The Bridge of Sighs in Oxford

There are so many beautiful sights to see in Oxford, the famous old university city known as the City of Dreaming Spires due to the wonderful architecture of Oxford which is prone to take the breath away of even the most seasoned traveller. So beautiful in fact that Hitler deemed it to be his future… Continue reading The Bridge of Sighs in Oxford

Going to my first NFL game at Wembley Stadium, London

A few days ago I managed to get to see my very first live-action NFL game at Wembley Stadium, London.  Normally Wembley is the home of Football but for a month or so eat autumn, it becomes the home of American Football! I’ve watched American Football or NFL since around 1982 when it first appeared… Continue reading Going to my first NFL game at Wembley Stadium, London

Electing a new Speaker to the House of Commons

Following the often delayed departure of the previous Mr. Speaker John Bercow, this week sees the election of the next speaker of the House of Commons. How does one become a Speaker?  Firstly one has to already be a sitting Member of Parliament.  Their electorate is what has been described as “the most duplicitous electorate… Continue reading Electing a new Speaker to the House of Commons

A close look at a grave of a Pirate or is it?

Huddled on the the battered coast of Northumberland you’ll come across many an ancient ruin, castle or church.  There is more than enough to spend an hour or so at St Aidan, so named after the saint who died on the spot in 651AD. I first visited this church around 40 years ago and still… Continue reading A close look at a grave of a Pirate or is it?

An eerie journey along old Corpse Roads

Can anyone believe that I have written Halloween (related posts for 7 years now.  When I started this blog I thought I’d be lucky to still be going in a month.   As with everything else, I always try to keep my Halloween posts grounded as I think that makes them more realistic and also more… Continue reading An eerie journey along old Corpse Roads

A piss-poor history of urine

I’m going to try not to use the P word too much in this post, as tempting as it is as that would be taking the Pee but urine has actually had a long history of practical uses especially in medicine. None other than Pliny the Elder back in Rome  recommended fresh urine for the… Continue reading A piss-poor history of urine

Paying homage at the tomb of the Venerable Bede

If like myself you have anything like a passing history in old Anglo-Saxon history or even history itself, the works of Bede are something to behold. I always find it a bit boring I suppose that so many people think of British history as being Stonehenge, Romans, Vikings, a bonkers king who kept killing his… Continue reading Paying homage at the tomb of the Venerable Bede

Original hand-drawn battle plans by Admiral Lord Nelson for the Battle of Trafalgar are discovered.

Incredible a hand-drawn sketch by Admiral Lord Nelson himself showing his plan for victory at Trafalgar has been discovered tucked inside the pages of a scrapbook after nearly 200 years. They were discovered by historian Martyn Downer in a scrap book book from the 1830s which was recently sold at auction. It shows his plan… Continue reading Original hand-drawn battle plans by Admiral Lord Nelson for the Battle of Trafalgar are discovered.

A peek inside possibly the second smallest home in the U.K.

In my line of work I spend a lot of time walking round palaces, great houses and cathedrals but last week I had the opportunity to revisit one of the smallest houses imaginable in the beautiful Lake District in the country of Cumbria.  What makes this house extra special is not just its tiny size… Continue reading A peek inside possibly the second smallest home in the U.K.

Murky Moor photos

I’ve been away for a few weeks giving a long tour of parts of north east and north west England and having returned I have found my wordpress to stubbornly refuse to fully function on my iPad or even let me log in on my computer. As such, I’m forced to do a simple post… Continue reading Murky Moor photos