Central Africa might not be your first guess when it comes to thinking of robocops but for the last 5 years or so in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo has been using them in increasing numbers in the hope they will improve traffic flow and cut the terrible death-rate on the roads.… Continue reading The Robocops of Kinshasa
Month: February 2019
The Tintagel Bridge over the troubled waters of King Arthur
There are few places in the world where history and legend intermix so thoroughly and so naturally as at Tintagel in Cornwall. Following the retreat of the Romans from Britannia, from about the 5th to the 7th century AD it was an important stronghold, and probably a residence of rulers of Cornwall. Many fragments of… Continue reading The Tintagel Bridge over the troubled waters of King Arthur
Paradise Lost – Better to reign in hell than serve in paradise! – Finding the tomb of Milton.
One of the perks of doing guided tours is coming across unexpected treasures. Many of the places I visit are off the usual tourist-track but no matter how many times I go out on walks, I find new things almost every day. A few weeks ago on one such occasion I was scouting out a… Continue reading Paradise Lost – Better to reign in hell than serve in paradise! – Finding the tomb of Milton.
Samphire Hoe – The newest part of England
There are almost countless things to see in the county of Kent from Chartwell House in the north, Leeds Castle, Canterbury Cathedral and all manner of Roman sites. Of course what is perhaps more famous than them all are the impressive White Cliffs of Dover which on a sunny day are like nowhere else on… Continue reading Samphire Hoe – The newest part of England
The tragic tale of Gelert the trusted hound of King Llwelyn The Great
These days people travel to Snowdonia in North West Wales for the incredible old castles and villages and particularly the rugged, wild landscapes and outdoor pursuits. It was a lot different in the thirteen-century when as with much of Britain and indeed the world, anywhere outside the city walls was seen to be a devilishly… Continue reading The tragic tale of Gelert the trusted hound of King Llwelyn The Great
Taking a ride on the Shields Ferry
Last summer when I was walking Hadrian’s Wall on my fundraising trip, I took a brief diversion on the way to see Bede’s chapel at Jarrow and the ancestral home of of George Washington in the aptly named Washington Hall. In order to do this, I took a trip on the Shield Ferry that crosses… Continue reading Taking a ride on the Shields Ferry
National Sickie Day – Good and stupid reasons to take a day off work.
According to national statistics the first Monday in February is the day when people are most likely to pull a sickie. One of the factors attributed to this is the first payday since Christmas, meaning people have been out celebrating all weekend with a particularly heavy one. Another theory is that people have a tendency… Continue reading National Sickie Day – Good and stupid reasons to take a day off work.
A peek inside a Medieval Book Coffer
Lot’s of people seem to think that reading on the go is a modern phenomenon using electronic devices to snatch a few minutes of solitude on a busy train to work. I must say, I just don’t get it though I accept almost everyone else does. Long before I was born, books have been inherently… Continue reading A peek inside a Medieval Book Coffer
Stephen Liddell 