Category: History

Zeppelin – Part One

On the night of 23/24 September 1916 four Zeppelins flew over England. Only one returned from this mission. One was shot down near Potters Bar (the crew all died) and two came down in Essex. The one pictured, L2, is not one of them. (It had already come down in flames as a result of… Continue reading Zeppelin – Part One

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Highgate Revisited

This is where I lived in August 1976. I had a job but nowhere to live. Fortunately a university friend was away on holiday and I borrowed his flat for my first month in London. I was reminded of this when I walked down Dartmouth Park Hill this week; a Brideshead Revisited moment.

A History Lesson about Brixsi (sic)

King Harold’s brother-in-law was a Saxon thane with a name that shows remarkable prescience: Brixsi. Today the UK has rejected the EU Conquest, in 1066 Brixsi rejected the Norman one and paid for the consequences. The analogy stops here but the history lesson continues.

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Percy Jeeves

In the middle of July I went on a day trip to Cheltenham to watch Gloucester play Essex. As I am not especially fond of cricket (I was a Wet Bob) there was another reason.

Tumbril Talk – Part One

Six political parties in the UK are led by women (pedantically five 1/2); none so far as I know in the US. However, there have been women who have carried considerable influence in American politics and none more so than Alice Roosevelt Longworth.

The Beaufort Portcullis

As the Palace of Westminster is likely to close for a substantial refurb it is a good moment at look back at its origins and Caroline Shenton has done just that in The Day Parliament Burned Down and Mr Barry’s War.

Lest We Forget

Walking across Hyde Park one evening I noticed this fine memorial. The inscription set me thinking.

Last Week of the Proms

The BBC splash out on some big hitters to play at the last week of the Proms. This year it is the Staatskapelle Berlin and their conductor Daniel Barenboim and the Staatskapelle Dresden, under Christian Thielemann.