Local Background The visitor is drawn to the area around Glenelg, on the shores of Kyle Rhea Narrows opposite the Isle of Skye, perhaps to become familiar with the landscapes associated with Gavin Maxwell, author of a clutch of titles including the famous ‘Ring of Bright Water’. The location described as Camusfearna by Maxwell… Continue reading The Lodge at Arnisdale
Category: History
Items of general historical interest and covering items, for example, relating to the history of specific nations, famous individuals and conflicts such as the War of 1812, World War I and World War II.
John Thompson: An early Scottish photographer in China
Life and Works The various accounts of the Victorian photographer John Thompson (1837 – 1921) of his travels in the Far East, notably within China, reveal surprises on many levels. These can be considered to include the then legacy of China’s past, the then contradictory nature of its observed present and insights into what it… Continue reading John Thompson: An early Scottish photographer in China
Star-spangled banner
Most of the time we have relatively little interest in the origins of our national anthem and even less in that of other nations – except perhaps when they may have better tunes. The national anthem of America – the ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ has, however, some strands of mutual interest for both the Americans and the… Continue reading Star-spangled banner
Enfidaville
It was one of those holiday excursions where the venues visited rose up in surprise to greet the traveller. It was Tunisia in 2008 in a then settled and tranquil country while institutions in the Western world were experiencing the financial storm of a generation. It had been an early rise as the coach picked… Continue reading Enfidaville
Tommy Brown and U-559
In times of conflict it can be the contribution of apparently insignificant individuals that can make a major contribution to their outcome. The example of a certain Tommy Brown in World War II is an excellent example of such a contradiction. Tommy Brown had actually joined the British Navy in 1941 aged 15 years –… Continue reading Tommy Brown and U-559
Sarehole Mill
This is an item about Sarehole Mill – a locality frequented by JRR Tolkein in his childhood.