This is the eighteenth part of a fiction serial, in 762 words. My thanks to Sue Judd for the use of her photo. https://suejudd.com/ Not contacting Gregg was deliberate on my part. I wanted him to think about why I had asked him for time away, and I was hoping time with his family … | Continue reading
I spend a lot of time looking for photos online. Sometimes, I find some that make me wonder why they were ever taken. Here are some that seem very strange to me. Riding an Ostrich. I didn’t even know you could do that. Standing on a stuffed alligator. That has to be a ‘Why’? Smal … | Continue reading
Apologies to those of you anticipating the next episode of ‘Branscombe Hall’. I have to go out, so don’t have time to write it. Back to normal tomorrow, all being well. | Continue reading
Thanks to the website ‘Daily Stuff’, for these quirky photos of exceptionally large animals. A huge bull. An enormous horse. A very large cat. Giant Red kangaroo, strong enough to crush a metal bucket. Huntsman Spider, the largest by leg span. A huge Vulture. Flying Fox, the larg … | Continue reading
I found a few more! America superimposed on one side of The Moon. Japan in relation to America. Countries that can all fit into Australia. The genuine size relation of countries in the world. (Forget Mercator’s projection, Africa is enormous!.) | Continue reading
This is the seventeenth part of a fiction serial, in 754 words. My thanks to Sue Judd for the use of her photo. Having made up my mind not to chase around trying to find out where Gregg had gone, I went into work. Yes, I had to deal with my husband at some stage, … Continue readi … | Continue reading
Following WW1, there was a boom in affordable radios. Very soon, almost every home in developed countries owned a radio, and it was normal for families to sit around listening to their favourite programmes or news, just as they do now with televisions. Younger readers under a ‘ce … | Continue reading
This is the sixteenth part of a fiction serial, in 730 words. My thanks to Sue Judd for the use of her photo. https://suejudd.com/ Because of Julian’s death, things had to be put on hold at the Hall. Technically, we no longer had a contract, so dad suggested we should not spend t … | Continue reading
Originally posted on toritto: Well it was a bad week for abortion rights advocates as Republican majorities in Nebraska and North Carolina continued to restrict abortion access. Have you noticed that nowhere is this issue put up for a vote anymore. Nah. Put t to a vote and it … | Continue reading
This is the fifteenth part of a fiction serial, in 740 words. My thanks to Sue Judd for the use of her photo. https://suejudd.com/ Nobody had ever hit me before. My parents didn’t believe in slapping or hitting, and I had no siblings to worry about. I managed to survive junior sc … | Continue reading
Such a quiet week last week, I have very little to report. ———————————————————————— Weather news is good though. A mainly dry week, with temperatures creeping up, the mud drying out, and being able to wear shorts every day. Ollie has responded to the warmer weather by spending ti … | Continue reading
Some more old photos found online that appealed to me. An early type of SCUBA diving equipment, 1940. Native Americans of the Blackfoot tribe photographed in Glacier national Park, 1913. Learning to drive in a static driving school. Kenya, 1943. Two circus performers ride a tande … | Continue reading
This is the fourteenth part of a fiction serial, in 734 words. My thanks to Sue Judd for the use of her photo. https://suejudd.com/ The silver sale was one of our best ever. Every item exceeded expectations, and a dated salver relating to George I from 1720 was sold for a record … | Continue reading
The Guardian Newspaper began its life in 1821 as The Manchester Guardian, and was based in that northern city until moving to London in 1976. Over the decades, it has acquired a vast library of photos, taken by staff photographers and also freelancers selling to the newspaper. Th … | Continue reading
This the thirteenth part of a fiction serial, in 750 words. My thanks to Sue Judd for the use of her photo. https://suejudd.com/ The first I heard about Julian showing up was when Gregg got back from work one evening. Lord Branscombe had appeared at the auction house, excited by … | Continue reading
I always enjoy finding these, and have posted many previously. Here are some new ones. California compared to the whole of Italy. Forest distribution in the USA. In 1279, the Mongolian Empire was the biggest empire by immediate landmass that the world had ever seen, and it retain … | Continue reading
