Category Archives: history

Feb 13

50 before 50: #7 (Chiswick)

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And sometimes a blue plaque sends you scurrying back to one of your favourite movies

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Feb 11

50 before 50: #6 (London)

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Sometimes you come across a blue plaque that makes you want to learn more about the person or building to which it refers. For me this is one of them. I was intrigued. Who the devil was Montague Pyke? It turns out he was for the time the cinema king. The most important man in […]

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Apr 14

Weekly Photo challenge: Monument

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  On the 14th of June 1645,  the New Model Army under the command of Cromwell, Ireton and Fairfax, ( some 14,000 strong) took on the Royalist army, under the command of Prince Rupert of the Rhine (7,000 men and horse) in the fields around the village of Naseby. It was the decisive battle of […]

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Aug 21

Churchill’s and Lloyd George’s Graves – a few thoughts…

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On the last day of the holiday, we went to Blenheim; this time to “do the indoors.”  Why? Well because  In 1949, Lucy (of The End of the Pier fame) finds herself there. I’m not telling what the reason for her visit was – that would be telling; and until we were back on the […]

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Aug 14

Flawed Hero – David Lloyd George

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I first found out about David Lloyd George from my nana; she was a font of political songs – and “Lloyd George knew my Father” was one of them. At school, we learned he was a working class boy – who was brought up by his Uncle Lloyd in Llanystumdwy, He was articled to a […]

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Aug 06

M.C. Escher – Stretching Reality (more thoughts)

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I’ll be honest, I’d not done much thinking about this chap; apart from to admire his drawing and mathematical ability. But Kate Shrewsday’s post for Sidey’s Weekend Challenge on Structure got me thinking. You see Kate mentioned that Escher had left Italy when the Fascists tried to get his son to dress up in their […]

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I Was Only Following Orders…

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(hover over for picture provenance) In my other blog “things” are not going well for Mark and Lucy; stranded as they are in Nazi occupied Britain. I am pretty sure that if questions could be asked of my characters, one of them would declare: “But I was only following orders!” Which is, of course, the […]

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Enter the Spy 2: Walter Nicolai – Intelligence Chief

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Those of you following the adventures of Lucy and Mark on my other blog will know that as the Armstrong Affair drew to a close in 1913; and all eyes turned to the events at Dover Castle  – a new historical figure entered the fray Walter Nicolai, Head of German Military Intelligence. (1st picture) Standing […]

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St George, the Dragon and an Elephant

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OH and I went to Amsterdam yesterday. Day trip: we flew from Southend.  It’s definitely a doo-able day trip; if you know where you want to go; what you want to do; or you’re up for an amble. After all, at under an hour away (as the plane flies)  + a fifteen minute train trip […]

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Blackpool and the Nazis

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(Photos from Google Search) In 2009, it came to light that Hitler wanted to turn Blackpool into  a Nazi resort. Apparently as a part of a successful conclusion to Operation Sealion, Stormtroopers were to march victoriously down the Golden Mile after being parachuted onto Stanley Park – unmistakable from the air because of the layout […]

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