Portfolio
Motorcycles and misfits
I’m lying on my back on a freezing cold concrete garage floor, my breath cursing the cold as I twist my body to get at the bolts that need releasing, skimming my knuckles in the process. I’m underneath the back of my old Harley,... read more »
High drama
A horrific fall of over 800 feet could have ended very differently for mountaineer Richard Tiplady. Like many of us, and despite having played sport at school, visited gyms as a young man, coached junior football and so on, Richard Tiplady had allowed himself to... read more »
Dan the man
Dan Walker’s week is full. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, he is presenting Breakfast on BBC1. As well as the early morning shift, that can involve filming something for the show later in the day. Thursday is in principle a quieter day but then again... read more »
Crossing the Sahel
On the 31 July 2019, Reza Pakravan, an explorer and film maker, became the first person in modern history to have travelled the full length of the Sahel. A belt of land stretching across the southern boundary of the Sahara desert, the Sahel spans... read more »
Ben Affleck: The way back
A spectacular cinematic rise, followed by an equally dramatic fall from grace: Ben Affleck’s career has had more than its fair share of highs and lows. But with newfound self-acceptance and a rediscovered sense of faith, this once bright young thing has turned his... read more »
A voice for the voiceless
Shay Cullen is a fighter. He is also a Catholic priest. And he is currently helping a woman, sexually abused by Gary Glitter while she was still a child, to sue the former pop star for compensation. As the president of the Preda Foundation, Shay... read more »
Behind the mask
On 22 February, Tyson Fury ended Deontay Wilder’s five-year reign as WBC heavyweight world champion in Las Vegas. Wilder, unbeaten and making the 11th defence of his title, had already been knocked down twice, before his corner threw in the towel in the seventh... read more »
Exploits on sea, land & air
If you bumped into Simon Walker in a bar, you’d never guess the calibre of his adventure CV. Unimposing and modest, you have to really probe to find out that he is a celebrated sailor of the highest ilk. Having sailed the ‘wrong way’... read more »
For Ulster and Ireland
Jacob Stockdale is a rising star in Irish Rugby. Aged 24, he already has thirty caps to his name, and rugby is in his blood. His father and grandfather played, and he told me: ‘I started playing mini rugby when I was about four... read more »
Path to stardom
Hailed as a future Hollywood megastar ever since his indie breakthrough – John Boyega’s talents have placed him front and centre in one of the biggest film franchises in history. But the path to fame wasn’t easy, and the young Londoner isn’t one to... read more »