Arts
The Origins of Terms and Phrases
There are terms and phrases which remain in use today, despite the fact they were coined many years or many centuries ago. In some cases it is quite remarkable that they have survived and stand [more…]
Culture
Arts
Postcard From The Scotsman
Mrs AWS and I are enjoying our May day-trip to Edinburgh, but time is tight. After walloping down (£10) ice creams, we must hurry to Waverley station if only to watch our train depart the [more…]
Arts
Postcard From Edinburgh Castle
Mrs AWS and I are enjoying our day trip to Edinburgh. Although we’re used to exploring Princes Street, this time we are swept in a crowd of alighting passengers at Edinburgh’s Waverley station in the [more…]
16th Century
Postcard From The Scottish Reformation
I have a strange sensation in my trousers while strolling Edinburgh’s Royal Mile arm in arm with Mrs AWS. Behave yourselves. Regular readers will be unsurprised to learn my work colleagues pay me not to [more…]
Arts
Postcard From The Royal Mile
Having exhausted Edinburgh’s King’s Gallery, myself and Mrs AWS spilled into the street and faced the caravan park, timeshares, swimming pool, shop and public lavatory complex opposite. Hold on a minute. On closer observation, the [more…]
20th Century
American Journey 1952, Part Four – Atlanta
On a chill November night in 1864 a small boy lay trembling behind a rock — not a hundred yards from where I am writing this — and watched a city burn. It was the [more…]
16th Century
Postcard From The King’s Gallery
On our day trip to Edinburgh, Mrs AWS and I de-trained on Waverley’s Platform 9 at 12:17 prompt. While a disappointing first-class breakfast rattled in our tums, we allowed ourselves to be swept out of [more…]
Culture
A View From (A Castle Near) The Greenhouse; Hobson’s Choice…….Innit?
Took a little trip out to Appleby Castle last week. It has a well preserved Norman keep and it’s trying very hard (though not, as yet, fully succeeding) to turn itself into an historical visitor [more…]
20th Century
American Journey 1952, Part Three – Washington
John Doe is Asking Awkward Questions The last thing I expected to pick up in this capital city of a great Republic (“the greatest Republic on God’s Footstool,” as I heard a Senator from Illinois [more…]