16th Century
The History of the Pencil
Before the pencil Pens and ink have been in existence for a very long time, being used by the ancient Egyptians for writing and drawing on papyrus, a papery substance made by beating reeds flat. [more…]
18th Century
18th Century
Oh, What a Circus!
If one were of a particularly cynical nature, one might think that a piece with this title might have been written to comment upon the near unbelievable social and political culture we find ourselves living [more…]
18th Century
A Puffin Paradise
A Refuge from Modern England Several things have triggered this article; conversations I have had with various Puffins face to face at meetings and get-togethers, something that Polar Opposite posted in one of the comments, [more…]
18th Century
A View (120 Miles Or So) From The Greenhouse; Whitby(ish) A Postcard
First things first, as the saying goes. Starting bottom left, the vine flourishes and has benefitted, in no small measure, from a good old fashioned “clip out”, more of which next time. Before we get [more…]
18th Century
Mad Jack Mytton
I don’t think it is controversial to claim that the current crop of MPs are amongst the lowest standard the UK has ever known. Ranking around the same as the MSM for trustworthiness, likeability, in [more…]
17th Century
Sir John Vanbrugh – The Supreme Schemer
Its walls and towers stare down – rather snootily it could be said – from Maze Hill, over the lesser buildings clustering round its feet on the edge of Greenwich Common. Opposite, Canary Wharf’s ghostly-looking, [more…]
17th Century
A Postcard from the IFG Part Two
International Festival of Glass, Stourbridge, August 2022 In Part One, I just about managed to shoehorn two days of the fantastic Festival. Before I carry on telling you about the rest, a quick gallop though [more…]
18th Century
One Small Step for Man… Brindley and the Trent and Mersey Canal
In an earlier piece, I mentioned the Trent and Mersey Canal, with its company headquarters in Stone, hinting that its history and the political shenanigans behind its construction might be worth an article in its [more…]
18th Century
Mandatory Vaccines vs. Logic and Kantian Ethics
The case in favor of mandatory vaccines rests upon faulty logic and violates ethical principles. A vaccinated person protects himself to the extent of the vaccine’s capability, which may be close to one hundred percent, [more…]