On weekdays I provide essential and informative travel tips, with a different subject each day!
“You come in on your own and you leave on your own” – Richard Ashcroft. My latest trip back to England threw up undoubtedly more surprises than my backpacking glory days in that country. I spent a few days back in Birmingham. It’s a city I’ve been to many times of course, mostly to visit Read more about Thirsty Thursdays: Pouring My Own Guinness At Autobrew England’s First Self-Service Bar[…]
Although many people dream of moving to Brooklyn, I resisted this move for as long as possible. Everyone told me it was a natural fit for me; that this was the place for endless possibility, creative connection, and self-discovery. But I was hesitant to leave my familiar surroundings and start anew in a city that Read more about Navigating the Challenges and Joys of Moving to Brooklyn New York[…]
“The air coming up to the boil; rubbing up against walls and lamp-posts trying to get rid of it. Old women clack their tongues in the shade of crumbling concrete bus shelters” – Jarvis Cocker (Pulp – Sheffield: Sex City). Sheffield FC are widely regarded as the oldest club in world football that have been Read more about My Twenty Season Gap From Sheffield: A Football Return[…]
“I stare at the sky and it leaves me blind” – Manic Street Preachers. Backpacking Centurion was supposed to be a hat-trick, a trilogy. But Jonny Blair’s 100-country journey had too many stories for that. These are the uncut ones, or should I say the “cut ones”. They were left out for a reason and Read more about Finally Released: Backpacking Centurion: Volume 4 – The Black Volume[…]
If you have read any of my books, you will find that they have a “Wactionary” at the back of them. These are words that not everyone reading will understand. This is either because they are Northern Irish slang, my mates slang or just words I invented down the years. I needed to invent words Read more about My Wactionary (Wacky Dictionary): Jonny Blair’s Dictionary[…]
“Alone on the beach, on my own, out of reach and you just passed me by” – Noel Gallagher. Before this trip to Pakistan (my final Stan), I got my Pakistan visa online (not exactly an easy visa to secure) and arranged to fly into Lahore and out of Karachi. From Lahore, I’d also visit Read more about Pakpacking In Pakistan🇵🇰: Top 9 Sights In Karachi[…]
“My tea’s gone cold, I’m wondering why” – STAN! (By Eminem Featuring Dido) Firstly this is no raconteur rhetoric, it’s just a reflection of a journey which took me 17 years from the first Stan (Stansted) to the last Stan (Pakistan). Yes, Iran-borderic Pakistan 🇵🇰 was the last of my FIFA 🌏🏆⚽️Stans when I finally Read more about Backpacking In Stan: Completion Of Them – I’ve Been To All My Recognised Stan Countries[…]
“Baby you’ll be famous, chase you down until you love me” – Lady Gaga. The twenty years away from my homecity passage was less inspiring than I could have thought. It was more boring than a Sunday afternoon doing my ironing watching Arseandall versus Manchester Untied. Spot the cynical Cherry in your undreamt desert Oasis. Read more about Backpacking Sliding Doors Moments: Aftershot Snippet[…]