PANJANDRUM
A Panjandrum was a giant firework built to break Hitler’s Atlantic Wall in the first assault on Normandy’s beaches in World War II, or was …
FUN INTERLUDE
I thought these two, true, stories would provide a fun interlude in my normal run of blogs. They make me smile and they take us …
KILL A WITCH
A new book “How to Kill a Witch” brings a dark period of history back to grisly life – and an official tartan is being …
CHESTNUT TREES
The chestnut trees of Europe tell a hidden story, charting the fortunes of ancient Rome and the legacy it left in the continent’s forests. …
PUFFIN PARADISE
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) site at Bempton Cliffs welcomes about 3,000 puffins to Puffin Paradise every summer. From April to …
CHARLES DARWIN
This story is about Charles Darwin, but it is also about an institution I have to admit I didn’t know existed, but I’m very glad …
PARIS
Cars have been banned from more than 100 streets in Paris. Tens of thousands of parking spots have been eliminated. Hundreds of miles of bike …
MONTY PYTHON
Fifty years after Monty Python and the Holy Grail redefined comedy, stars Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam look back on the freedoms – and limitations …
THE BALTIC STATES
We, in the United States, have little understanding, and even less real knowledge, of the constant, nagging fear that Russian aggression imposes of virtually all …
CUSTARD POWDER
Custard powder makes a delicious dessert but also has a rather less savoury potential – in certain conditions, it can be a powerful explosive. …