Walking on the lovely Greek island of Zakynthos, called Zante by the younger generation, in September 2023, we consulted a map I’d bought online for guidance. It took us to places we’d otherwise never have visited. On one of our almost daily walks, we followed the winding roads from our hotel up into the hills, …
Continue reading Oddities Observed On Outings #7
This continuing series of posts depicts our beautiful world, encouraging viewers to share them and help save our unique home from human carelessness and indifference.Today’s photo shows an unusual view of trees. This one taken from a hot-air balloon ride we took for my wife’s birthday in April 2022. We took off from Bath and …
Continue reading #ScenicSaturday 13th April 2024:
Much more archaeology has been done since this book was published in 1999, and that will inevitably render some of the observations here less certain, but the bulk of the text is clearly based on sound academic research. One thing I must question, however, is the title. It’s either favouring the wealthy landowners or perhaps …
Continue reading The Golden Age of Roman Britain, by Guy de la Bédoyère: #BookReview.
Just to update you, I last posted about the WIP on 25th March, here. At that time, the word count was 42,025. I’m now at 62,531, and still enjoying the creative process. The characters are mostly behaving themselves and, so far, I’m not having to allow for too many retrospective changes when I get to …
Continue reading How Goes the WIP, 7th April?
This continuing series of posts depicts our beautiful world, encouraging viewers to share them and help save our unique home from human carelessness and indifference.Today’s photo shows a narrow trail running between stands of tall pines and spruce through the Forest of Dean. The path runs from the road for some distance to pass a …
Continue reading #ScenicSaturday 6th April 2024:
This beautifully crafted, sorrowing and burdened representation of the Biblical Eve, apparently carrying the weight of her so-called sins in that enormous apple, used to stand on a grassy hillside crossed by a public footpath not far from where I live. The wooden statue stood for many years but has recently vanished. I don’t know …
Continue reading Oddities Observed On Outings #6
Rhodes and the Sunlit Mediterranean. This continuing series of posts depicts our beautiful world, encouraging viewers to share them and help save our unique home from human carelessness and indifference.Today’s photo shows a landlubber’s view of a rough bay on the Greek Island of Rhodes. It’s from October 2017, and I hope it’ll warm the …
Continue reading #ScenicSaturday 30th March 2024:
Subtitled ‘Legends & Traditions from Around the Shores of Britain and Ireland’ the 510 pages of this weighty tome reveal the origins of many a dark tale and some amusing stories.The place of superstition in forming and embellishing folk tales and traditions is illustrated in this well researched book. It is fascinating how many tales …
Continue reading The Fabled Coast, by Sophia Kingshill & Jennifer Westwood: #BookReview.
On Sunday, 17th March, I reported that the WIP had reached 20,293 words and I was working on Chapter 8. I’d intended to report back yesterday, but got rather engaged by Natalie Bennet’s excellent and hope-inspiring ‘Change Everything’ and rather lost track of the time. You’ll find my review of this timely book about the …
Continue reading How Goes the WIP?
Subtitled ‘How we can rethink, repair and rebuild society’ this book deals comprehensively with issues and problems of our current political systems. It is essentially written about the situation in the UK but has a pretty universal application.I’d like to have all our current, and potential, politicians made to sit down and read this manual …
Continue reading Change Everything, by Natalie Bennett: #BookReview.
Malham Beck This continuing series of posts depicts our beautiful world, encouraging viewers to share them and help save our unique home from human carelessness and indifference.Today’s photo was taken on the route approaching Malham Cove, a massive limestone cliff, shaped like an amphitheatre. This picture shows the beck that once created the cove, now …
Continue reading #ScenicSaturday 23rd March 2024
Bugingham Palace This charming residence for local wildlife in the form of flying and crawling insects, is located adjacent to an entry footpath into the Forest of Dean. It sits in a garden bordering the path, inviting creepy-crawlies to stay as long as they wish. I love the name ‘Bugingham Palace’, which lends an air …
Continue reading Oddities Observed On Outings #5
Photo of yours truly taken by my wife. The first post about the new novel’s progress can be found here.I started actually writing, following a year of research, last Sunday. At the end of today, I’ve achieved a total of 20,293 words and am currently working on Chapter 8. It’s going well. Despite the extensive …
Continue reading Progress on the WIP #2
This continuing series of posts depicts our beautiful world, encouraging viewers to share them and help save our unique home from human carelessness and indifference.Today’s photo depicts an almost invisible narrow path through a small copse of silver and rough birch trees under the March sun in the Forest of Dean. The elegance of these …
Continue reading #ScenicSaturday 16th March 2024:
Tree Home Coming across these tiny clogs, with the small door leading into the mystery space in the tree roots was what inspired the idea for this series. By no means the only careful construction we’ve encountered on our various walks, it was definitely the one that showed most creative thought and care. To take the …
Continue reading Oddities Observed On Outings #4
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