Arts
A View From The Farmhouse, Part Two
Tons of soil (h/t Dr Spooner) The farm was bought by my English friend for an amount about the same as the cost of a reasonable terraced house in an English Northern town. In all, [more…]
Culture
16th Century
Miguel de Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes was born in Alcala de Henares on the 29th September 1547, the second son of Rodrigo de Cervantes and Leonor de Cortinas. His father led a precarious and unsettled life as an [more…]
Culture
A View From The Greenhouse; The Ubiquitous Mission Statement!
I’ve mentioned “Old Jack” and his abandoned (now becoming ramshackle) old house before, on more than one occasion. If it were just about anywhere else in the UK which isn’t a tiny rural hamlet, I’m [more…]
Arts
A View From The Farmhouse, Part One
This is the first of an occasional series looking at life in Northern France in general and plotting progress with the farm. Setting the scene: Here in rural Lower Normandy things move at a slow [more…]
Arts
Elementary, my dear Watson – Co Cobalt
We are working our way through each of the eighteen Groups of the Periodic Table (a.k.a. the Periodic Table of the Elements), with the general idea behind this series being to ensure that at least [more…]
Cooking
A View From The Greenhouse; Cultural…..Innit?
The weather maps glow red to black, yet here in my little corner of North West England the wet summer days blend, almost seamlessly, into each other. At least there’s plenty of grass for my [more…]
Arts
Elementary, my dear Watson – Ti Titanium
Another week, another element. Let’s head off on another exciting elementary excursion. You’ll get the idea now that I hope to ensure that at least one element is included from each of the eighteen Groups [more…]
20th Century
South American Journey, Part One
More writings by uncle, John Alldridge. This time he is reporting from South America in 1960 for the Birmingham Evening Mail – Jerry F I am writing this at a window seven floors up above [more…]
Arts
A Food Trip to Malaga
Around the year 800 BC the Phoenicians founded a port in southern Spain which they named “Malaca” which means to salt. At the east of the natural harbour, in an area where the bullring stands [more…]