May 3 2025

As part of my 'cast-metal signage' project, a trip up to Edgbaston, Birmingham, introduced me to the city's traditional Victorian-style cast-iron street signs, many of which are sadly being replaced with bland modern ones – allegedly because they are too old and brittle – and sold for scrap. This one actually dates from the 1930s when the city introduced area codes.

April 2 2025

Exploring the remains of the Somerset coalfield for a new book In Search of Somerset yesterday  following in the footsteps of In Search of Wiltshire and In Search of Dorset – which are currently at the publishers and due out soon – we visited the excellent Radstock Museum, housed in the town's former Market Hall, across the road from which stands the rescued winding wheel from the former Kilmersdon Colliery which was located north-east of the town. It was one of the last Somerset pits to close in 1973. 

January 3 2025

After torrential rain on New Year's Day – I got soaked to the skin just walking bck from the village shop with my newspaper – January 2 and 3 have been glorious, if very cold. Out with the camera in Bath taking pictures for an editorial feature on a little-known, but highly-influential, bridge-builder, James Dredge. A successful start to the year.

October 1 2024

I've not had much to report over the past six months as life has been very quiet, but a new project is on the cards – exploring the history and development of cast metal signs, from the 18th century to the present day. Cast-iron has been used for signposts since c1750 – as far as the extent of my current knowledge goes – and cast lead since before that. A recent major use of cast-iron was the creation of the 1,000+ signposts commissioned as a millennium project for the National Cycle Network. This one is in Calne, Wiltshire. .

May 18 2024

After a successful few days in Dorset, making the most of the recent excellent weather – first photographic trip in months – the last of the photography for In Search of Dorset has been completed, and the book has been sent in to my publishers.

March 31 2024

There has been a rather long gap since my last post on this page, and that is because  for the past six months, I have been home-based, taking care of my beloved wife, Kath, and only taking on projects which I could research and write at home, and illustrate from my picture collection. Sadly, Kath died ten days ago. This beautiful picture was taken by Andy Skilling – a great photographer and great friend – at our wedding at Ross Priory on the shores of Loch Lomond back in 2006.

October 6 2023

After unexpected production delays, we have a revised publication date of September 2024 for The Men Who Invented Britain, and this image of me and my camera with one of the Tower Bridge engines behind me, is being used to promote it. The 208-page book will be published in soft cover and cost £18.99. It is already available to pre-order on the Whittles Publishing website www.whittlespublishing.com

October 4 2023

The completed words and pictures for In Search of Wiltshire were sent off to the publishers today. Working on it has been a real pleasure, introducing me to many previously un-explored (by me, at least) aspects of Wiltshire's history, culture and landscape. The book is an eclectic collection of essays, profusely illustrated, developed around a series of themes which draw on the writings of many of the eminent people who have explored the county and written about its treasures in the past – from William Camden in the early years of the 17th century and Daniel Defoe in the 18th, to H. V. Morton and Arthur Mee in the 20th. It also explores how Wiltshire was described in literature by Thomas Hardy, William Wordsworth and others. The book should be published in hardback by PiXZ/Halsgrove next year.

May 31 2023

When it comes to designing my own books, obviously the publishers have the final say on layout and 'house style'. I have just been sent the final cover design for The Men Who Invented Britain, and I am delighted with the design Whittles Publishing have come up with. We will be discussing and editing the final page proofs early next month with the book scheduled for publication later this year.

May 27 2023

A visit to the grounds of Littlecote House Hotel near Ramsbury today to photograph the spectacular mosaics  which formed the floor of the early 4th century Temple of Orpheus, part of a large Roman villa. The pavement was discovered in the 1720s, recorded, covered over again and then forgotten about, not re-emerging until 1978. Digital manipulation has been used to simulate the mosaic's original colours.

May 2 2023

Down in Dorset to do some of the photography for In Search of Dorset, this spectacular ammonite nodule caught my eye in Charmouth's fossil shop. I just had to buy it. It is a group of Echioceras ammonites recovered from a landslip on Charmouth's beach. The ammonites had all been washed into a small nodule and compressed together in the muddy sediment around 195 million years ago. Back then, the rocks which now form the Jurassic Coast in Dorset were being formed somewhere on the coast where North Africa is today. This image will be used in the book adjacent to a picture of one of the massive cliff falls from which amazing fossils like these are recovered.

March 31 2023

After a quiet few months, I am back in harness and working on a new book project – well actually a series of books! In Search of Wiltshire and In Search of Dorset will be the first two of a planned short series of books exploring the life and landscape of the counties around our West Country home, very much in the spirit of the great H. V. Morton, whose 'In Search of...' books were best sellers nearly a century ago. Ever since we moved south we have been exploring.... The books will combine the stories of the people, places and folk tales that make each county memorable, illustrated with my own original photography. Plans are for the first one to be published next year, 50 years since my first book, Prospect of Scotland, was published.