20th Century
Nostalgia Album, Paris
This week’s first picture is of the unmistakable Eiffel tower. In 1952, without a phone mast, the landmark was 984 ft high with a viewing area 906 ft from the ground. We shall assume my [more…]
20th Century
20th Century
My Leg Ends of Pop Music – Part Two – The Darkness
After 60 proper legends of pop (OK, you may have thought that some were a bit iffy), it is now time for my Top 20 Leg Ends of pop. These are those groups or artists [more…]
20th Century
The British Army Against Illiteracy, 1948
In August 1948 my uncle, John Alldridge, reported from Germany on the steps that the British Army was taking to combat high levels of illiteracy in the ranks – Jerry F The young soldier stood [more…]
20th Century
The Desert War – September 1942
A funny old month September 1942 in the desert. A few attempts to break through on the sand but only half hearted. The navy was still in the thick of it and the air war [more…]
20th Century
Nostalgia Album, Orléans
In the old photo above we observe Orléans cathedral at the end of a wide cobbled street with a row of cars parked on the right hand side. Not its real name (Basilique Cathédrale Sainte-Croix [more…]
20th Century
Liquid Thoughts on Beer
I was gratified recently to find that my uncle, John Alldridge, occasionally took time off in the 1940s from reporting World War II and its aftermath to concentrate on more important matters, as can be [more…]
20th Century
One Degree of Separation
My niece tapped on the home office door. When she was smaller I would babysit and sell her pieces of paper as her need to draw and write would keep her occupied. Yes, sell. We [more…]
20th Century
Queen Elizabeth the Great
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, a wife, a mother, an animal lover, a mechanic, a war veteran, a head of many states and our dutiful Queen. Her majesty has so sadly departed on her journey from [more…]
20th Century
Nostalgia Album, Lourdes
Unlike my father, grandparents and daughter, I’ve never been to Lourdes. Given the proliferation of places of worship that have sprung up around the Pyrenean town since the visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to [more…]