Wednesday, September 20, 2023

Important not to be duped

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‘For my part, I consider it important above all not to be duped. That’s what I peacefully strive for. I know the deep wretchedness of our ge...
Saturday, September 16, 2023

Baudin’s voyage to Australia

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The French explorer Nicolas Baudin died on this day 220 years ago. Born in humble circumstances, he rose to captain one of France’s most imp...
Sunday, September 10, 2023

Rid of such monsters

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‘I have omitted to mention the execution of the Cato Street conspirators [concerning a plot to murder all the British cabinet ministers and ...
Thursday, September 7, 2023

Longing after damsens

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Samuel Ward, a sixteenth century religious scholar who spent all his working life at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, died 380 years ago to...
Saturday, September 2, 2023

Written in Elvish

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Half a century ago today died the English fantasy writer, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, best known for his novel, The Lord of the Rings . An ar...
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Sunday, August 20, 2023

A boisterous yeare

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Ralph Josselin - an Essex vicar, teacher and farmer - died 340 years ago this month. Though not particularly familiar as a historical name, ...
Friday, August 11, 2023

An absurd thing to do

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‘This evening I observed a procession of several hundred people carrying paper lanterns; and, when I asked the reason, I was told that it wa...
Monday, August 7, 2023

A life spent hunting

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Today marks the 170th anniversary of the death of Colonel Peter Hawker. A military man by profession, his main love was hunting, and, somewh...
Tuesday, July 25, 2023

A nice little slot

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‘I think some critics are uncomfortable with me because they have never been able to put me into a nice little slot. They haven’t been able ...