‘If the sight of a blue sky fills you with joy, if a blade of  grass springing up in the fields has the power to move you, if the simple things in nature have a message you understand, Rejoice for your soul is alive.’                                                      – Eleanor Duse (1858 – 1924)

 ‘The Book Thief’ by Markus Zusak. (Random House 2005). ‘The Book Thief’ was originally marketed in Australia as an adult book, but was been taken on by the American market for a young adult audience and has rather unfairly become stuck in this genre. Like Mark Haddon’s, ‘Curious incident of the dog in the night-time’, [...]

It’s important to start the day with a good breakfast…   There’s always one wise guy in the pack; Ladybird kebab, anyone?   One joker and suddenly all decorum is lost;          Serenaded by a handsome young man; The postman came and even knocked on the door to wish me a Happy Birthday;             Time for a [...]

Hidden away in the steep, lush Eskdale  valley, just outside the hamlet of Littlebeck,  past the overgrown quarry workings and mysterious pools, is a cave. Carved out of an enormous boulder, the large room has a circular seating arrangement capable of accommodating about twenty people. On its roof are two, remarkably comfortable, carved, stone chairs.  [...]

Glaisdale is an area that was important to the mining industry of the nineteenth century. Iron ore was abundant in the surrounding hills and in 1869, the village boasted three blast furnaces. The iron for  Sir Charles Barry’s Westminster Bridge came from here.  So important was the place as a trading centre that an Irish [...]

I’ve had the pleasure of being involved with the work of the International Fiber Art Collaborative for a number of years now and just wanted to share some of the projects they’ve initiated. Started in Houston, Texas, by Jennifer Marsh, a cutting edge textile artist, the projects have brought together individuals and groups from all [...]

The Humber Bridge Song.   In our early history Julius Caesar crossed the sea To this island off the Northern coast of France. Then some other Romans came to treat us just the same And they stayed a little longer just by chance. They came, they saw, they conquered everything that they could see ‘Til [...]

SWEET WILLIAM’S FAREWELL TO BLACK-EY’D SUSAN: A BALLAD by: John Gay (1685-1732)    All in the Downs the fleet was moor’d, The streamers waving in the wind, When black-ey’d Susan came aboard. Oh! where shall I my true love find! Tell me, ye jovial sailors, tell me true, If my sweet William sails among the crew. [...]

The battle of Flamborough Head, took place in 1779 and was one of the most stubborn naval battles in British History. It involved the American squadron of John Paul Jones and two British ships of war and came at the point in history where the American colonies were fighting for their independence from England. In 1777, [...]

                                                                                  Front: ‘The Glorious First of June’.                                                                                    Back – enlarged for ease of reading.   *Images from my own card collection.  The phrase, ’84 Honours and Awards’ refers to the medals awarded to Price’s Patent Candle Co. Ltd. at the Franco-British Exhibition of 1908, where they won two grand prizes for the quality of their [...]