20th Century
The Desert War – April 1942
April 1942, another month where nothing much seemed to be happening in the desert, the same can’t be said of the sea and air campaigns. On the first of the month Churchill spoke with FDR [more…]
Blog
Arts
Three Men on a Bike, Part Two
You will recall that we three intrepid cyclists, Cough, Pat and my good self, had landed in Blangy sur Bresle, a small village on the border of Picardy and Normany on the second night of [more…]
20th Century
The Crime Reporter, Part 2
Another chapter from “Special Assignment” by my uncle John Alldridge (published in 1960 and now long out of print) When people think of the crime reporter they associate him inevitably with the hurly-burly of Fleet [more…]
Biography
SAILING MY LIFE AWAY (II), PART 1
THE PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE AND DISCOVERY OF THE ARCHIPELAGO Descartes is famously quoted as having said “Cogito, Ergo Sum”. His remark was first published in French to reach a wider audience- “Je pense, donc je suis”. [more…]
20th Century
The Reimagining of Nora Baker
Nora Baker was born in Moscow on New Years’ Day 1914. Her mother was Ora Ray Baker, an American from Albuquerque, New Mexico. During her peripatetic early years, Nora was raised in London’s Bloomsberry and [more…]
Fiction
Nanny Knows Best – Ep. 500
“What we have here,” Nanny said to the Judge, “is a blatant disregard for law and all social etiquette.” Nanny paced the Court-room and addressed the twelve Clients who sat in their padded, slightly ululating [more…]
Economics
Cantillon effect: Who’s paying the highest price?
Every time we hear government officials announce their big spending plans, their new welfare programs and their ambitious “job creating” schemes, they always present them as being in defense of the poorest and the most marginalized [more…]
Fiction
Codename Samyaza, Prologue – June 2007
Like many of the young, second generation immigrants in this country, Afarin Khan struggles to be accepted as English or indeed, an Afghan. She detests men of Pakistani or Somalian heritage. Hers is a lonely [more…]
Animals
Larry’s Diary, Week One Hundred And Thirty Eight
Monday Good morning people. I was a bit lost yesterday when the Dreamies Girl turned up to give me my breakfast Felix. My internal clock told me she was an hour early and I was [more…]