Eleven O’Clock
On 11 November most French communes stop for a wreath, a short speech and a roll call of the local dead. Then everyone goes home for lunch. I have stood at the other end of it, and I have been thinking about it since Normandy.
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France, October 2026: what is going on
A friend in the US asked me what is going on in France, so I spent a day checking what is known and what is only claimed. This is the long answer: the history, three popular claims tested against the evidence, and a dated list of what to watch next.
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Utah Beach, and the road to Strasbourg
Last of three, and the one that surprised me. I went to Utah expecting the American story and came away with a French one, and I didn’t work that out until I got the pictures on a screen and started reading the writing on things. Two armies, two months apart, same sand.
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Sainte-Mère-Église
Forty minutes up the road from Pointe du Hoc, and a completely different kind of remembering. At Pointe du Hoc it’s in the ground. Here it’s on the houses, on the church, in the street names — and on a black plaque outside somebody’s front door that took me a while to properly read.
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Pointe du Hoc
Back to Normandy after seven years, and this time west into the Manche. I got out of the car at Pointe du Hoc at twenty to four and back into it at Utah just after seven. This is the first of three posts from that one afternoon — craters, concrete, and about six hundred thousand other visitors a year.
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Normandy, 1944 — All Sixteen
Two trips, seven years apart, and I only worked out this week that they were ever the same project. Sixteen photographs between Pegasus Bridge and Utah Beach, all in black and white now, all live in the shop.
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The Merville Battery
I went to the Merville Battery in August 2019, between Pegasus Bridge in the morning and the war cemetery at Ranville in the afternoon. I wrote about both of those and never wrote about this, and the photographs sat on a disk for seven years. This is the part of that day I had let go of.
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A Day in Paris with My Daughter: The Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, and 127 Floors
A day trip to Paris with my daughter Kate in July 2020 — the Louvre, the Pyramide Inversée, and more steps than anticipated. Shot on Fujifilm XT2. Republished six years on.
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NORTHUMBRIAN SUMMER PART IV
A heartfelt father’s day in Edinburgh during festival season—magic shows, St. Giles Cathedral, Greyfriars Bobby, and a geek bar surprise. Northburiian Summer, Part IV blends travel, faith, family, and memory in a moving personal essay about parenting, loyalty, and the quiet magic of being present with your children.
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The UK Chronicles Part VIII: From Chesters, to Rothbury, to Lesbury
The UK Chronicles series comes to an end with a journey through rural Northumberland. The day involves a leisurely drive, a visit to Rothbury, and an unexpected incident at Edlingham church. Despite the mishap, the day ends peacefully, leaving the narrator feeling content and at peace.
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The UK Chronicles Part VII: Chesters Roman Fort
The Chesters Roman Fort, situated at the edge of the Roman Empire, is a testament to ancient engineering and lifestyle. Hadrian’s Wall, built to fend off the Picts and Scots, remains an impressive feat. Despite initial skepticism, a visit unveils advanced Roman amenities and a thriving community. The visit ends with a well-deserved tea and an amusing discourse at the gift shop.
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The UK Chronicles Part VI: Hepple to Otterburn
The trip to Otterburn stirred memories of the past, but the reality didn’t live up to expectations. The once magical mill had ceased production, and the area’s economic decline was evident. Disappointed by the lackluster offerings, the day took a turn when the idea of visiting Hadrian’s Wall brought renewed excitement.
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