South of West

• Which Side Are You On?

  Posted: March 31, 2011, 3:37 pm by Rob Crilly

  Left and right, capital and labour, and our relationship to both may have been the best way to understand 20th Century politics and to chart solutions to problems. But those days are gone. Thatcher and Reagan changed the political landscape … Continue reading →

• The War of the Road

  Posted: March 29, 2011, 2:31 pm by Rob Crilly

  I spent Sunday, my last day reporting from Libya (for now), chasing the front line. We drove through Ajdabiya, then Brega, then Ras Lanuf but couldn’t move fast enough to find Colonel’s Gaddafi’s retreating forces. Somewhere in front of us … Continue reading →

• Portrait of a Checkpoint

  Posted: March 24, 2011, 9:21 pm by Rob Crilly

  Khalid Saad brought his family to see what all the fuss was about. His three sons, aged 18, 14 and 11, sucked on prickly artichokes as somewhere down the road – not too far away – Libya’s rebel movement probed … Continue reading →

• I’m Not Keen on Chaos

  Posted: March 20, 2011, 10:36 pm by Rob Crilly

  Today, I drove out on the Tripoli road from Benghazi the few miles to where French ground attack planes had taken out Colonel Gaddafi’s armoured column which hours earlier had sent a frightening cascade of artillery into the heart of … Continue reading →

• Battle for Benghazi

  Posted: March 19, 2011, 11:41 am by Rob Crilly

  It came in from the sea, somewhere to the north. At first the residents of Benghazi cheered, believing it would herald the start of air strikes against Gaddafi forces still rumbling towards their city. “Is it European,” shouted one. Then … Continue reading →

• Safari Soundtrack: Desert Sands

  Posted: March 7, 2011, 9:25 pm by Rob Crilly

  Headed for Benghazi, via Lyon, Milan, Cairo and an epic overland safari. So I think that calls for a Safari Soundtrack 24 Hours from Tulsa, Gene Pitney (24 Hours from Tulsa) – or 12 hours from Benghazi. The definition of … Continue reading →

• Roadside Dining in Tunisia

  Posted: March 6, 2011, 10:19 pm by Rob Crilly

  I’m not a great one for being squeamish about meat. I like it and I eat it. If that means an animal has to be killed then, so long as it has been treated humanely, that’s OK with me. I … Continue reading →

• Andrew Mitchell on a Shipping Container

  Posted: March 4, 2011, 5:13 pm by Rob Crilly

  Andrew Mitchell, the international development secretary, arrived at the Ras Jedir border crossing today to announce that Britain was sending more aid. Sky interviewed him on top of a container.

• Crush at Ras Jebir

  Posted: March 1, 2011, 9:12 pm by Rob Crilly

  Things got pretty ugly today. Where yesterday tens of thousands of people stood patiently waiting for their chance to enter Tunisia from Libya, today they surged towards the blue railings and a line of policemen trying to hold them back. … Continue reading →

Blah blah blah

Fish cakes

Alas a fish cake.

Yet more fish cakes

Guess what ... yeah ... fish cakes.

The end of the fish cakes