Grief is the price we pay for love

Today is an unexpected and sad post.  Today is Good Friday, the time of Easter and of death and resurrection.  Please therefore spend a moment to think of my beautiful, kind and precious mother who sadly died unexpectedly last night without chance for goodbyes or expressions of love. No doubt I will do a proper… Continue reading Grief is the price we pay for love

Plague victims discovered in London and The Black Death

In recent days it has become clear that whilst building London’s new cross-rail project, archaeologists have found a mass underground burial.  It is suspected that the remains of these people are the unfortunate victims of The Plague or Black Death as it is often known as. Despite the rather stupid questioning from TV news presenters,… Continue reading Plague victims discovered in London and The Black Death

Food Waste – I don’t buy it.

Today is a big day in our household and not just because we are making home made burgers to eat later although that in itself is a cause of celebration. No, today is the day when we get a supermarket home delivery.  This is a rare occurrence for us and is our first since possibly… Continue reading Food Waste – I don’t buy it.

Commonwealth Day

The second Monday of March each year is Commonwealth Day.  The day is observed in all Commonwealth countries but is not necessarily a public holiday.  For people outside the Commonwealth of Nations, this is the name of  voluntary international organisation given to what was once the British Empire. Commonwealth Day started as Empire day before… Continue reading Commonwealth Day

In the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia

Hopefully you will have read the previous post about the classic epic  movie, Lawrence of Arabia, it’s not entirely necessary but it sets this post in perspective. I came to Lawrence through the film and after watching it, you do get a good idea of what he must have been like.  Lawrence was also a… Continue reading In the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia

Lawrence of Arabia

This is the first section of a two part article about T.E. Lawrence, better known as Lawrence of Arabia.  This first part will be about the better known side of Lawrence and especially the film whilst the second part will be a more personal look at Lawrence and my journey in his footsteps. You can… Continue reading Lawrence of Arabia

Qasr Amr – pleasure palace of the Caliphs

Qasr Amr is located on the desert road to Azraq and only a short distance from Iraq.  It is possibly the highlight of the chain of desert castles built in eastern Jordan.  It was built by Caliph Walid I around 715AD.  As the name suggests it was originally part of a castle but now all… Continue reading Qasr Amr – pleasure palace of the Caliphs

A Guided tour walk around my neighbourhood

I love to walk whenever I can and I am fortunate that I live pretty much on the last street of the huge sprawl of London. I might not have as much as I want but I do have countryside almost on my door step so when I have time this is one of my… Continue reading A Guided tour walk around my neighbourhood

The destruction of historic Mecca by Saudi Arabia

Below is another article which I have recently written for the Muslim Academy site which is run to increase East-West understandings. If the first church of St. Paul was to be destroyed or the house of Mary, mother of Jesus, were to be razed to the ground there would be a near universal outcry; yet… Continue reading The destruction of historic Mecca by Saudi Arabia