Today marks the 100th anniversary of one of the biggest moments in 20th century history, if not for many people, at least for myself and perhaps a few others. For on this day, January 25th 1917, my Great Grandad Ernest Heard died in Iraq during WW1. Like many others in that particular campaign, he didn’t… Continue reading Remembering My Great Grandad Ernest Heard Who Died 100 Years Ago Today in Amarah, Iraq.
Tag: Death
Why has 2016 seen so many celebrity deaths?
It was back in early spring that it was said that 2016 was obviously being written by Game of Thrones writer, George RR Martin. The number of famous people who have died in 2016 is almost too big to recall. It’s safe to say that whatever it was that consituted our broader culture as… Continue reading Why has 2016 seen so many celebrity deaths?
The longest ongoing conflicts in the world
It’s that time of year when most websites and blogs do a rather whimsical review of the year with an overly saccharine Christmasy feeling. That may be all well and good for those of us living in something of a peaceful and prosperous existence but I think it’s important to remember that for many… Continue reading The longest ongoing conflicts in the world
Cross Bones Graveyard – A resting place for the ‘Single women’ of London
Today whilst conducting a private Charles Dickens Walking Tour with a colleague, I took a little detour through the back streets of Borough and Southwark to visit two very special and unique places. This area of London lies just south of the River Thames and since Roman times (like Whitechapel) has been something of the armpit… Continue reading Cross Bones Graveyard – A resting place for the ‘Single women’ of London
Remembering Andrew Sachs, Manuel from Fawlty Towers
learn This morning awaking before 5am I was saddened to learn of the death of Andrew Sachs who famously portrayted the well-meaning but inept Spanish waiter Manuel in the classic comedy Fawlty Towers. Manuel was always in a state of constant confusion, and with a tenuous grasp of English syntax, he was invariably the target of… Continue reading Remembering Andrew Sachs, Manuel from Fawlty Towers
The Last Post
It is one of the most evocative and moving pieces of music and as with every year, The Last Post will be played all over the world on Remembrance Day but its origins had nothing to do with mourning. The Last Post was first published in the 1790s, just one of the two dozen or… Continue reading The Last Post
Mary Ann Cotton – Dark Angel
As we reach All Hallows Eve, it has become a tradition that I write a post related to Halloween or at least, things that go bump in the night. Last year I wrote about the apparently true events portrayed in The Enfield Poltergeist so I thought that today I would also write about true events, that… Continue reading Mary Ann Cotton – Dark Angel
The Aberfan Disaster Remembered 50 Years On
Yesterday marked the 50th anniversary of one of the worst post-war disasters in Britain when on an ordinary October day, a quiet village in South Wales literally had the world fall in on them. The village of Aberfan sat beneath the spoil tips of the Merthyr Vale Colliery. Throughout the 20th century coal had been dumped… Continue reading The Aberfan Disaster Remembered 50 Years On
The Battle of The Somme 100 Years On
Friday July 1st 2016 marks the centerniary of the commencement of The Battle Of The Somme. It is fair to say that July 1st 1916 might possibly the most horrific day in British history and most likely in the top two or three anywhere given the dreadful events of the day. The Battle of The… Continue reading The Battle of The Somme 100 Years On
The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace – Benedictus
Do you ever have a situation where you hear a piece of music and don’t know what it is? Perhaps you hear a new song on the radio that you like the sound of but miss the introduction at the beginning or annoyingly the presenter doesn’t credit it at the end. It’s hard enough when… Continue reading The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace – Benedictus
Stephen Liddell 