Author: Chris Mads
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Faja dos Padres – Madeira’s hidden gem
If there is just one thing I could recommend you do or see in Madeira, it would be Faja dos Padres. I don’t say that lightly, this island is amazing and Funchal alone is filled with and surrounded by stunning and brilliant sights. But Faja dos Padres is a piece of magic. It is not…
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Tasting Madeira wine at Blandy’s
Before I arrived in Madeira, the main thing I knew about this beautiful island was the name ‘Madeira wine’. Before the onset of tourism, this fortified wine was one of two major exports from the island, alongside the local rum which is formed from sugar canes grown on the slopes of the volcanic mountains. So,…
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A postcard from Madeira
Apologies if you are currently hiding away from the snow and rain which seem to have decided to make a mid-Spring return to the UK; earlier this week, S and I took advantage of the early onset Easter Holidays and skipped away for a few days in Madeira. We should, originally, have finally been heading…
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Putting the fun back into blogging
I’m sick of typing. I’m bored of sitting in front of a screen watching words and sentences form, all while wondering whether anyone will bother to read them and, if they do, whether they will like them. Or even care. This sort of goes with the territory of my day-to-day job. I am a writer.…
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Greg James and Tim Minchin are right – be ‘pro’ things
Radio 1 DJ Greg James wrote a lovely piece for the i last week exalting the power and joy of being a nerd. In it, he wrote how people should embrace the things that bring them joy, rather than what people think is cool. For him, this means embracing his love of gardening, Airband radio…
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Escape to the Costwolds
The half term holiday heralds a few days off for S and an opportunity for us to escape from home, emails and work to a little bolthole where we can hide for a few days. In the past week or so we have, very excitedly, booked a few international getaways; but for this week we…
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Tom Holland & Zendaya are slamming the boy-girl height issue
Whether the arrival of the next Spider-Man film, Spider-Man: No Way Home, interests you or not, you are unlikely to have been able to avoid the numerous photos on social media and on news sites of the internet’s current favourite couple – Tom Holland and Zendaya. Not only are they an adorable pair, but they…
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Vegan fish & chips with Wagamama
There was a time when January just heralded the arrival of soon-to-be-discarded New Year’s Resolutions. But now the month brings with it a whole series of events which help up to kick the year off in new, exciting and (hopefully) self-improving ways. Chief among those are Dry January and Veganuary. These two mean that every…
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Tailored advice
It was with some excitement and interest that I opened Mr Hikmat Mohammed’s article in a recent edition of the Mr Porter Post entitled ‘What I’ve Learned About Dressing As A Shorter Man’. To be honest, the title gave me mixed emotions: I was pleased that finally mainstream publications and actual experts were offering advice…
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Coffee at Canakin, Reigate
Have you ever thought about creating exactly the coffee shop you want to drink in? Well that is exactly what Lee Simmons has done and the result is the latest addition to Reigate’s coffee offering, the truly delightful Canakin. Tucked up at the west end of Reigate High Street, Canakin’s clean, white aesthetic offers something…
Millennial get 