This is the twelfth part of a fiction serial, in 755 words. My thanks to Sue Judd for the use of her photo. https://suejudd.com/ My dad came up with a great idea. Gregg had no educational qualifications as such, but he could drive. We always had need of occasional drivers, so it … | Continue reading
This is the eleventh part of a fiction serial, in 742 words. My thanks to Sue Judd for the use of her photo. https://suejudd.com/ He slept all the rest of that day, and most of the night. I stayed downstairs on the sofa so as not to disturb him, but he woke me up at … Continue re … | Continue reading
I have posted something on my other blog today that may be of interest to some readers in the UK. Here is a link to it. It is political in nature, so not really suited to beetleypete. National Conservatism=Neo Nazis | Continue reading
This is the tenth part of a fiction serial, in 735 words. My thanks to Sue Judd for the use of her photo. https://suejudd.com/ These days, not so many people remember the Falklands war. It only tends to be spoken about on anniversaries, like ten years after it happened, and so on … | Continue reading
Photographer John Myers’ work is relatively unknown but is considered superb among his contemporaries. Myers would typically photograph men, women, and children on their own, but also occasionally in groups. This selection is from a project showing ordinary people in their own ho … | Continue reading
Long-term readers of this blog might remember that one of Ollie’s favourite activities was to chase Deer. Over the years, he has managed to chase the three main varieties found around Beetley; Roe, White-Tailed, and Muntjac. Of course, he never managed to catch one, and rarely ev … | Continue reading
This is the ninth part of a fiction serial, in 777 words. My thanks to Sue Judd for the use of her photo. https://suejudd.com/ Lord Julian Branscombe hung around just long enough to get bored of asking me out and getting turned down, as well as being bored with his supposed proje … | Continue reading
The East of England has had some strange weather this week. It started with thunderstorms, heavy rain, and humid temperatures up to 21C. I was wearing shorts earlier this week, then yesterday I was out walking Ollie wearing a heavy winter coat, and gloves. This morning it is stru … | Continue reading
Prostitution is often called ‘The Oldest Profession’, and with good reason. Since the dawn of history, women who found themselves in need of money could sell their sexual favours to eager men willing to pay. But not all the men who were visiting prostitutes were customers. Some w … | Continue reading
This is the eighth part of a fiction serial, in 742 words. My thanks to Sue Judd for the use of her photo. https://suejudd.com/ Julian Branscombe splashed out on a nice lunch in one of Gloucester’s best hotels. To be honest, it wasn’t my thing. Tiny portions of mis-matched ingred … | Continue reading
Before WW2, herds of sheep were kept in London parks to eat the grass to save having to use motor mowers. This is Hyde Park in the early 1930s, the sheepdog is swimming in the water to stop the sheep escaping. The lift attendants in Selfridges Department Store, 1928. Liberty, a f … | Continue reading
This is the seventh part of a fiction serial, in 764 words. My thanks to Sue Judd for allowing me to use her photo. https://suejudd.com/ Julian Branscombe had been described to me as a Bohemian, but the young man I saw looked just like any fashionable Londoner at the time. Except … | Continue reading
Enjoying a healthy break by the sea in Britain was popularised by the Prince Regent, who had a palace built close to the sea in Brighton in 1787. When he became king, he continued to visit, believing the salt water would improve his health. By the Victorian era, seaside resorts w … | Continue reading
“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear rocket launchers, shall not be infringed.” They must have obviously foreseen rocket launchers in 1791. What other possible explantion could there be? (I hope he wa … | Continue reading
This is the sixth part of a fiction serial, in 768 words. My thanks to Sue Judd for the use of her photo. https://suejudd.com/ Gregg had been correct when he said I would soon know what all the fuss had been about. Argentina had invaded The Falkland Islands, and Britain was sendi … | Continue reading
As I have mentioned many times, I cannot get enough of this architectural loveliness! The Addis toothbrush factory, Hertfordshire. Another view of the De La Warr Pavilion at Bexhill, Sussex. Two views of Marine Court, St Leonard’s-on-Sea. It was designed to look like a cruise lin … | Continue reading
