Arts
Pyrography
Background Known as “pokerwork” until the late 19th Century, it is believed that this form of applied art has been practiced since Prehistoric times. At its most basic, it involves the burning of pictures or [more…]
Hobbies
Arts
A Holiday in Scotland, Part 3 (Loch Lomond to York )
Leaving Loch Lomond, we travelled down the M74 towards Carlisle and eventually on to the M6 where we took the A66 junction near Penrith, crossing the Pennines and headed towards the A1(M). We arrived in [more…]
Biography
Sailing my life away, Part 25
Dear Readers, I plan to leave Alchemi in Stornaway for the duration of this article and take you on another trip in the Time Machine. Those who join me will flit forwards over [more…]
Collecting
Going for Gold – Part 9
As well as buying precious metals for their intrinsic value there are many people who collect coins, bars and other items and pay far more than their value in weight because of a perceived value [more…]
Animals
Larry’s Diary, Week One Hundred and Fourteen
Monday Gosh, it was wet when I woke up, but it’s lovely and sunny now. I hope it stays this way for an afternoon snooze. Bozzie was sniggering at breakfast about being called scum. I [more…]
20th Century
Mystery Album, Part Four
Having exhausted the train photographs to the middle of our mystery album, with care we shall turn its century-old leaves to the front. Those locomotive photos were from 1925, therefore the next set of reproductions [more…]
Hobbies
Crossword No. 191
First correct entry out of ‘the hat’ wins a book to the value of £20. Email entries to me by 6.00 pm Friday, subject ‘Crossword’. Contact here on email Winner of Crossword 190 and a [more…]
Arts
A Holiday in Scotland, Part 2 (Glasgow, Falkirk, Loch Lomond)
You may recall from Part 1 that we had to rearrange our trip to the Falkirk Wheel due to getting stuck in traffic leaving Edinburgh and after our aborted trip we headed to our next [more…]
Animals
Cnuteneering, Part Thirty
Welcome back to Cnuteneering, where the possible is made more difficult by bone headed ignorance, overenthusiasm and pointy metal things being brought together. You may want to refresh your memory on the project in: Part [more…]