Arts
Postcard From Berlin, 1979
Back in the late 1970s, when we were both rising stars in IT in the Ministry of Defence, my friend was posted to Berlin to run the Army’s computer centre there. Being a good mate, [more…]
Month: December 2020
Arts
The Revelation of St Marcus
In his 7th February 1952 speech, Prime Minister Winston Churchill spoke in sorrow at the recent death of King George VI but also in optimism of the following day’s proclamation of the sovereignty of Queen [more…]
Literature
Lords and Ladies, Part Four
Boggart paced deliberately back and forth in front of ginger bigfoot, birthmark Joe and trembling Theresa, peering coldly into their eyes at each pass. Perspiration oozed from the collar of his scabious headdress as he [more…]
20th Century
The Desert War – December 1940
At the start of the last month of 1940 the Italians had been pushed out of Greece and were now under the cosh in Albania, Il Duce’s ambitions were more than his forces could handle. [more…]
20th Century
Money, Corruption and Power: The Stolen Elections of Lyndon Johnson – Part 3
“The number of votes at the patrónes’ command was not necessarily limited by the number of eligible voters. Since voters over the age of sixty were not required to pay poll taxes, and since poll [more…]
Arts
Cnuteneering, Part Five
Welcome back to Cnuteneering, where the possible is made more difficult by bone headed ignorance, overenthusiasm and pointy metal things being brought together. And poor couriering. You may want to refresh your memory on the [more…]
Arts
Film Review: Withnail & I
Withnail & I (1987) is a masterpiece of British dark-comic satire written and directed by actor, novelist, and screenwriter Bruce Robinson, who went on to write and direct How to Get Ahead in Advertising (1989), [more…]
Arts
In The Bleak Midwinter
This is a poem written by Christina Rossetti, set to music first by Gustav Holst in 1906 and then by Harold Darke in 1911. This is by Darke : © OldTrout
Hobbies
Shunting about – part 3
With three baseboards built and fitted together and a fourth ready to go, we have a stable base for the layout. Yes, another two boards will be added later to give a full loop but [more…]