Having survived the "Great Plague" in 1665, from Sunday 2nd until Thursday 6th September, 1666 "The Great Fire of London" destroyed 13,200 houses, 87 parish churches, St.Paul's Cathedral and many official city buildings. It is not known how many people were killed - at this time in England deaths of poor and lower social classes were not recorded ( Read more... )

The small Herefordshire village of Moccas is home to an important UK National Nature Reserve - Moccas Deer Park. The Park is ancient in orgin and was landscaped during 1778 by Lancelot 'Capabilty' Brown. It is not known how long the fallow deer have been kept by the Moccas estate; they were almost certainly introduced to Britain by the Normans in ( Read more... )

Since 2013 Herefordshire council has organised a county-wide "Herefordshire Art Week - abbreviation = "h.Art" " during September. This year's event took place from September 7th until 15th . . . but with English logic, it is still called a "Week" (a few venues continue to exhibit for even longer. Please just accept this as fact, I would be ( Read more... )

This year I decided to grow an ornamental gourd (squash) variety "Bird House Bottle" Evidently when matured and dry, cut a hole in the side and next spring hang it in a bush and bird might make its nest inside it. I'm not sure about that, but perhaps cut a hole and put bird food inside.


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For several years I have grown a few sunflowers. They fill up part of the garden which I would otherwise have to keep weed free and always look bright and cheerful. I look out from the kitchen window and see sunflowers looking back at me.


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The branch line from Bridport to Bridport Harbour opened to traffic 31st March 1884. It closed tp passenger traffic in 1930 but operated freight until the line was closed in 1962. Unfortunately I have been unable to the length of the branch to West Bay, but a 1922 timetable shows the journey took 8 minutes (probably travelling at a speed no ( Read more... )

I do not know if this strange practice occurs widly outside UK. In addition I am not sure why people do it, I cannot see it is a protest about anything, or an to raise money for chaitry, or as publicity for an event/club/college course etc etc etc. Maybe the perpetrators do it purely for the fun and to add colour to a location. As far as I ( Read more... )

I still have my childhood love for steam railway locomotives. While on holiday last week, I visited the Swanage Railway. This was a branch line to the seaside town of Swanage from a junction with the main line at Wareham. The branch was closed in 1972, but re-opened as a heritage railway in 1982. Currently the line terminates a few km south of ( Read more... )

Prices for holiday accommodation, flights to holiday destinations etc increase steeply when schools are on holiday. The accommodation I rented last week on the south coast will double in price when schools break for summer. In addition holiday resorts and beaches will be crowded, entertainment, food, ice-cream etc etc might also suddenly ( Read more... )

Visitors to Britain will see various signs and notices, some will be hand painted set at the road side in rural areas, many will be meaningless to a visitor. These might include "B&B" and "PYO" (or more specifically "PYO Strawbs" "PYO rasps" or even "PYO rhubarb" ). B&B = a house offering over night accommodation, but no main meal, just ( Read more... )