Tag: Transport

A few random thoughts on Putney Piddleboms and other classic British cars

March 6, 2015

I have never understood how it was that, back in the 1930s, Americans built proper cars with decent motors and cool names like Packard Super 8, or Lincoln LeBaron v12 convertible. Whereas the British insisted on constructing vehicles out of Meccano and four-cylinder biscuit tins, with brand names like the Chumley Chinless Mk I or the Dribley Allegretto. All … More A few random thoughts on Putney Piddleboms and other classic British cars

What is it about ‘boy racer’ thrill-seekers?

January 19, 2015

A ‘boy racer’ car jammed with kids bra-a-a-atted past a while back, in apparent disregard of traffic rules, speed limits or other motorists, giving me pause to think about what happens inside the minds of teenage drivers, other than the dull buzzing sound some gadgets make when not under load. Put one of these inexperienced kids behind … More What is it about ‘boy racer’ thrill-seekers?

Thoughts about Shakespeare spurred by Fay Weldon’s ‘Letters to Alice On First Reading Jane Austen’

January 13, 2015

A while ago I found myself glancing at a copy of Fay Weldon’s Letters To Alice on first reading Jane Austen (1984) and wondering if such a book could ever be published today, mainstream. Call it meta-literature; a book by a writer thinking about someone’s response to another writer’s book. Which makes this post meta-meta literature, … More Thoughts about Shakespeare spurred by Fay Weldon’s ‘Letters to Alice On First Reading Jane Austen’

Motoring magic from the wonder age of deco – part 2

March 5, 2014

The other Saturday I spent a few hours in downtown Napier, New Zealand, where the annual art-deco weekend was in full swing. For a few days the town turns into party central, celebrating the rich and famous lifestyles of 1930s Hollywood. There’s a lot of cosplay. And  a lot of tourists. I overheard a couple … More Motoring magic from the wonder age of deco – part 2

Where old American school-buses go to die

January 19, 2014

I promised a few surprise posts this year. Here’s the first. A couple of years ago the City Council in Napier, New Zealand, decided to spend about $1.1 million on two old Thomas school-buses, which they had customised in California for that quintessential Flash Gordon look – specifically, streamline moderne. It was intended to match … More Where old American school-buses go to die

Jack Kerouac, cafe racers, writing and style

May 8, 2013

Another WordPress blogger suggested a while back that Jack Kerouac was the ‘café racer’ of writers. She was right, of course. That got me thinking – as good blog posts should. Cafe racers were simple, honest motorcycles, quintessential cool. They captured the freedom of lifestyle; road legal bikes you could race on the track. For … More Jack Kerouac, cafe racers, writing and style

Inspirations: eco-recovery in extreme dirt road trucker land

February 10, 2013

Ever watch Ice Road Truckers? One of my favourite shows de jour. A few weeks ago I spent half a day in New Zealand’s own extreme truck-driving environment, the open-cast coal mine at Stockton. It’s New Zealand’s biggest mine, perched on a dizzying plateau north of Westport, right above a town with the apt name of … More Inspirations: eco-recovery in extreme dirt road trucker land

Flash fiction: Arthur Deco’s Steam Aerostat Adventure

February 27, 2012

I posted yesterday, on request, about ways to make steampunk fiction credible. Writing that post inspired me to produce a short piece of my own. As usual on Mondays, it is – well, you’ll see… Arthur Deco’s Steam Aerostat Adventure The mist stopped Arthur Deco making out the aerostat as he approached the airfield, but perhaps that was better. Actually, … More Flash fiction: Arthur Deco’s Steam Aerostat Adventure