A great reader is…someone who adds to the conversation To my great surprise and with great appreciation, my blog has been nominated as a finalist in the Wonderful Team member Readership Award by the very talented and supremely readable Managua Gunn’s Pirate Haven. I’d like to say thank-you for being considered for this award, especially… Continue reading Nominee of the Wonderful Team member Readership Award
Our little paradise
One of the things that I like to do is spend time outdoors and when I can’t go any further away from home then I go in my back garden. We have a very small back garden even by English standards maybe 50 feet long and 20 feet wide but we manage to squeeze a… Continue reading Our little paradise
Why are we here? or The SOAS Library
Why are we here? I’m not going to attempt to answer the big theological debate here, at least not today. Everyone goes through a series of events or experiences that gradually shape their ideas, ideals and general outlook on life. Being born in the late 20thC is a big factor, it is a fact that… Continue reading Why are we here? or The SOAS Library
Must Sunday be like every other shopping day?
This week I am guest blogging at the excellent Political Idealist website which covers political, news and current affairs both in the U.K. and around the world. The Political Idealist is run by the very talented Jack H. G. Darrant who takes a healthy interest in environmentalism and British democracy, you may also have read… Continue reading Must Sunday be like every other shopping day?
Bank Holiday Monday(s)
First of all thank-you to everyone who liked my blogs last week when I was away. I’m glad they were appreciated and I really enjoyed following up on the people who ‘liked’ me. Monday is a Bank Holiday in England, our last one until the Christmas period. Until the 1830’s we had over 30 bank… Continue reading Bank Holiday Monday(s)
A day out in Cockermouth
Due to the all night storm our plans to go for another day in the mountains was quickly forgotten in place of a visit to the picturesque town of Cockermouth. Cockermouth sits at the meeting point of 3 rivers and below 2 large lakes and is currently most famous in the U.K for being devastated… Continue reading A day out in Cockermouth
A seaside jaunt
Thursday was forecast to be a wet day so we decided to take the car in case we had to shelter. Bizarrely for a wet day we decided to go to the coast, happily for us not only did the sun shine for us but we saw some real neat places through the day. Our… Continue reading A seaside jaunt
A lakeside walk
Following the culture and forests of the last few days yesterday we decided to do a nice steady lakeside walk. We decided to go to Wast Water which is much less touristic than other lakes with no villages, paddle-steamers or through roads to distract us. I have been carrying an injury the last few weeks… Continue reading A lakeside walk
A trip to the manor
One of the most popular ideas about Britain and England in particular is that it is covered in stately homes. While this is true over 1,000 of these houses have been lost just since WW2. This was due to many factors including ‘Death Duty’ taxes but also by changing societal roles. Until WW1 most ordinary… Continue reading A trip to the manor
Castles and Churches
Day 2 of our holiday in The Lakes started with a visit to Egremont Castle which happens to be 2 minutes walk from where we are staying. Situated in the pretty small town of Egremont the castle like many others was built by The Normans but sadly this one is quite ruined. Many parts of… Continue reading Castles and Churches