Genealogy: The Stuart dynasty was important in the shaping of Britain and brought little luck to the family; they started as Stewards of Dol in Brittany around the…
Category: Today
The Native Americans
Before bullying political correctness did its best to blow good language off the map, ‘Native Americans’ meant “Redskins”, “Red Indians”, occasionally (especially in Westerns) “them varmints!”, “the red…
The British manor house & the manorial system
An eager traveller can find a multitude of manor houses still standing in England. Most are occupied by families, many by the same family that has owned the…
Two grand opera composers: Wagner & Verdi
Professional music critics tend to bicker over the greatness or otherwise of these two composers, born as almost exact contempories, within months of each other in 1813. Wagner…
The Englishman abroad: aspects of the typical British tourist over two centuries
The Englishman abroad: aspects of the typical British tourist over two centuries In the 18th and 19th centuries, two kinds of Englishman ‘went abroad’, or left Britain for a…
Disadvantages of being English and old
One of these (there are many others) is the question of communication if you are British and over fifty-five, with someone equally British but under thirty-five. Multitudes of…
The University
It is an institute of higher education, responsible for taking students from the schools and giving them, through teaching, research and studies, an extended education which may lead…
Another Godless Christmas
It is the 17 December, 2011. In seven days virtually all the countries in the world will begin a few days off work (if they have any) on…
Spain: the Shadow of a Republic
Iñaki Urdangarin is the King and Queen of Spain’s son-in-law. This retired athlete married the Infanta Cristina, and they have four bright-looking children, three boys and a girl….