Religion and Faith – Stephen Liddell

Beating the bounds

These days we all have easy access to maps and our local administration is likely run by some sort of government office, elected or otherwise. That wasn’t always the case especially in the U.K. where the role of the church was hugely important. With churches across the whole country, it was important to know what… Continue reading Beating the bounds

The oldest door in Britain

I was fortunate to be in Westminster Abbey a few days. Much of the main building is perpetually overcrowded and particularly so in midsummer. There is so much to see in terms of memorials and architecture, royal thrones and the like and yet there is one place which always seems to be empty and yet… Continue reading The oldest door in Britain

10 years ago today, my Mam died

It’s hard to believe that 10 years ago today, my mother died. Unexpectedly after having several bouts of cancer over the years but seemingly on the mend after a very recent operation. March is just a completely dead month to me. Her birthday on the 14th is quickly followed by Mothers Day and then a… Continue reading 10 years ago today, my Mam died

The five heads of John the Baptist

In my last post I mentioned in jest about there were several ‘heads of John the Baptist’ and I thought I might try and see how many I could quickly find. It should be noted that there are some photos of 2,000 year old dried out skulls below so if it’s not your thing then… Continue reading The five heads of John the Baptist

The Holy Thorn Reliquary

If you go in the big long gallery on the right of the ground floor of the British Museum, most people will flock to the legendary Rosetta Stone which these days rather politically correctly is a duplicate of the original. I was there recently and it is a marvellous object though the crowd of Spanish… Continue reading The Holy Thorn Reliquary

The wonderful staircase of St Bartholomew’s hospital

A hospital staircase might not be the first place that comes into your head when you think about great works of art, least of all in a National Health Service hospital where famously all money goes into patient care rather than particularly beautified buildings and landscapes. What happens though when the hospital is celebrating its… Continue reading The wonderful staircase of St Bartholomew’s hospital

Remembering Ælfric the Grammarian

Walk around London or indeed any large British city or town and you might come across round circular blue plaques on the side of buildings. They are a way of honouring a person from history who has made a positive contribution to British culture in any number of fields. Normally one has to wait about… Continue reading Remembering Ælfric the Grammarian

A look inside an Anchorite Squint

Whilst I was poking around a church recently I came across one of these (see photo below). It is an Anchorite Squint. Pious and and Holy people from faiths around the world have long sought solitude to get closer to God. usually this would take the form of living on top of a mountain or… Continue reading A look inside an Anchorite Squint

Putting the well into Clerkenwell

I always like finding what’s beneath the surface in London, whether it is getting locked in with Roman ruins, snooping around for an ancient friary Finding the ruins of Whitefriars beneath the streets of London, getting up close and personal with the underground tomb of General Wolfe… it happens surprisingly often. One of the places I’ve… Continue reading Putting the well into Clerkenwell

Ernest Shackleton and the Third Man (an Angel)

Not long after after starting my blog, I once wrote on The Angel of Mons an event dating back to WW1 which often captures the imagination of those who know if it. A very contemporary event to this happened to Ernest Shackleton who I have written about last week, South Georgia might not seem a very… Continue reading Ernest Shackleton and the Third Man (an Angel)