Arts
The (Postwar) Fall of France, Part One
Has there ever been a stranger accession to power in a western democracy recently than that of Emmanuel Macron? In 2014, he rose from nowhere to Minister of the Economy and then in 2017 was [more…]
France
Arts
In Cathar Country, Part Two
Introduction Although the castles in the Aude department of France are now referred to collectively as ‘Cathar Castles,’ the term is misleading in that while their sites may once have provided refuge for Cathars fleeing [more…]
Arts
In Cathar Country, Part One
Introduction In the comments to my recent article about the Conques Tympanum quite a few readers made reference to ‘Cathar Country’ so, as I have pictures from my trips to the region I thought an [more…]
Arts
The Conques Tympanum Decoded
Introduction Back in the 1990s while returning from a jaunt into Cathar Country in our VW camper, quite by chance we made an overnight stop in the ancient village of Conques in the Aveyron region [more…]
20th Century
The Desert War – July 1940
Now we reach the 80th anniversary of July 1940 in the Desert War. Slim pickings in Libya and Egypt this month, both sides were gearing up for battle but the Navies were kept on their [more…]
Arts
The Great Escape, Part Two
A sickening, plastic sounding, crunch. Check self – fine. Look around for any obvious danger – none. Smell for petrol – none. The area wasn’t notably busy, some people across the road were looking over [more…]
Engineering
Le Château de Guédelon
Introduction I suppose it is only natural when confronted by an ancient architectural marvel such as a Roman aqueduct or a mediæval cathedral to stare in wonder and to ask oneself, ‘How on earth did [more…]
Arts
Arts
The Great Escape, Part One
Facts: Have been not reading the comments on here for some time; ignored the MSM (for facts) for longer. Have a house in England and, thanks to a modest inheritance from my wife’s uncle, we [more…]