Colin J. Anderson

Thoughts from a Devon Sitting Room

Recording my life in diaries and photographs, from heady days as a student in London in the 1970’s to being a pensioner on a low income today. My writing is a mixture of insight – from knowledge & experience – and history. I explore my professional and personal interests – energy & climate change, history, politics, music, film, food & drink… the list goes on!

50 YEARS OF PHOTOS

No.9: Golden afternoon in Le Castellet

1982: relaxing in Le Castellet in the Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur region in south-east France. I love this area – not too far from Toulon.

Photographed with Canon 450D. Negative scanned using Silverfast 9SE & Silverfast HDR. Processed using Lightroom.

MORNING THOUGHTS FROM A DEVON SITTING ROOM

Morning Coffee?

Substack diary No.124: Monday, 13th. April 2026

My morning cappuccino is a luxury I look forward to immensely, but there is a possibility it is under threat. My espresso machine does not appear to be working as well as it should, and it is not even ten years old. Prior to retirement I purchased everything I thought I would need for however many ‘pensioner’ years I might have. I was hoping for at least 20. The problem is – and I knew this before I retired – if something goes wrong and has to be replaced I am somewhat compromised.

I appreciate quality more than most, not only because of the human skill, thought and effort that went into good design and construction, whether it be a sofa or a record deck, but because of sustainability – the longevity of quality.
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50 YEARS AGO

Who decides what is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty?

Wednesday & Thursday, 24th/25th. March 1976

Swansea field trip day 3

Day 3 and our intrepid geographers make the short trip from Swansea University to the Gower Peninsula. We were here to gain a ‘feel’ for the place in a combination of coach tour and very windy hill walking.

I am fairly sure that the objective for the day was to ensure we were told as little about the objective as possible, in order to ensure we would develop as objective a view of the landscape as possible. Does that make sense?

Possibly not, but all became clear as we headed back, sooner than anticipated, to university. An early dinner followed by “…a bloody great long lecture on landscape evaluation…” according to my ever-so succinct diary entry.

I was not expecting this, and I suspect most of us were now thinking that perhaps we should have paid more attention on our little tour. For some reason I found that many of my classmates seemed to be focussing a greater than usual degree of attention on me. Very nice, but why?
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Recent posts

The Fire Brigade, clay mines & a Volkswagen Beetle: what is the connection?

I recently came across a photograph I took in 1977 of a fire appliance, which immediately triggered memories of Newton Abbot Fire Brigade, the nearby clay mines – and why my father owned a Volkswagen Beetle. There was a powerful link between these seemingly disparate elements.
Read more…
Who decides what is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty?

Two days on the Gower Peninsula evaluating the landscape. How can you apply a score to hills, valleys, lakes and rivers? I had no idea, but that is what we had to do.
Read more…
Geography field trip: late nights, parties, cooked breakfasts, mystery tours – and lot’s of Welsh beer!

Swansea days 1 & 2: fast train from Paddington, numerous beers, late night parties, cooked breakfasts, Old Grey Whistle Test. Oh, and a bit of geography too.
Read more…

My LSE Diary posts – reflecting life as a student in the 1970’s. I was at the Joint School of Geography – King’s College & the London School of Economics.

Not only that but also 30 years living in London – life on a south London council estate… and more!

LSE Diary

London

Recent music posts

Everything from saving energy to gardening, interior design to lighting. I love my home. Sometimes I will feature previous homes, including my 10th. floor flat in a south London council block. You will find useful tips and advice. I love my home!

Home & Garden

Recent home & garden posts

A small selection of themed photography pages

Photography

Food!

Garden flowers

Shadow & Light

So who is Colin Anderson?

A Devonian with stories to tell and a love of history, science, philosophy, environment, & entertainment.

An increasing number of people I know are either down the rabbit hole or caught in its event horizon, which I find distressing. I prefer the real world and, like a frantic sponge, I cannot help but soak up knowledge, insight & quality.

Which I like to share…

About me