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
Tag: war
3rd September 1939 – Britain Declares War On Germany
Today I was giving a tour of Chartwell House to two nice folk from Colorado, USA. Chartwell House was the home of Prime Minister Winston Churchill and is full of his old belongings from his radio to his cigars. Whilst we were busy enjoying the magnificent house, we came across a room-guide upstairs in the… Continue reading 3rd September 1939 – Britain Declares War On Germany
Mary Seacole – The Greatest Black Briton
Many of us are familiar with the accounts of Florence Nightingale, the British nurse who worked tirelessly and in the most trying of circumstances during The Crimea War and who in many ways pushed forward and pioneered modern day healthcare and nursing. She is rightly remembered as one of the greatest figures in history and… Continue reading Mary Seacole – The Greatest Black Briton
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
Khutulun – The Mongolian Wrestling Princess
The name of Khutulun might not mean much to people today in the Western world but in an age when there is still much debate about the equality of sexes, gender roles and stereotypes, we really all should be a little bit more aware of. Living between around 1260AD – 1306AD and niece of the… Continue reading Khutulun – The Mongolian Wrestling Princess
Animation of Allied bombing raids on Nazi occupied Europe
I was going to write something entirely different today and indeed had even started writing it when I happened across a segment of this newly released animated video by the Imperial War Museum in London which I thought many others would like to see. The animation depicts every single bombing raid by first the RAF… Continue reading Animation of Allied bombing raids on Nazi occupied Europe
The Battle of Verdun 100 years on.
France and its military have something of poor reputation amongst many. Centuries of rivalry with Britain where it increasingly came off second best, its requirement to be rescued in WW1 and quick capitulation in WW2 coupled with decisions to stay out of recent major wars mean that we all forget that there were many events… Continue reading The Battle of Verdun 100 years on.
War In Syria, Peace In The Middle-East
This week the U.K. voted to go to war against the terrorists in Syria. It doesn’t seem to be a popular cause in the U.K. or perhaps it is simply that its opponents are more vocal as it is hard to admit support for a war. Of course there is no easy solution and none… Continue reading War In Syria, Peace In The Middle-East
20 of the greatest speeches of all time
I’ve always been interested in speeches and it always seems interesting how easy it is to pick out those that are naturally gifted orators with those who merely give it their best shot. Last night much if the U.K wS watching a parliamentary debate that was rounded off by the latest in a long line… Continue reading 20 of the greatest speeches of all time
Day trip to Mostar in Bosnia Herzegovina
One of the attractions for me to come to Dubrovnik was not just to see this magnificent city and the beautiful Croatian coastline but because of its close proximity to the other former Yugoslav republics, all of whom are now countries in their own right. One of the places I have always wanted to visit… Continue reading Day trip to Mostar in Bosnia Herzegovina
Stephen Liddell 