20th Century
TANKFEST 2026 & The Tank Museum, Pt 2
The Tank Museum itself is worth a visit, regardless of whether there’s an event taking place or not. It’s a very large museum and could easily take a full day to explore if you want [more…]
Culture
20th Century
TANKFEST 2026 & The Tank Museum, Pt 1
For Father’s Day this year, my brother suggested taking Dad to TANKFEST, the annual event held at The Tank Museum in Bovington, Dorset. Yes… yes, let’s do that! Having visited the museum a few years [more…]
15th Century
A View From (A Harbour Some Miles Away From) The Greenhouse; On “Northerner-Ness”
When I was at school, many moons ago now, history was something that was taught to us without the strictures surrounding Colonialism, White Supremacy, Racism and the usual “phobia”. When I discovered that a replica [more…]
Cooking
A View From (Just Outside) The Greenhouse; A Slice Of Life
Not being too knowledgeable where apiary is concerned, but also knowing that some bees do build their homes underground, both the head of the B&M department and myself assumed that the black and yellow stripey [more…]
19th Century
Beamish: the Museum that said yes to everything
You may be surprised to learn that a working time machine has already been invented in County Durham. It exists because one man refused to let the region throw its own history into the skip. [more…]
20th Century
Wendyball – flair or organisation
Back in the good old days, say the 60s and 70s, the top team in world football was arguably Brasil. You were only allowed to play for the national team if you plied your trade [more…]
20th Century
When We Was Fab – The Sydney Cricket Ground in the 1980s
40 or 50 years ago the SCG was probably the best place in the world to watch cricket. Sure Lord’s was more dignified and places like the MCG and Eden Gardens were bigger but this [more…]
Culture
Personal Situational Awareness
Anyone who’s ever taken a moment to watch animals in the wild – birds in particular, can’t fail to have noticed they are constantly on the lookout for danger and predators, and are always primed [more…]
19th Century
One Hundred Years Ago This Very Day
The ‘Grim up north’ trope reminds of Northern England’s story of endless decline. In reality, the region produced immense wealth through the likes of textiles, steel, coal and shipbuilding. Influential industrialists’ fortunes rivalled those in [more…]