Johnny was a 9-year-old boy who lived in a suburban neighbourhood of the coastal city of Dublin. Every year, he wished for a white Christmas, dreaming of snow-covered streets and frosty mornings. But in his town, Christmas was cold—sometimes frosty but hardly ever snowy. Living by the sea, snow was just a dream.
I lived in Cardiff as an adult during the 1980s and 1990s but my ties to the city go back to my early childhood. My father was from Canton. No, he was not Chinese; Canton is a well-known area of Cardiff and has nothing to do with Canton, China.
When I was a child, my family lived near Bristol in South West England, so summer holidays usually meant a fortnight on the beaches of Devon or Cornwall, all within a few hours’ drive of Bristol. Anyone who has been to this area will know that it is of outstanding natural beauty.
I am a big fan of puns. You know how they say that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach? The way to my heart is with puns! I cannot resist a good play on words and find myself drawn to people who are “punny”.
Sports day is an annual event which dates back to the end of the 19th century and takes place at the end of the summer term in almost all British primary schools and also in some secondary schools.
Technology has undergone an astonishing evolution that has dramatically changed how we live, work and most importantly, how we communicate and interact.
In many countries, the first of May, or May Day, is associated with a celebration for workers. Celebration may not be the best word to describe it.
On the 13th of May, 1924, the London Underground witnessed something truly extraordinary unfold 23 metres beneath the streets…
In the UK, and several countries around the world, April 1st is known as April Fool’s Day. It’s a day for playing jokes and pranks on people and, if they fall for it, they are then labelled an April Fool.
I’ll readily admit that I under-achieved in my life, though some would say, due to the type of childhood that I had, I probably ended up over-achieving, and I owe a debt of gratitude to my grandparents for that.
The rules of modern football were first developed in Britain and many of the first football clubs in Spain were established by British expatriates.
Almost as soon as school starts in September, the back-to-school promotions end… But it’s once the Christmas things are taken away that the shops begin to promote my most hated festival of the year; Valentine’s Day.
© 2025 Burlington Books. All rights reserved.
© 2025 Burlington Books. All rights reserved.
