Category Archives: People

Fish Tank on the Head

Posted on June 27, 2019 by Roger Pocock

Quick Quotes 31.  The following quote is taken from the John O’Groat Journal, from 19th April 1877.  The journal is re-reporting an article taken from the New York Times, as was commonplace for local newspapers at the time to bulk … Continue reading →

Posted in 19th Century, History, Humor, Humour, News, Newspapers, People, Quick Quotes, Travel, USA | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Japanese Artistic Talents

Posted on June 24, 2019 by Roger Pocock

Snippets 206. Recently we have been looking at a few choice quotes from Notes of a Nomad, by Canadian author Lady Harriet Julia Jephson, published in 1918. For the most part it is a journal of her travels, but it starts in … Continue reading →

Posted in 19th Century, Autobiographies, Books, History, Inspiration, Memoirs, People, Snippets, Travel | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

A Harsh Swimming Lesson

Posted on June 17, 2019 by Roger Pocock

Quick Quotes 30.  The following quote is taken from Notes of a Nomad, by Canadian author Lady Harriet Julia Jephson, published just over a hundred years ago in 1918.  For the most part it is a journal of her travels, but … Continue reading →

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A Scarecrow in Petticoats

Posted on June 10, 2019 by Roger Pocock

Max of the Month 4.  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, England, History, Humor, Humour, Max of the Month, People | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Life-threatening Bureaucracy

Posted on May 27, 2019 by Roger Pocock

Quick Quotes 29.  This month we are looking at some entertaining quotes from A Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf, by John Muir.  Muir (1838-1914) was a celebrated naturalist known as “John of the Mountains”, a key figure in the … Continue reading →

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Married Twice in One Day

Posted on May 23, 2019 by Roger Pocock

Snippets 202. Everyone hopes their wedding day will be the perfect occasion, but what happens when something goes wrong?  For today’s “snippet”, let’s take a look at two newspaper reports of wedding-related incidents, both from the late 19th Century.  The … Continue reading →

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A Bumpy Ride in Knob Land

Posted on May 20, 2019 by Roger Pocock

Quick Quotes 28.  This month we are looking at some entertaining quotes from A Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf, by John Muir.  Muir (1838-1914) was a celebrated naturalist known as “John of the Mountains”, a key figure in the … Continue reading →

Posted in 19th Century, History, Humor, Humour, Memoirs, Nature, People, Quick Quotes, Travel, USA | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Neighbour Dispute (to the death)

Posted on May 13, 2019 by Roger Pocock

Quick Quotes 27.  This month we are looking at some entertaining quotes from A Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf, by John Muir.  Muir (1838-1914) was a celebrated naturalist known as “John of the Mountains”, a key figure in the … Continue reading →

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Midhurst: Rotten Borough?

Posted on May 9, 2019 by Roger Pocock

The Reform Act of 1832 disenfranchised 57 “rotten” boroughs, areas of the country sending members to parliament despite very small populations.  The most notorious of these was Old Sarum, a constituency of just seven voters that was responsible for the … Continue reading →

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Not Worth Robbing (Again!)

Posted on May 6, 2019 by Roger Pocock

Quick Quotes 26.   We previously looked at a quote from A Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf, in which the author escaped being robbed on account of having little worth stealing.  Later in the same volume, he found himself in … Continue reading →

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