Every now and then I like to post on great but often overlooked female figures in history. Over the 9 years I have been blogging just some of the notable women I have written about include Khutulun – The Mongolian Wrestling Princess Empress Matilda Edith Cavell – Patriotism Is Not Enough Mary Seacole – The Greatest Black Briton… Continue reading Noor Inayat Khan – Born an Indian Princess, Lived a French writer, Died a British Spy
Tag: India
My final Map Medlee!
This is the final posting in my recent collection of motley maps, at least for now. France is a pretty big country by any going, the only European nation that wouldn’t necessarily be dwarfed by countries on other countinents. However, incredibly it is the almost the exact same size as Olympus Mons… Continue reading My final Map Medlee!
The festival of Raksha Bandhan
Two weeks ago today on August 7th, was the festival of Raksha Bandhan. Originating with the Hindu faith in India (though long observed by Sikhs too), it centres on a ceremony wherein a sister will tie a Rakhi (a simple cloth bracelet) on the wrist of her brother as a symbol of her love and… Continue reading The festival of Raksha Bandhan
When your biggest hope turns into your worst nightmare – The Legend of Prester John
Prester John was for several centuries once one of the most famous people in the world, despite not having ever existed. His non-existence however didn’t stop him having a great and possibly horrific legacy to those who believed in him in possibly the biggest example of the phrase “Be careful what you wish for”. Before… Continue reading When your biggest hope turns into your worst nightmare – The Legend of Prester John
Lion – The Movie Review
I’m not lucky in many ways but one thing I am fortunate in is that I really know what sort of movies I like. What I like is something substantial and thoughtful. The majority of films I see advertised at the cinema do exactly what they are supposed to do… show potential audiences the… Continue reading Lion – The Movie Review
Knebworth House – It was a dark and stormy night…
One of the houses that I enjoy visiting but don’t actually get to very often is Knebworth House. It is an extremely distinctive looking country house in northern Hertfordshire just above London. The house has been in the hands of the Lytton family since 1490 and over the centuries the house has evolved from a… Continue reading Knebworth House – It was a dark and stormy night…
Terra Nullius, enclaves & the strange case of Bir Tawil – The land that nobody wants.
When European nations were looking at empire building there were a number of sham reasons used to justify it. Either religious edicts from Rome, pure Ethnocentrism from France (the belief of one race being superior to all others) or in the case of Great Britain Terra Nullius. It was the Romans who first came up… Continue reading Terra Nullius, enclaves & the strange case of Bir Tawil – The land that nobody wants.
Stephen Liddell 