Prince Edward Island - Nothing to do with Sheffield Wednesday

Prince Edward Island - the birthplace of Confederation - where, after almost three years of an often difficult gestation period, the infant that was Canada was slapped on the bottom and brought kicking and screaming into this world. Born on the 1st of July 1867, Canada is just sixty five days older than Sheffield Wednesday.

Imagine that, us Brits were forming association football clubs at a time when Canada was barely into nappies, let alone out of them. 

UK podcasters Nick and Amy Thomson continue on their epic road trip around the four provinces of Atlantic Canada, collectively being the Americas closest neighbour to dear old Blighty. Continuing their exploration of Prince Edward Island - Canada's smallest province - this episode is like a relaxation therapy all by itself with its focus on rest, reconnection and nature-led wellness. In fact, it sounds like the perfect place for any Sheffield Wednesday supporters at this particular time in history because we certainly ain't getting much of anything else wellness-wise at the moment.

Basically, it seems like the Prince Edward islanders are the most chilled people on earth and only too happy to invite others to share in their experience.

"We took a walk, ate lobster rolls............and watched the sun go down". 

Ahh, that feels good.

As opposed to watching Sheffield Wednesday go down.

To find out more about this epi-centre of wellness - with absolutely no mention whatsoever of Sheffield Wednesday - click on this link Prince Edward Island - Nothing to do with Sheffield Wednesday, part of the Atlantic Canada podcast series.

Prince Edward Island (phew - not Andrew)

Prince Edward Island (often referred to as PEI) is Canada's smallest province both in land size and population, yet perversely the most densely populated. So presumably its inhabitants live on top of each other, shoulder to shoulder, side by side and in each other's pockets?

No. Don't be daft. This is Canada. Population density on Prince Edward Island is around one tenth that of Great Britain, meaning that they've all got around ten times more space in which to work, rest and play compared to us Brits. Throw in the red sand beaches, stunning sea views and glorious landscapes and one might be forgiven for feeling a teeny bit envious of these lucky Prince Edward Islanders.  

Named after (Queen Victoria's dad) Prince Edward in 1798, another stroke of luck was that it wasn't named after any royals named Andrew.

Prince Edward Island is the second of the four provinces visited by podcasters Nick and Amy Thomson on their epic road trip around Atlantic Canada. Their hectic itinerary included a stay at a Nordic style spa resort, kayaking on a lake explorer tour and learning about the indigenous Mi'kmaq people. Hmm. Doesn't sound too hectic to me. I might be feeling a teeny bit envious about podcast producers now as well. 

Could Prince Edward Island actually be the home of lifestyle and wellness?

What was it that made Nick go all tingly?

Is tetrochromatic really a real word. Really?

How does one pronounce Mi'kmaq?

And is eating cattails as fiendish as it sounds?

For answers to these and other questions, click here to listen to Atlantic Canada - Prince Edward Island, part of the Atlantic Canada podcast series.

Newfoundland and Labrador - The Codfish That Didn't Get Away

I know.........let's go have a picnic at the lighthouse!

Canadian folk are a happy lot. Patriotic, proud and big-hearted, the latter never better evidenced than during the events and aftermath of 11 September 2001 when the small town of Gander, Newfoundland found itself temporary host to seven thousand stranded airline passengers. The hospitality and friendship exhibited by the townsfolk at that time later came to be celebrated in the hit musical Come from Away, a Newfoundland and Labrador term for an outsider or visitor, someone not from the province. 

Podcasters Nick and Amy Thomson were therefore two such "come from aways" as they embarked on an epic road trip around Atlantic Canada, the easternmost region of the country and closest point between Canada and the UK. Visitors they might have been but they were warmly welcomed and all it cost Nick was a snog with a codfish, part of the Newfoundland Screech-In ceremony.

But what is the Newfoundland Screech-In ceremony?

What is Newfoundland Screech?

Why do you always find the locals in the kitchen at parties? 

And will Nick ever learn how to pronounce Newfoundland?

For answers to these and other questions, click here to listen to Atlantic Canada - Come From Away, part of the Atlantic Canada podcast series.

Incidentally, here's a picture of Nick kissing that codfish. Although with that black bin bag it's wearing it looks more like a turtle. The codfish that is. Not Nick. Either way, I'm not sure who is the more disgusted by this act of animal cruelty. Nick, the lady in the background, or the codfish?

