. Most attempt […]

In 1988 the British government decided that Britain’s blue passport should be replaced with a red one, to signify Britain’s membership of the EU. This was a voluntary, and expensive, change not one required by the EU. Croatia retained its blue passport after joining. Now as Britain prepares to leave the EU, the government has […]

Imagine that you’re a conscientious citizen, a dying breed. You’re asked to serve on a jury where the accused faces a charge of tax evasion. He is alleged to have kept his considerable wealth instead of handing the right amount over to fund hospitals, schools, and transport. You hear that he kept stacks of cash […]

This week some media outlets incorrectly reported that Iceland was the first county to legislate for equal pay. The UK passed the Equal Pay Act in 1970 and other countries, including Iceland, already have legislation in place. The Equal Pay Act, replicated in the Equality Act 2010 decrees that men and women performing work of […]

Following last week’s blog about Queensland Rail and the Commonwealth Games I was contacted by someone praising the British approach to public transport for sporting events. When I stopped laughing, I wondered what events they meant. Surely not the Champions League final in Cardiff last year, when Cardiff Central was closed to local trains? Could […]

This week my commute by train was constantly interrupted by an annoying automated message from Queensland Rail, telling me to be ready for the Commonwealth Games. Here’s what it really means. The Games are coming. We’ve known this for seven years, but we decided not to hire enough drivers and buy enough trains to keep […]

Once there was a man who wondered, very briefly, if he could do anything to help the unemployed. That morning he drove his foreign built car to the train station, because the council could not afford to run a bus. On the way he stopped for petrol, and paid at the pump, then listened to […]

It is a century since women were given the right to vote in the UK. Not all women, just those over the age of 30 who owned land or a home. It followed a long campaign that perhaps began with the formation of the Women’s Suffragette Committee in 1867. Over time some supporters became more […]

Old people used to keep large quantities of cash under the bed, claiming it was to pay tradesmen. It seemed odd because banking was easy in those days. You went down your high street and saw a branch manager, who knew you by name. He kept your money for as long as you wanted and […]