The lonely Isle of Islay and the doomed American soldiers who died there in 1918 in 2 naval disasters.

The Scottish Isle of of Islay is best known these days for its world famous peaty single malt whisky but a century ago, this normally tranquil place which sits on the western coast of the U.K and facing the fierce north Atlantic was for just a few short months at least, anything other than tranquil.… Continue reading The lonely Isle of Islay and the doomed American soldiers who died there in 1918 in 2 naval disasters.

Ye Olde England Tours is Hiring!

Most of you will know that I run a small tours company based in London. We do a large number of walking tours in London itself along with plenty of day trip car based tours to places of interest such as Bath, Stonehenge, Windsor Castle and similar places. Thankfully business has been good and we’re… Continue reading Ye Olde England Tours is Hiring!

Humphrey Repton and the Bloomsbury Squares

One of my favourite areas of London and one which I have written on previously is  Bloomsbury.  Once the area was full of grand achitectural squares with lush green gardens as their centre piece.  Even today, the area retains an air of quiet, gentle elegance though wartime bombing and construction have taken their toll on… Continue reading Humphrey Repton and the Bloomsbury Squares

RAF Icons of the Jet-Age

Concluding my short series of blog posts on iconic RAF planes to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Royal Air Force we finally reach the period that most of us are best familiar with.  The age of the jet engine. Frank Whittle invented the jet engine in 1930 though it was Germany that got the… Continue reading RAF Icons of the Jet-Age

Lord North, the most unassuming man in a position of power ever!

One of the things I dislike most about the world is people who are boastful or prideful and this goes doubly for those who do so for very little reason whatsoever. I always find if anyone has to boast about anything then they aren’t really anything special at all.  The very best people have no… Continue reading Lord North, the most unassuming man in a position of power ever!

Manfred Von Richthofen – The Red Baron

April 21st 2018 sees the 100 anniversary of the death of one of the most famous names not just in the history of air-combat but aviation generally. The Red Baron was the name given to Manfred von Richthofen, a German fighter pilot who was the deadliest flying ace of World War I. Along with some… Continue reading Manfred Von Richthofen – The Red Baron

WW2 icons of the RAF

Following on from my RAF100 post the Sopwih Camel and WW1… By 1940 the awesome might of Hitler’s Luftwaffe had been displayed in the lightning blitzkrieg offensive that annexed France in six weeks. In the aftermath the British had managed to rescue more than 300,000 troops from Dunkirk with a hastily cobbled together flotilla during… Continue reading WW2 icons of the RAF

A Brief History of the Penny

As the modern era of a cashless society rolls relentlessly onwards and due to inflation the value of it ever decreasing, the Bank of England Governor Mark Carney has raised the prospect that like the half pence in the 1980’s the Penny be removed from circulation.  The fact that the banking chief claims to rarely… Continue reading A Brief History of the Penny

The legendary Sopwith Camel – Icon of WW1 fliers

The first really star plane of the Royal AirForce was the Sopwith Camel which was already in service for the Royal Flying Corps. The Camel grew out of the Sopwith Pup, a little fighter introduced in 1916, but which was soon outclassed by the German Albatroses and Halberstadts. Its name derived from the slight hump… Continue reading The legendary Sopwith Camel – Icon of WW1 fliers