Arts
The Year Turns, Part 1
In this series of articles, I’d like to meander through the roots of some ancient customs, beliefs and rituals that have shaped our culture. Many are still followed, though sad to say, a growing number [more…]
History
20th Century
A History of Pop Music – Albums 1963
Featured Album: Please Please Me – The Beatles This is a series of articles looking at albums from 1960 to whatever year we end up in. I will select a featured album for each year [more…]
Arts
In Defence of the ‘Diversity Coin’
For anybody who may have missed it, in October 2020 a new ‘Diversity Built Britain’ coin was unveiled on the UK public sector information website GOV.UK to mark “the profound contribution minority communities have made [more…]
20th Century
A History of Pop Music – Albums 1962
Featured Album: The Beach Boys – Surfin Safari Before I start with the article, I would like to raise a concern. Over the last few weeks there have been several comments about how bad some [more…]
20th Century
A Barren Shore, Part Two
An even greater slab of armour plate than the one we had stumbled across decades before, stood upright blankly showing its wounds, punched through and scored by shot, rusty red, the memorial to those Finns [more…]
18th Century
Holding Hands – Part Three
The Road goes ever on and on Down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the Road has gone, And I must follow, if I can J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring. In [more…]
20th Century
A History of Pop Music – Albums 1961
Featured Album: Runaway with Del Shannon This is a series of articles looking at albums from 1960 to whatever year we end up in. I will select a featured album for each year and the [more…]
20th Century
A Barren Shore, Part One
This is a personal memoir of several visits to the far north and going realisation of what had always been before my eyes, unseen and recognised. I am not an historian and certainly not of [more…]
20th Century
The Tank Museum, Bovington
Last week a GP crew visited The Tank Museum, Bovington. Even with the short notice given we were a group of eight two groups of four. It was a pleasure to meet some new puffins. [more…]