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…]
Arts
Going Postal
Remember me when I am gone away…
Now and again, amidst the bustle of comments that none of us read, we notice that a familiar voice has fallen silent, and we wonder. It isn’t particularly unusual for the folk who frequent this [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…]
Arts
Fabulously Flamboyant Fridays – The Monkees
Welcome back my friends, to the drivel that never ends – Laydees and Gentlebodies, Fabulously Flamboyant Fridays proudly present yet another of our light-loafered, lubed-up and luxuriant leaps over the pavilion-end puddles of musical magnificence. [more…]
Arts
Always Worth Saying’s Question Time Review
Question Time 30th May 2024 The Panel: Damian Hinds (Conservative) Wes Streeting (Labour) Nigel Farage (Reform UK) Rose Hudson-Wilkin (Bishop of Dover) Piers Morgan (Journalist) Venue: Epsom On 14th April, Scotland’s The Nation newspaper reported [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…]
Arts
Postcard From Edinburgh
Gentleman and lady travellers of a certain age may be divided into two tribes: Princess or Market. I’ve always been a Princess man. Let me explain. Arrival at Edinburgh Waverley always drew me up the [more…]
20th Century
A History of Pop Music – 1955
Featured song: Bill Haley & His Comets with “Rock Around the Clock”. This is a series of articles looking at pop music from 1955 when in my opinion proper pop music began up to 1999 [more…]