20th Century
The Desert War – March 1941
Into March and while there is a bit of a lull in Libya, The Balkans start to figure large and Italian East Africa gets smaller and smaller. Let’s start with a look at Libya. The [more…]
Blog
Biography
Sailing my life away, part 10
RESPONSE TO COMMENTS ON PART 9 and a COVID DIGRESSION Yes FOXOLES I’m afraid you did miss something – perhaps my account was too oblique. The double in South Africa existed only in the [more…]
Drinking
My First Foreign Holiday
I left school in July 1966 and started work as an apprentice in that September. I didn’t earn a lot of money but I did manage to save a little in the Bradford and Bingley [more…]
Business
How Government Hides the Damage from the Covid-19 Lockdowns
Do not believe government pronouncements that the economy is rebounding from very minimal damage caused by unprecedented Covid-19 inspired closures of businesses or that the damage was very mild anyway. Government will use it favourite [more…]
20th Century
De Profundis or How Green Was My Valley?
I qualified as a public health inspector (PHI) in Hull in 1968 and after a couple of years with a rural district council in South Norfolk, at the tender age of 22 I found myself [more…]
Arts
The Disastrous Failure of Post War Media
In a parliamentary democracy offering only two political parties the press have played a significant role in questioning government policy & more importantly holding that policy outcome to account. Not always admittedly for the common [more…]
Fiction
The Man Who Played Ross – Chapter 11
Operation Palliser – May 2000 Jarvis was at his parents’ house, being spoiled rotten by his mother and indulged by his father. But the happy families’ illusion was deceptive, because he knew that his parents [more…]
Animals
Larry’s Diary, Week Eighty Four
Monday Good morning people, what a beautiful morning, clear blue sky and warm. It was the same yesterday, I had a lovely snooze in the sun. I hope this sun lasts all day so I [more…]
Book Review
Thucydides’ The Peloponnesian War Part 6
The Twin Battles of Mantinea and Cynossema, and Series Conclusion In this final article of the Series, I want to discuss another of Thucydides’ apparent pairs of events – the Battles of Mantinea (late 418 [more…]