History Archives - Page 38 of 72 - Blog Bellew

News from Downing Street

An unexpected invitation to Downing Street yesterday. A few privileged people working there could ask friends and family and show them round.

Hot Stuff at the Oriental

I first drove my own car in a foreign country in 1974 when I took my Morris Minor on the ferry from Dublin to Liverpool and drove over to Durham. By the 1980s I had a company car and took it to France for Bank Holiday weekends and Switzerland to ski. I think the snow… Continue reading Hot Stuff at the Oriental

The Great Game

This picture, in the British Library, was taken at Jamrud Fort during the return from a Durbar at Umballa. Amir Sher Ali Khan is in the centre with Colonel Frederick Pollock standing, Colonel Crawford Trotter Chamberlain sitting on the right and to the left, Henry Walter Bellew, Indian Medical Service, acting as interpreter.

Bertie Angelo Cator

The London Gazette of 21st June 1887 has some interesting entries.

Bugles and a Tiger

Soldiers are often able to put down the sword and take up a pen; from Julius Caesar to John Hackett. When we were in Wales recently I was introduced to a new-to-me soldier turned wordsmith: John Masters.

Uncle Herbrand

Although I was eleven when he died, I don’t remember Uncle Herbrand well. I do often think of him as I have his hairbrushes.

The Spy from Skibbereen

The Cold War was rather frightening. Leaflets advised what to do in the event of a nuclear strike. Ham-class minesweepers patrolled our inshore waters. RAF Bomber Command had nuclear-armed Vulcan bombers on standby on airfields around East Anglia.

On Box Hill

This is the view from Box Hill in Surrey. It is a short, steepish climb to the 735 foot summit and I was surprised how may people had made it up there until I saw a large car park operated by the National Trust near the top.

Carreg Cennen to Kathmandu

Yesterday we went castle-creeping in Wales. Conveniently Carreg Cennen is within walking, splashing, stile-crossing, gate-vaulting distance of where we are staying. We met sheep, horses and English Longhorn cattle along the way.

Leptis Magna and Virginia Water

I spent a week in Libya in November 2005 ; I took a direct flight to Tripoli to meet friends who were already in the country; I only had hand luggage; this had consequences.