When HMS Victory‘s masts were removed at the end of April*, six 19th century coins and tokens were discovered under the foremast. Placing coins on the mast step before the mast is lowered, was a long-time maritime tradition intended to bring good fortune**. So it might have...
At this week’s Google I/O conference, Volvo Cars and Google have been demonstrating ‘contextually aware driving experiences’ using the latest advancements in AI in Volvo’s EX60 SUV. Making use of the Google Gemini vehicle camera integrated in the EX60, Gemini can (with the driver’s permission) see and...
The Fehmarnbelt Tunnel is a major European civil engineering project to lay an 18 km (11.2 mile) road and rail tunnel under the Baltic Sea between Germany and Denmark. (See The Fehmarnbelt Tunnel for overview.) Earlier this week, the first of its 89 pre-fabricated concrete tunnel sections...
The Fehmarnbelt Tunnel is a major European civil engineering project to lay an 18 km (11.2 mile) road and rail tunnel under the Baltic Sea between Germany and Denmark. You notice I said “lay” and not “dig”. This amazing tunnel will be laid in sections in a...
The new Hampshire Air Festival has confirmed the appearance of a rare MiG-17F in the festival’s opening year flying display. Taking place at Thruxton Aerodrome on 12–13 September 2026, Hampshire Air Festival is a new two-day aviation weekend created to celebrate “The Age of Flight” through flying...
HMS Victory’s team of conservators, shipwrights and riggers have started taking down her remaining masts as part of The Big Repair – the ten-year, £42m project to conserve Nelson’s flagship for future generations. As Stuart Sheldon, Lead Rigger at the National Museum of the Royal Navy, puts...
The London Museum Docklands is a ‘must-see’ museum that tells the history of the River Thames and the growth of London’s huge port system from the first Roman settlements to the modern-day regeneration of the Canary Wharf area. It is housed, appropriately, right at the heart of...
Air New Zealand (ANZ) have unveiled their new economy class ‘Skynest’ mini dormitories, featuring six bunks that will be available to book on flights from 18 May 2026. Each Skynest bunk (“pod”) provides a quiet, private space with a full-length mattress, bedding, ambient lighting, ventilation and charging...
This year’s ‘1000 Miglia Experience Italy’ classic car rally is almost upon us*. For the first time, the 1000 Miglia will take place entirely in Puglia. From 9 to 12 April, the crews will embark on a journey that combines a passion for driving with the exploration...
Tom Hanks’ successful war movie Greyhound (2020), shot principally on the WW2 Fletcher-class destroyer USS Kidd, now a museum ship in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is to have a sequel. The movie industry news media are talking about ‘Greyhound 2’ although very little has been confirmed. We know...
The National Motor Museum has opened its new exhibition gallery, Driven: Britain’s Motoring Story. The exhibition focuses on how Britain has changed over the decades, delving into the social and cultural impact of motoring. It features stories, artefacts and images to surprise, engage and inspire visitors, plus...
The Škoda Museum in Mladá Boleslav, Czechia, has opened a new gallery in the former car plant buildings, featuring 31 ‘concept cars’, design studies and prototypes from the late 1950s to the present day. The museum, which opened in 1995 in the original factory building and underwent...
The Hispano-Suiza 18.Sb is a rather quirky but powerful 18-cylinder aero-engine that kinda got lost in history! It was designed originally as the Hispano-Suiza 18R to compete in the 1929 Schneider Trophy for seaplanes. It was ordered by the French Air Ministry who needed a 1200 horsepower...
Almost one year ago, Brittany Ferries introduced their new flagship ‘Guillaume de Normandie‘, intended to replace the old ‘Normandie‘ on their Portsmouth – Caen/Ouistreham* route. Like her sister ship, Saint-Malo (SM), which began operating Portsmouth – St Malo two months earlier, the Guillaume de Normandie (GdN) is...
This is a niche blog about technically-minded travel. It reflects my own interests in the mechanical, technical, historical, engineering, transport and military world.
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