Category: History

True to Both My Selves

When I was at school and university in England I felt Irish when I was there and English when I was in Ireland. My identity confusion was nothing like that experienced by Katrin FitzHerbert and her family in the 20th century.

Cavafy and Hockney

Hockney was in his early twenties when he made a series of paintings and etchings inspired by CP Cavafy’s poetry.

Wayland’s Smithy

Over nearly nine years (life of blog) there have been visits to Neolithic sites in Wiltshire, Malta and Moldova, reminiscences of visits to Newgrange and other sites in the Boyne valley and a Guest Blog about stone circles in Eskdale.

Berlin Embassy

Say “William Russell” and I would think of the initially slightly disreputable Irishman who made his name reporting for The Times in Crimea. He was described as “a vulgar low Irishman, sings a good song, drinks anyone’s brandy and water and smokes as many cigars as a Jolly Good Fellow. He is just the sort… Continue reading Berlin Embassy

A Pro-Cathedral

A “pro-cathedral” is a church with cathedral status though not being the main cathedral. St Paul’s is one of three cathedrals of the Anglican Diocese of Gibraltar in Europe; the others being in Gibraltar and Brussels.

Waterloo and Other Family Matters

I think I remember my maternal grandfather visiting Barmeath when I was a child; but as he died when I was four I think the memory derives from a photograph of him with me. He was Chaplain to the Bishop of Bombay and it was in India he met and married my grandmother.

On This Day

I have, again, delved into The Assassin’s Cloak: an anthology of the world’s greatest diarists, edited by Irene and Alan Taylor.

Days and Nights on Malta

Nicholas Monsarrat is an unjustly neglected author. If you have read any of his novels it will be The Cruel Sea. I hadn’t read anything of his until last weekend.