19th Century
A Bear’s Diary – Part 23
November 15th, 1810. We have just crossed the Equator. Only one sailor on board, Misha, has been in the southern hemisphere before. He told us that it is customary for those who ‘cross the line’ [more…]
History
20th Century
An Afternoon at the Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum
Although we moved from Yorkshire to the South Coast 38 years ago and despite living only two miles from his premises in New Milton, I had only once previously visited Sammy Miller’s wonderful motorcycle museum [more…]
19th Century
A Bear’s Diary – Part 22
October 12th, 1810 (September 30th O.S.). We sail on, occupied by many small repairs necessary after the storm. Damaged blocks have to be replaced, and lashings that have worked loose need remaking. Yet all in [more…]
19th Century
A Bear’s Diary – Part 21
August 28th, 1810 (August 16th O.S.). Finally we are through the strait between Asia and America. After our long sojourn in a region where the chart shows only pictures of sea monsters, we are again [more…]
Arts
The Encyclopedia of Lost Languages
During my recent foray to visit some elderly relatives in Chemnitz, a place formerly known as Karl-Marx-Stadt (named after that famous German philosopher without whose political theories Herr Hitler would have been an impossibility), and [more…]
19th Century
A Bear’s Diary – Part 20
June 13th, 1810 (June 1st O.S.). We have left Novaya Zemlya, to general relief, and are sailing down the west side of the island to resume our eastward course. No one enjoyed our sojourn in [more…]
19th Century
A Bear’s Diary – Part 19
March 29th, 1810 (March 17th O.S.). We have good news brought by one of the Count’s agents returning from St Petersburg. A suitable ship has been found and purchased, and is now on her long [more…]
19th Century
A Bear’s Diary – Part 18
December 22nd, 1809 (December 10th O.S.). Count Bagarov has taken Fred’s advice about using a bomb ship to penetrate the North-East Passage, and has sent one of his agents to St Petersburg to try to [more…]
19th Century
A Bear’s Diary – Part 17
November 21st, 1809 (November 9th O.S.). Count Bagarov was delighted by our reception by the Tsar. From an obscure minor courtier lurking in the corners of the state rooms of the Winter Palace, he has [more…]