Yesterday I went through to Edinburgh to accompany esmerelda_t to a viewing of the exhibition High Spirits: The Comic Art of Thomas Rowlandson at the Queen's Gallery at the Palace of Holyrood House. The exhibition is drawn from the Royal Collections and it's really rather splendid. It's beautifully curated and there's lots of information to identify the ( Read more... )

C.Northcote Parkinson might be a sarcastic old bugger but he does have a way with words sometimes. Here he is on press gangs and conscription...

"Conscription in the twentieth century is the updated press-gang, lacking the picturesque details but lacking also the sporting chance of escape."


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I don't usually venture into the 17th century but this quote is too good not to share, and I'm sure you'll agree that it's relevant to all our interests...

On this day in 1660, Samuel Pepys noted in his dairy that:

This morning the King’s Proclamation against drinking, swearing, and debauchery, was read to our ships’ companies in the fleet, and ( Read more... )

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While we're on the subject of toile, here's another one that might amuse you. Perhaps this one's more appropriate for the boudoir than the drawing room. Allow me to present Pascale Risbourg's Toile de Jouy...


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I think it's worth reviving my occasional series on Naval Knickers to share these splendidly patriotic unmentionables. I came across this image in the National Maritime Museum's Picture Library and am rather at a loss for words!


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This isn't just an excuse to post a pic of eglantine_br's favourite Thomas Rowlandson print, it's advance notice of a one day course being run by the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich on Caricature and the Navy During the 18th Century on the 16th of August.


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Some of you will know of Sam Willis. He helped sail the tall ships for the Hornblower series and has written numerous popular books on the Age of Sail. It has also recently come to my attention that Mr Willis is a Very Silly Man. This from his blog last week...

This is great. There is a popular misconception amongst the English that the motto ( Read more... )

xkcd putting things in perspective ( Read more... )