I was away from the UK for 61 hours on my recent trip to Shanghai, travelling out via Tokyo and back via Helsinki. This somewhat less than direct itinerary meant that I spent more than half the elapsed time at airports and on aircraft, giving me only one afternoon and an evening in Shanghai… [...]

We realised that it had been some time since we had escaped for a dose of sun and relaxation by the pool. With only a five day slot in our collective calendars, we were somewhat distance and time zone constrained and settled on a few days in Dubai. It had been over 10 [...]

It has been great to exchange the business pressures of surviving the credit crunch for the task of trying to stay upright whilst skiing an expanse of fresh powder. Although I must admit that there are some similarities to the two challenges, on the whole it has been a pleasant escape. However, it [...]

We spent the half term holidays in the States experiencing all that is best about the american lifestyle. We stayed first with friends in Pennsylvania and then with friends in Massachusetts. Highlights included glorious fall foliage, wonderful (huge!) houses and Halloween with pumpkin carving and trick or treating. Shame we couldn’t stay [...]

We have Laura’s French friend Anne staying with us at present, which gave us a chance to do the “tourist thing” in London yesterday. Luckily, the weather continues to oblige and we had a great day. Madame Tussauds, lunch at Chez Gerard’s in Covent Garden and then a walk through the wonderfully reborn [...]

Visited Houston to celebrate now being able to operate the route from Heathrow. Evening entertainment involved Armadillo racing. Very strange. I am in orange on the left and despite appearances, my Armadillo did in fact come through to win!

It is supposed to be one of the things you need to do before you die. I can definitely recommend it. This dolphin’s name was ‘Rascal’ and he was a real character. Fantastic!