20th Century
Lake District Memories
On Christmas Morning 2021 I was taken by ambulance to hospital suffering from a clot on the lung brought on by Covid (Covid Pneumonitis). It was to be the beginning of ten days there, most [more…]
Mountaineering
20th Century
The Innocent on Everest
Another chapter from “Special Assignment” by my uncle John Alldridge (published in 1960 and now long out of print) The special correspondent doesn’t talk about ‘assignments’. He talks about ‘jobs’. His next ‘job’ may send [more…]
Biography
Sailing my life away, part 30
I was delighted so many readers have enjoyed my recent accounts of sailing in the north of Scotland and thank DJM for writing – “A life well lived”. I couldn’t ask for a better epitaph [more…]
Biography
Sailing my life away, part 29
As usual, I start by thanking readers for their comments on the previous article. I was glad 1642again picked up my implied thanks to the gods for living during a period when there was sufficient [more…]
Biography
Sailing my life away, part 26
Welcome back time-travellers. We have landed in mid-August 1997 at Scalloway on the Mainland of Shetland and are about to set sail for Fair Isle. Before we cast off from the Boating Club’s pontoon I’d [more…]
Biography
Sailing my life away, Part 17
PIRACY – 1 I have promised to write something about piracy in the form of shortish mini-essays embedded within articles about my sailing life. Here’s my first effort. The word piracy and its associated [more…]
Animals
Reasons to be cheerful
Having lurked around these parts for a while quietly enjoying the conversation, I know that a lot of people on here worry about what sort of world our children will inherit. Although reports on the [more…]