Newfoundland and Labrador - and a beer called Dildo

Canada is big. Very big. In fact it's the second largest country in the world by total area, around seventy times larger than the UK although with a population some 30 million less.

Crowded it is not.

Canada is also named as the Most Loved Country in the World 2025 in the most recent RepTrak report (look it up for yourself) as a model nation for stability, quality of life and social justice. It has stunning landscapes, vibrant and modern cities and a people renowned for their friendliness and politeness. 

It is also home to Dildo Brewing Co. 

The Dildo Brewing Co. & Museum is based in the town of Dildo in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, one of four provinces - the others being New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island - that form Atlantic Canada, the easternmost region of the country and shortest hop between the UK and the Americas.

Humpback whales have no teeth so how do they chew?

Is Atlantic Canada worth visiting?

Newfoundland and Labrador is the starting point for an epic road trip by podcast producers Nick and Amy Thomson, across the four provinces comprising Atlantic Canada, finding out as much as they can about this least well known and visited part of Canada and asking the all-important questions; 

What's with the Irish accents?

Can puffins really sleep on water?

Do humpback whales have the hump because they have no teeth?

Am I pulling your leg about Dildo beer?

This is the first podcast in a new series called Atlantic Canada. 

Click here to listen Atlantic Canada - Part 1

Happy Heavenly 60th Birthday Trevor Beechey

Ten years ago today.

Pictured left to right, myself, Pat, Neil and Trevor enjoying a

beer in Koh Samui, Thailand celebrating Trevor's 50th birthday.

Still miss you mate.

More Berk than Berserker?

I’ve just finished reading Adrian Edmondson’s autobiography titled “Berserker”. It was funny, enlightening and often poignant. It was also ridiculously cheap at just £0.99 for the Kindle version. 

I too have written a book which is similarly funny, enlightening and occasionally poignant. Possibly. It is not ridiculously cheap though and whilst £2.99 for the Kindle version couldn’t sensibly be described as being anywhere near outrageous, it has occurred to me that if someone with the comedic CV of Adrian Edmondson can sell his book for £0.99 then maybe I’m kidding myself trying to sell my own book at three times the price. I may be more berk than berserker but I’m not that much of a berk. 

So that is why own literary masterpiece (literary mantelpiece?) is now available to buy at just £1.99. What? Still more expensive than Adrian Edmondson's book I hear you say? Well, yes. But I have a good excuse for that and it's not my fault because I can only price it at £0.99 if I change the book royalty option from 70% down to 35% and why would I want to do that? And just to complicate matters I have previously made no secret of the fact that my book - the one I'm talking about - is actually an upgraded version of my first book - the one I'm not talking about - which remains available at the now same price of £1.99. Or it did. Because as I want folk to buy the upgraded version, I've had this brilliant wheeze to increase the price on that book to £2.99 because then you'd have to be a real berk to buy the first book instead of the second one .

In the spring of 2022 I walked across northern Spain on the Camino de Santiago with my missus, the indomitable Mrs C. We enjoyed it so much that the following year we walked to Santiago again, although this time from the Portuguese city of Porto, and for good measure we returned to Santiago a few months later to walk from there to Finisterre (once thought to be the end of the earth). And that's what I wrote about. The first book gained a decent amount of traction with some good reviews although the second book hasn't really attracted much attention and is a long way down the Amazon listings. So maybe reducing the price down to the equivalent of only two Adrian Edmondson autobiographies isn't such a dumb move?

More information on both books can be found at A Thirst for Adventure on the Way to Santiago: A Tale of Three Caminos

Adrian Edmondson's autobiography is well worth reading and a Kindle bargain at only £0.99. My book may not be quite the same bargain but if you want to find out more about walking the Camino de Santiago then - trust me - you'll be wasting your money with Adrian's book.

It’s a Classic

As Adrian Gurvitz famously sang;

Got to write a classic

Got to write it in an attic

I’ll stop there. It may have been one of the most played ballads of 1982 but trying to rhyme attic with classic is, well, pretty tragic in my opinion. In fact, he might just as well have sung;

Got to write a classic

Even though my rhyming’s tragic

But his song was a top ten hit so there were obviously plenty of people out there who were prepared to overlook bad rhyme. Which is good news for me because my book is full of it!

Walking the magical Camino de Santiago across Spain and starting each day with a song. What more could any reader want? And all for less than the price of anything that costs £3.00 or more.

Check out this link for details:

https://www.caminodesantiago.uk/home