Originally posted on Letters from Athens: We have all heard of the benefits of a Mediterranean diet—but it amused me to find out how far back this goes. What did people in antiquity eat? The Ancient Greeks were not big eaters like the Romans. In fact they mocked the Persians, who … | Continue reading
This is the fifth part of a fiction serial, in 850 words. My thanks to Sue Judd for the use of her photo. https://suejudd.com/ Engrossed as I was in my daily visits to the Hall, I had almost forgotten about Gregg coming up that Saturday. He made the long drive in his dad’s car, a … | Continue reading
Originally posted on Stevie Turner: I’ve always been fascinated by the old Borley Rectory, which was once the most haunted house in England before it was destroyed by fire. I thought I’d write a little story about it below – hope you like it. Borley Rectory Re-Visited. Copyright … | Continue reading
I found some more photos taken by Diane Arbus. These are from 1962-1965 and were taken on her walks around New York City. I like the way Diane often chose to photograph people who looked slightly out of the ordinary, as well as taking conventional photos of children. | Continue reading
This is the fourth part of a fiction serial, in 800 words. My thanks to Sue Judd for allowing me to use her photo. https://suejudd.com/ Lady Branscombe was polite and chatty when she welcomed me to her home. Much younger than her recently-deceased husband, and not the mother of L … | Continue reading
This is the third part of a fiction serial, in 752 words. My thanks for Sue Judd for allowing me to use her photo as a prompt. https://suejudd.com/ When Gregg gave me a lift to the station on Sunday morning, I asked him why his family were talking about us getting married, even t … | Continue reading
Weather took centre stage this past week. I was wearing shorts last Monday, in sunny, warm weather. On Tuesday I was wearing a heavy coat, and by Wednesday I was seriously considering turning the heating back on. On Saturday it rained on and off all day, and was dark enough in th … | Continue reading
This is the second part of a fiction serial, in 762 words. My thanks to Sue Judd for use of her photo as a prompt. https://suejudd.com/ Once Gregg had some leave, I went to visit his family in Essex. I had heard of Basildon, but never been there before. He met me at the railway … … | Continue reading
The NW1 postal area in London covers the districts of Camden, Euston, Regents Park, and Primrose Hill. It was the postal district I lived in for twelve years before I left London for good. In 1982, the famous British Photographer David Bailey published a book of photographs, take … | Continue reading
It will not be news to you that the coronation of Charles III is underway in London today. Tradition, pomp, ceremony, a celebration of British values. Telling us all what a wonderful country we are blessed to live in. A free country, a democracy. But this might be news to you. On … | Continue reading
This varied selection looks at different eras in the history of Britain, from the Victorian age to the dawn of the 21st century. The interior of a mine in Cornwall, 1893. The miners were working on a 30-degree slope, and the photographer wanted to capture that difficulty. Inside … | Continue reading
This is part one of a fiction serial, in 770 words. My thanks to Sue Judd for allowing me to use one of her photos as a story prompt. https://suejudd.com/ Norma was picking me up at ten. It was going to be twenty-six years. Hard to imagine, yet it seemed like yesterday whenever I … | Continue reading
This is all 23 parts of my recent fiction serial, in one complete story. It is a long read, at 17,900 words. Phyllis Harvey. That would be a good name, he decided. A name that spoke of maturity, but not old age. A name associated with a certain class of woman, one who had made … … | Continue reading
During the 1960s, John Claridge took hundreds of photos in the poorer multicultural districts of East London that he knew well. I have featured his work before on this blog, and recently found some more of his interesting portraits. The areas he photographed have changed complete … | Continue reading
Are you a writer hoping to be published? Think you might need a Literary Agent? This article warns of the potential pitfalls involving professional scammers who are out to get your money. It is required reading for anyone thinking of taking the leap to becoming a published author … | Continue reading
Originally posted on Filosofa's Word: I found this very short true story on the Jon S. Randal Peace Page. It is a story that is well worth the retelling, for it is a story of immense importance and wisdom, one that should be remembered for all time, for in many ways, no mat … | Continue reading