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.10: Dark Clouds over Westminster

Rather apt for current events! A photo taken on iPhone 6s in 2016.

MORNING THOUGHTS FROM A DEVON SITTING ROOM

Forever Artificial?

Substack diary no.151: Tuesday, 12th. May 2026

When did we stop calling artificial fibres ‘artificial fibres’? It would seem that marketeers are just as adept at making us forget things as they are at making us think things we don’t want or need are essential. The explosion of ‘artificial’ – man-made – materials after the second world war has had a devastating impact on our lives and the lives of all other life on the planet.

A lot of people are talking about our dependence on petro-chemicals at the moment, and that is entirely understandable given political circumstances. We have surrounded ourselves with plastic clothes, plastic carpets, plastic bowls and containers – the list goes on. Much of it made with chemistries that do not exist in nature, and which therefore nature has no ability to recycle.
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50 YEARS AGO

Swansea field trip: the final days fading away into beer and a failed attempt to get home

27th-29th March 1976

After all the usual excitement of a geography field trip – touring the Gower Peninsula, measuring plant and soil types on a Valleys hillside, visiting Merthyr Tydfil and Port Talbot/Neath and a very strange remote pub – the final few days of the geography field trip just sort of fizzled out, but not without a cocktail of disappointment, amusement and beer.

Saturday 27th. March

The weekend started with a member of our group – Derek – wandering off on his own first thing. I am sorry to say that I do not remember Derek, but in my defence I certainly knew him then – and it was 50 years ago after all!.

Most of us decided to head for the University and town libraries, which seemed eminently sensible – but not me. In the end I did a Derek and went for a walk around the city and nearby villages looking for tourist attractions. I have always been a bit of an explorer – a feature of my character that has never left me. Yes, on a visit to California I would of course visit Hollywood, but I would also drive up Route 1 towards Santa Barbara and take a random dirt road east, just to see what was there.
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Recent posts

Swansea field trip: the final days fading away into beer and a failed attempt to get home

The fag-end of the geography field trip seems to have just faded away. I was wandering around trying to find potential tourist attractions – for a forthcoming essay – and failing to hitch back to London. Back at home I learned that sadly my flatmates had lost Tigger in Market Rasen.
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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.
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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.
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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