Category: Creative Projects


  • Writer’s Blog: Probably The Biggest Journey Yet

    I am about to embark on something so colossal and terrifying that taking even the first step feels utterly preposterous. I’m talking about the attempt to take several years of my life, untangle the knotted stories, and reassemble them into hundreds of thousands of words in between a front and a back cover — which a total stranger will later be sufficiently moved to read. Continue reading →

  • Video: Letter From Lapland

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    Making a film of my cycle tour in Norway and Sweden this winter was never part of the plan. But long hours in the saddle tend to generate ideas. It’s short — only two minutes — and sweet. Enjoy! Continue reading →

  • VIDEO: Bikepacking Outer Mongolia (Part Four)

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    This is the last part of my series of videos from mountain-biking in Mongolia last year (start with Part One if you just found this). In this episode we find ourselves spending several days pushing our bikes down a deserted valley in search of a town whose name we are unable to pronounce, lured on by the faint hope of a big plate of deep-fried dumplings with which to celebrate the end of our trip. I really hope you’ve enjoyed these videos. Now’s the time for you to help me improve the next project. What was your favourite scene or story?… Continue reading →

  • VIDEO: Bikepacking Outer Mongolia (Part Three)

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    This is Part Three of my series of videos from cycling in Mongolia last year (here’s Part One if you missed it). In this episode we travel along the banks of Lake Khovsgol, which on a heavily loaded bicycle is a bit more difficult than it might sound. We meet some local holidaymakers and embark on what begins to look like an unrideable ‘shortcut’ to a town on the far side of a mountain range. Please leave your comments below! Continue reading →

  • VIDEO: Bikepacking Outer Mongolia (Part Two)

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    This is Part Two of my mountain-bike adventure video series from Mongolia (here’s Part One by the way). In this episode, we’re searching desperately for something more interesting than riding across the endless steppe. I unfortunately get ill and we have to lay up for a couple of days in the town of Moron, and then we decide to head north to Lake Khovsgol. Please leave your comments below. Continue reading →

  • VIDEO: Bikepacking Outer Mongolia (Part One)

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    I recently spent several weeks bikepacking across Mongolia with my good friend Andy. We decided to pool our filmmaking experience to try to create a really entertaining bicycle adventure video which also captured the scale and diversity of the country. This is the fruit of our labours — please take 10 minutes out of your day to give the first episode a try. The remaining three episodes will appear on this blog over the next few weeks. My main reason for producing these videos has been to practice the craft of editing, so your feedback on the series would really help… Continue reading →

  • Video: 3½ Years Into 3 Minutes

    A super-short blast through my time away from the UK, from bolshy beginnings in 2007 to humble homecomings a few weeks ago. [vimeo]http://www.vimeo.com/18113861[/vimeo]   Look out for more video coming very soon. Merry Christmas! Continue reading →

  • Emergency Gift: Ride Earth 2011 Photo Calendars

    It’s that time of year again — just when you decided (again) that you’d never think of anything original to give to your gran/mum/boyfriend/postman this Christmas and were about to go out and buy brandy/chocolates/aftershave/12 red roses, here I am with a truly beautiful, original, and practical gift — a 2011 photo calendar! These are available to mail-order in the UK through Snapfish.co.uk. Normally you’d pay £14.99 per calendar, but by sneakily entering the promotional code ‘33CAL’ at the checkout, you’ll get a whopping 33% discount. Visit Snapfish to customise and order your calendars now. Don’t forget the discount voucher… Continue reading →

  • Video: Mountain-Biking Mongolia In 6 Minutes

    We’re really happy to be able to show off some of the video material we’ve been shooting during Ride Earth. Here’s a six-minute blast through Mongolia, kindly put together by our friends at Kona Bikes, also available in high-definition. There’s more on the way, so stay tuned! [vimeo]http://www.vimeo.com/19792226[/vimeo] What did you think? Please comment below, and consider a ‘retweet’ if you’re using Twitter. Continue reading →

  • My Ten Most Interesting Photos on Flickr

    Flickr is a fantastic photo archiving solution, especially for the traveller. But the real benefit of Flickr is the community that’s shaped the network over the years since it was launched. Now, a whole Flickr culture exists, with thriving sub-communities for any subject you might imagine. Participation is encouraged, and the best shots tend to ‘bubble up’ and are promoted accordingly throughout the site. I’ve been able to share and develop my interest in photography using Flickr in a way I would never have been able to do otherwise. Looking critically at what people are drawn to, from my photostream as… Continue reading →