Critical Divide (@CriticalDivide) header
Critical Divide (@CriticalDivide) profile picture

Standing at the Critical Divide with Chris Pickard. News and views from the frontline and beyond. Also to be found at @criticaldivide.bsky.social

On the move
Joined September 2009
Annual reminder to those heading to the World Travel Market - WTM London at ExCeL London next week, that the quickest and most comfortable way to get there from central London is the Elizabeth Line (to Abbey Wood).
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The latest newsletter from the World Cetacean Alliance is now available . A must read if you care about whales and dolphins. And I assume you do. mailchi.mp/c06bf919b2e2/oct-…
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27 October 1912, 114 years ago, saw the official opening of the Sugar Loaf cable car, the Bondinho Pão de Açúcar. The cable car was Brazil’s first and only the third in the world. On 18 January 1913, the 2nd stage to the summit of Sugar Loaf was inaugurated
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Time flies. We can look forward to hanging out and putting all our clocks back tonight in Europe as clocks "fall" back to GMT and CET.
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The Isle of Wight Festival, which takes place from Thursday, 17 June to Sunday, 20 June 2027 has revealed the first names for the 2027 edition with Fatboy Slim, Robbie Williams and Kings of Leon confirmed as headliners.
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Remembering Aberfan and all who lost their lives that day, or who have been touched by it since. Certainly nobody alive in the UK at the time sixty years ago, 21 October 1966, will ever forget that dreadful morning, and nor should they.
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Apple Corps has announced that it will take over management of the award-winning Liverpool attraction The Beatles Story in 2028, moving it from Albert Dock to a new location in St Johns Shopping Centre. The new experience will be more than four times its current size.
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Sadly not able to get along to Clapham Grand tonight to see the wonderful Adriana Calcanhotto in concert in London. Lucky to see her a number of times, including in a tiny jazz bar on the shores of the Lagoa in Rio at the start of her career. Tickets still appear available.
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175-years ago,on 18 Oct 1851, the world first learned of a whale called Moby Dick. It was on that day that Herman Melville first published his epic-novel in London in three volumes as "The Whale",and under its definitive title, "Moby-Dick; or, The Whale", in New York in Nov 1851
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65-years ago, on 18 October 1961, that “West Side Story” premiered and gave Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet a new life on the streets of New York and the big screen. The UK would have to wait until 26 February 1962 when it was given a Royal film premiere in London.
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Crowds are out in force in Woking for the town’s annual car show. Cars of every, shape size and colour on display, from the Ford Capri to the latest McLaren supercars. And from Ghostbusters to Smokey & the Bandit via Transformers.
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