Category Archives: Politics

Safety Last in Cinemas

Posted on August 8, 2019 by Roger Pocock

Snippets 207. The following quote, concerning the safety of children in cinemas, is taken from the 25th February 1909 edition of The Bioscope: In the meantime there is the question of the Children Act, 1908, which those concerned in entertainment … Continue reading →

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Living Too Rapidly

Posted on June 20, 2019 by Roger Pocock

Snippets 205. Comments about the pace of life are ubiquitous in the media nowadays, but this is far from being a modern concern, and a generation “living too rapidly” was already a worry over a century ago. The following quote is … Continue reading →

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President vs Queen

Posted on July 28, 2017 by Roger Pocock

Quick Quotes 16. The following is taken from Max O’Rell’s Jonathan and his Continent (1889): Upon the strength of a six months’ sojourn in America, one would hardly attempt to deliver a verdict on the political system of the country. … Continue reading →

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Contempt for Politicians

Posted on July 10, 2017 by Roger Pocock

Snippets 125. Meeting Presidents became something of a habit for travel writer Max O’Rell. In Jonathan and his Continent (1889), O’Rell describes meeting Stephen Grover Cleveland, the 22nd President in his first of two terms in office. Although it might seem … Continue reading →

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Votes for Women

Posted on May 1, 2017 by Roger Pocock

Snippets 115. In the previous snippet we looked at a quote from Jonathan and His Continent by Max O’Rell. Although he is one of my favourite ‘forgotten’ authors, a travel writer whose books are funny and readable, despite now all … Continue reading →

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Shrieking Engines

Posted on April 20, 2017 by Roger Pocock

Pick of Punch 11. This area of the blog offers a selection of interesting quotes from Punch magazine. The following is from 10th March 1866, and is an excerpt from a report on the week in Parliament, concerning the dangers … Continue reading →

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Journals 10.5 – Loiterings in Europe by John Corson (Part 5)

Posted on February 1, 2016 by Roger Pocock

This is the final part of my article on Corson’s journal.  For the previous parts please see the entries posted on 4th, 11th, 18th and 25th January 2016. For the next leg of his journey, Corson travelled through Germany and … Continue reading →

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George II: “never mind the crash, send me a billion” (Snippets 45)

Posted on November 30, 2015 by Roger Pocock

In 1746, William Pulteney, Earl of Bath, became Prime Minister.  He held the post for a grand total of two days.  Admittedly, this is debatable as strictly speaking there was no official office of Prime Minister at the time, but … Continue reading →

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Journals 4.3 – Men and Manners by Grant Thorburn (Part 3)

Posted on July 9, 2015 by Roger Pocock

This is the third part of my article on Grant Thorburn’s journal.  For the first and second parts please see the earlier entries from 1st July and 5th July 2015. Next on the agenda for Thorburn was an investigation into … Continue reading →

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An alien visitor in 1803 (Snippets 14)

Posted on July 3, 2015 by Roger Pocock

Between November 1803 and January 1804, 24 issues of a twice-weekly magazine were published under the title The Man in the Moon.  They were collected together in a single volume, published in 1804.  The online scan of the book from … Continue reading →

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