Category Archives: England

Love, Honour and Obey?

Posted on April 11, 2019 by

Max of the Month 2.  When reading non-fiction books from the 19th Century, one finds no shortage of great writers who have now been largely forgotten. However, occasionally a writer comes to light whose work is so entertaining, and who … Continue reading →

Posted in 19th Century, Books, Britain, Christianity, England, History, Max of the Month | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Hot Air Balloon Crash

Posted on April 1, 2019 by

Snippets 194. The Crystal Palace was a famous London landmark, built for the Great Exhibition of 1851.  After the Exhibition it was relocated from Hyde Park to Penge Common, where it stood until it was destroyed by fire in 1936.  … Continue reading →

Posted in 19th Century, Britain, England, History, London, News, Newspapers, Snippets | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Flirtation: an English Pastime

Posted on March 14, 2019 by

Max of the Month 1.  I have often quoted from the works of Max O’Rell over the last few years, one of my favourite travel writers from the 19th Century, now virtually forgotten.  His books are so packed with fascinating … Continue reading →

Posted in 19th Century, Books, Britain, England, History, Max of the Month | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Early Closing at 7pm? No thanks.

Posted on February 25, 2019 by

There is much of interest to be found by trawling through the pages of old local newspapers.  On 7th October 1908, the Bognor Regis Observer carried a report about the popularity of the Women’s Suffrage movement in Midhurst, West Sussex: … Continue reading →

Posted in 20th Century, Britain, Crime, England, History, Humor, Humour, Local History, News, Newspapers | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Too Much of a Rush

Posted on February 14, 2019 by

Snippets 187.  At the start of the 20th Century, American Thomas Rees went on a tour of Europe, concluding in Britain and Ireland.  His recollections were published in 1908 in the fascinating book Sixty Days in Europe and What We Saw … Continue reading →

Posted in 20th Century, Books, Britain, England, History, Humor, Humour, London, Snippets, Travel | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Abolition of Clapping

Posted on January 17, 2019 by

Snippets 180. An early name for a film camera was a “bioscope”, and the name was chosen for a film journal during the silent era of film, published in London. It ran from 1908 to 1932. On the title page of … Continue reading →

Posted in 20th Century, England, History, Humor, Humour, London, Magazines, Newspapers, Snippets | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

An Archaeological Excursion

Posted on January 10, 2019 by

On 17th August 1867, the Sussex Advertiser carried a report of the annual excursion of the Sussex Archaeological Society, a happy summertime event for the members of the society.  Each year they chose a different location of historical interest to … Continue reading →

Posted in 19th Century, Britain, England, History, Local History, Newspapers, Travel | Tagged , | Leave a comment