Cyclists behaving badly

Lance Armstrong's Oprah confessional has put cycling on  the front pages again for all the wrong reasons. But he's hardly the first rider to come to a bad end. Death, drugs, sex and madness -  here are three cautionary tales from cycling's rogues gallery... Tom Simpson Dubbed 'Major Tom' by the French press, ... Read More...

Hard Times in France

This week Susan has been battling the snow, a cold, and the French - but all in her usual stylish way... “If Britain leaves the European Union, the other members will be cheering,” whispered Lolo in her throaty southern French tones.  We were at the launch party for a new Zumba academy. I’d ... Read More...

The Dabbler goes to Derry

Brit's away today so I thought that for a change I'd visit Derry in Northern Ireland in his absence. The news out of Belfast wasn't good, only 24 hours before they'd been burning flags on the streets. The Dabbler always aims to seek out the quirky and offbeat, and here I ... Read More...

Every branch big with it

Controversy continues to rage here at The Dabbler - now Gaw's claiming that the recent weather has really been quite enjoyable I can’t remember enjoying snow so much. It must have something to do with there being just enough for some fun but not enough to disrupt travel too seriously, at ... Read More...

Crow

The crow was not among the creatures listed in Brit's interim taxonomy of good and bad animals, but it it is safe to assume it is bad. Certainly the crow which wrote the text below, in Yorkshire in 1970, seems a pretty nasty piece of work. It may surprise some ... Read More...