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 […]
Ian Waugh
85 posts
Up until very recently the fact that listeners and viewers in Malta have, since the 1930’s, been capable of receiving radio and television transmissions from Italy has been a ‘technical coincidence’. Radio transmission from Italy before the war was in fact ‘boosted’ to enable Italian broadcasts to be heard in […]
This post was written before the last phase and completion of building works in Valletta. Oh! How an image can create such controversy. There’s a really interesting ‘group’ on Facebook called ‘Malta Once Upon A Time‘. I highly recommend it. From my point of view as a part-time amateur historian […]
London Underground is to go entirely commercial, meaning all stations are to be renamed and linked to branding. London’s Mayor, Boris Johnson, says he had the idea in bed in the middle of the night on Tuesday, phoned his commercial director at 3.30am with the plan. It’s hoped the new […]
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 […]
Ok gang! Place your EuroVision 2012 bets. Before you go racing to the bookies read on. According to ABC News, reports about alleged rights violations in Azerbaijan are capturing international attention as the country prepares to host this year’s Eurovision song contest. Eurovision is the most prestigious cultural event in […]
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 […]
For the second time in living memory politicians across Europe are fidgeting dangerously in their respective quarters. In the past couple of weeks the political rhetoric between the big beasts of the EU like France, Germany, Spain and even the United Kingdom have become noticeably and diplomatically noisy, even deafening. […]
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 […]
Today is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Edward Lear. Although a talented illustrator and painter, Lear is best known for his nonsense verse. His poetry demonstrates a defining love of eccentricity, verbal invention and poetic delight in the sound of words. His best known poem is The Owl […]
Weetabix. It’s as traditional as you can get at the breakfast table. For generations the semi-healthy option to Kelloggs Corn Flakes and Quaker Oates. The option to a good old fry up. But now that doyen of the early healthy start has been gobbled up by no other than the […]
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 […]
Norwegian expressionist Edvard Munch’s The Scream has become the most expensive artwork sold at auction. It fetched an alarming $119.9m (£74m). It’s a tad scary because thats more than I earn in a week. Bidding lasted 12 minutes which is better than a bid on eBay which can last a […]
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 […]
Over the years various individuals have falsely maintained to be related to me. One of them claims to be a nephew – a son of my sister. And the reason for all this weirdness – he said he wanted to know more about his ‘lost uncle’. This guy originally made […]
I seriously welcome contact from anyone. Friends, colleagues, real members of my family are genuinely welcome . You can send a message here .
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 […]