Alan Russell
Bio
When you read my words they may not be perfect but I hope they:
1. Engage you
2. Entertain you
3. At least make you smile (Omar's Diaries) or
4. Think about this crazy world we live in and
5. Never accept anything at face value
Stories (243)
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The Jurors @ Runnymede
When I set out to visit Runnymede I had two very clear objectives. They were to visit both the JFK and Magna Carta memorials. From the main road from Staines to Windsor I saw very briefly what looked like a set of chairs in the middle of the meadow arranged as if in readiness for picknickers. I had acquired a third objective. A sort of Runnymede bonus.
By Alan Russellabout a year ago in Journal
The Magna Carta Memorial @ Runnymede
I had closed the gate on the acre of land that used to be part of England but was now forever part of America, the John F Kennedy Memorial. I felt flat and empty. Not because of the lack of excitement or anticipation that or an inherent part of the border control experience or the mid-winter gloom around me. No, it was because of seeing the memorial stone in such a weathered condition.
By Alan Russellabout a year ago in Journal
The Kennedy Memorial @ Runnymede
The events of 22nd November 1963 in Dallas have been forensically analysed. Acres of paper and gallons of ink have been consumed in the quest for the truth. Yet, fifty-seven years later there is no substantial evidence available. Evidence that could be brought into the courtroom of history to once and for all answer those perennial one word drivers of journalism: who, what, why and how.
By Alan Russellabout a year ago in Journal
Ullwell Gap - where Ballard Down and Nine Barrow Down almost meet
Ulwell is to the north of Swanage along the road to Studland. It is the last concentration of urban development before the Purbecks reveal themselves and justify their designation as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. At Ulwell Gap, which is a deep cleft in the chalk uplands between Nine Barrow Down and Ballard Down, there is a layby overhung by branches of trees and a sign welcoming visitors to Swanage. Where the road passes through this gap it looks like a very tight tourniquet was tied between the two bulging downs.
By Alan Russellabout a year ago in Journal
The Kindness of Strangers
London was shrouded in a continuous cloche like cloud of greyness this one Saturday in February. The cold air vortexing through the streets and alleyways was impregnated with the aroma and threat of snow. What sunlight that did filter through the clouds was so diffused it could not cast any shadows. The wind’s cold energy had infiltrated the weft and weave of my multiple layers of clothing, some of which were sold as being suitable for even the most extremes of climate.
By Alan Russellabout a year ago in Wander
The Grand Hotel Scarborough revisited
After a tortuous rail journey from The New Forest to Scarborough we were so looking forward to checking in at The Grand Hotel. We decided to walk from the station to the hotel to stretch our legs and get some much needed fresh air. Our conversation was about a comfortable bed, dinner overlooking the sea and maybe even a stroll along the shore before our long day was going to end. The hotel’s imposing façade began to loom ahead of us and our hopes rose with each further step we took.
By Alan Russellabout a year ago in Wander
Vikings, speedboats, abject poverty and somewhere in Syria
My coddiwomple* around Tewkesbury began along a narrow lane called ‘Back of Avon’ which hugs the town side bank of the ‘Mill Avon’, not the River Avon proper which meanders through some water meadows a little further out of town.
By Alan Russellabout a year ago in Wander
Britain's Press Freedom 2010 -2024
The UK’s ranking in the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) was 19th in 2010 and to date in 2024 the ranking was 23rd. So, not really a disaster in terms of press freedom but it is what happened in the intervening years and the overall stasis in the ranking that causes concern.
By Alan Russell2 years ago in The Swamp
