The words noone wants to hear on a 1400km rail journey: ‘Problème technique’. Rail delays are not unusual but the knock on consequences can be either barely noticeable or - when you’re traversing the continent - throw all the plans up in the air. When the SNCF Frankfurt to Marseille train went rogue it put a spanner in the works…

Whilst one of the great pleasures in life is sitting a quiet corner of a good café which services well-cooked food, and watching the world go by, it’s not always practical. There are places where the cafes don’t exist, aren’t open when needed or are too expensive to frequent too often, times when lunch may need to be more hurried, a fridge full of leftovers that must not be wasted or a diet that needs to be stuck to carefully. Packed lunches are the solution to all these scenarios.

The unassuming beginnings of a lifelong love affair. The bike train liaison is one of the best.

London is the great attractor. People, art, music, transport. All paths converge and make it the fulcrum of many lives. With time to spare, a few steps will have you seeing history, thinking of literature, finding old friends and feeling the fabric of millenia shaped by the Thames.

In which I try out three night trains for sleep quality and value and find one you really shouldn’t do… I’m thinking of it as an ‘I did it so you don’t have to’ experience!

Compact packing is now available in more colours! Roll your clothes in a Fold+Rºll to compress them without creasing. These organic cotton packing rolls are now available in neutral grey, tan and soft greens, pinks and blues.