Monthly Archives: October 2017

Crows, Ravens & Halloween

Posted on October 31, 2017 by Stephen Liddell

Over the years, I have written quite a few posts on Halloween related subjects such as Halloweens of past and present (updated) Top 10 Haunted places in the U.K. the fearful Spring Heeled Jack who wrought terror in mostly distant times and … Continue reading →

Posted in Heritage, history, Life, Religion and Faith | Tagged Corvus, Crows, Faith, halloween, Legends, Myths, Ravens, Stonehenge, Tower of London | 3 Comments

The Death of Stalin – Movie Review

Posted on October 29, 2017 by Stephen Liddell

Dear Comrades, it gives me great pleasure, indeed it is behoven on me to introduce to you one of the great cinematic treasures of 2017, The Death of Stalin. As the Presidium is no doubt aware (for they have eyes … Continue reading →

Posted in Funny & Humour, history, Life, Movies and Films | Tagged Comedy, Films, Jason Isaacs, Movie Review, movies, Russia, Simon Russell Beale, Stalin, The Death Of Stalin | 6 Comments

Weird Street Names of London

Posted on October 26, 2017 by Stephen Liddell

One of the things that I come across when I do my tours in London and indeed everywhere else in the U.K. is some of the unusual names that can be found either of settlement names or street names. London … Continue reading →

Posted in Cool Britannia, history, London, Travel, Ye Olde England Tours | Tagged Bleeding Heart Yard, Cock Fighting, Fleet Street, Houndsditch, London, Pubs, Pudding Lane, Rotten Row, Streets, The Monument | 14 Comments

Jeremy Bentham, his life, his work and his head!

Posted on October 23, 2017 by Stephen Liddell

Jeremthy Bentham is a famous 18th and 19th century political philospher. Unlike many before and since, you can actually visit Jeremy today as he had himself preserved so he could be wheeled out at dinner parties in case his friends … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Life, London, Politics | Tagged Animal Rights, Equality, Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill, Liberal, Mummification, UCL, University College London, Utilitarianism | 10 Comments

Women and The Great War

Posted on October 19, 2017 by Stephen Liddell

When we think of The Great War, the role of women is an often forgotten element in comparison to the famous battlefields around the world. However as the German leadership quickly stated, WW1 was a total war that required the … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Life, WW1 | Tagged Canary Girls, Edith Cavell, Land Girls, Lest We Forget, The Great War, Vera Brittain, Women in War, World War 1, WW1 | 5 Comments

The 30th Anniversary of The Great Storm of 1987

Posted on October 16, 2017 by Stephen Liddell

Anyone who lived through The Great Storm of 1987 isn’t likely to forget it in a hurry. It was almost a generation-defining moment the night when ships ran aground, London endured its first blackout since the Blitz, 18 people died … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Life, News | Tagged Hurricane 1987, Michael Fish, national trust, Nature, Sevenoaks, Storms, The Great Storm, Weather, Wind, Woods | 4 Comments

Goodbye Christopher Robin Film Review

Posted on October 12, 2017 by Stephen Liddell

Every now and then you come across a film that you know will just turn out to be a classic even if it isn’t initially thought to be such. I am one of the few who went to see Shawshank … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Life, Movies and Films | Tagged AA Milne, Domhnall Gleeson, EH Shepard, Film Review, Goodbye Christopher Robin, Literature, Margot Robbie, movies, Pooh, Winnie The Pooh | 10 Comments

The Americans Are Coming!

Posted on October 9, 2017 by Stephen Liddell

When war was declared in Europe, the United States of America had no interest in joining what they labelled as the European War. American doctrine of the time was insular with regards to the old world and instead concentrated on … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Politics, WW1 | Tagged American Preparedness Movement, Lest We Forget, RMS Lusitania, Royal Navy, war, Woodrow Wilson, WW1 | 7 Comments

Did Babylonians Beat The Greeks To Trigonometry?

Posted on October 5, 2017 by Stephen Liddell

We’re all used to learning that it was the Ancient Greeks who invented (or inflicted for those of us who hate Maths) Trigonometry but recent evidence suggests that they may have been beaten to it those canny Babylonians. A 3,700-year-old clay … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, history, Life, News, Science and Engineering | Tagged Ancient Greece, Archeology, Babylon, Hipparchus, Mathematics, Plimpton 332, Trigonometry | 5 Comments

When WW1 came to East Africa

Posted on October 2, 2017 by Stephen Liddell

As we approach Armistice Day, it’s become something of a blog tradition for me to write some posts related to WW1. I thought this time to pick a little bit of an unusual subject and a little discussed arena … Continue reading →