John Witton was transported in 1834 for stealing from a grocer. John asked if the Court could do him a favour. Cambridge Chronicle and Journal – Friday 10 January 1834 reports the following: John Witton, of Wisbech St. Peter, was convicted of stealing a cheese, on the 1st November last, […]
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Friends of mine who smoke/smoked were always careful in my company and for that I (as a non-smoker) am/was very always grateful. They care and they are friends of mine. In the workplace it was a different story, many who were smokers refused to refrain from smoking, especially in closed […]
I for one am extremely proud of my country. A lot is published today regarding the closing of the single greatest event this nation has experienced in modern history. As an overall happening London 2012 showcased the capital and nation in way that was calm, cool and British. It made […]
12 months ago to the day the immediate world around here turned into a war zone. And that’s the truth. War had broken out in South London. I was way too concerned with my personal safety to post anything online on the 8th August. As the day progressed the unrest […]
Boots Dispensing Medication – Serious Failures Written: June 2012 Some outlets and general businesses here in the United Kingdom over the years have formed part of the retail fabric of our high streets. One of these is Boots the Chemist. The long established and until recently much respected health and […]
I have always maintained that from a historic perspective the British royals are important. Any group, collection or family, rightly or wrongly, who has maintained a place in history for generations is historically noteworthy. When we look at our history these people have featured in the story of our nation […]
Last week I predicted the UK would drop like a lead balloon at the EuroVision 2012 Song Contest. Gosh! How unpatriotic I am. How can you suggest such a thing? Today the British and international press are full of our humiliation. Ok we were not bottom, we were second from […]
Time to grasp your jewellery with all your life. Gulp down that Gin and tonic. Batten down the hatches. Pull up the drawbridges and let battle commence. This is going to be a tantrum like no other as Queen Sofia of Spain and Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain go head-to-head […]
This is the story of the day when Italy becomes a little less Italian. From the beginning of the 2014 academic year The Politecnico di Milano, one of Italy’s leading technical universities, all MSc and PhD courses will be taught exclusively in English. While the university already offers several courses […]
Ok, so, well, what can I say? Since the General Election I have on occasions been hammered by some for ‘banging on’ about The Labour Party. For ‘not giving the coalition a chance’. For ‘agreeing to disagree’ (something I would never do). Yet today I open the media to discover […]
It appears I need to take elocution lessons. British Telecom has lost the ability to understand what I say, despite my efforts to use English with as few syllables and complicated words as possible. Three times in as many minutes I asked this telecom giant NOT to publish the telephone […]
When they write the story of Queen Victoria the picture portrayed is generally that of a slightly stubborn, rather unhappy widowed monarch. In a way she had much to be miserable about. After giving birth to 9 children, the love of her life dying in 1861 and then seemingly spending […]
I really have to get something off my chest. It’s a presentation matter – on the BBC actually. It’s something that’s seriously driving me up the bleedin’ wall. Some years ago my now 60 year old ears finally retired from UK commercial radio. I could no longer stand the countless […]
The Times of Malta, that bastion of media balance, is in a very boastful mood. An eventful start to 2012 saw over 1.6 million visitors browse timesofmalta.com in the first 10 days of the year – unprecedented figures for a Maltese website. That figure jumps five-fold, to just over 8.5 […]
Apart from uplifting events personally, this has been a rubbish year. Riots, burning, thieving, national political gloom, lies and garbage from those who should know better. Credibility sold for a cent. National pride and a country’s good name kicked in the teeth by those who run it. Good, then not […]
The eighth of August 2011 will go down as one of South London’s darker dates. It will stay in our memories probably for ever. As London was burning, the sirens were screaming, as news channels broadcast our hell live to the world, I can remember watching the thick black smoke […]
When I was a boy I remember a scandal in the early 1960s that brought the Macmillan government to its knees. I am of course referring to the Profumo affair, an event so appalling that elderly members of my family refused to discuss it in front of us children. But […]
I came across this from British Pathé. King George VI opening The Empire Exhibition in 1938. I am actually searching for footage for another unrelated item. Although unused this piece is clearly heavily edited in an attempt to disguise the Kings’ severe voice impediment and nerves. It’s painful to watch […]
Since this coalition government has been running the affairs of Great Britain, Prime Ministers Question time (PMQs) scheduled for most Wednesdays has turned into a theatrical fiasco. Yesterday was no exception to the rule. With the Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative party making a total mockery of the […]
This evening I have been filling in my 2011 Census Form. I used my computer, did the process online using the high speed broadband, in my central heated comfortable apartment, lit by electric light whilst listening to some nice music recorded digitally after a rather pleasant dinner. Almost to this […]