Monthly Archives: June 2015

The days when sorry did not seem to be the hardest word

Posted on June 30, 2015 by

Just in case any researcher stumbles upon my thoughts on whether there was once a “rule of the road” in England that said drive on the left. Yes there was, and here’s proof  it predated that 1835 Act of Parliament … Continue reading →

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The rules of the road in the 19th century

Posted on June 25, 2015 by

It’s been the equivalent to an earworm. It has been driving me a bit crazy after I read on another great history site that there were no traffic rules in 19th century London. The estimable site is Two Nerdy History … Continue reading →

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Cycle killer: Qu’est-ce que c’est?

Posted on June 25, 2015 by

I have been thwacked on the back by a passing truck’s mirror while waiting at traffic lights to turn right opposite the Old Vic Theatre and nearly squished beneath the back wheels of a tour bus on Chelsea embankment where … Continue reading →

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Shuttered

Posted on June 24, 2015 by

You kind of held out the hope that US medicine was somehow better — because of the money spent on aggressively interventionist diagnostics and treatment. Victo dolore says different and it’s mostly people that are the problem. But just to … Continue reading →

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“On the rooftops of London coo, what a sight!”

Posted on June 22, 2015 by

It was a crime born out of indoor plumbing, shipworms and the working class hobby of competitive pigeon racing. Continue reading →

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What went into 19th century beer

Posted on June 19, 2015 by

Who does not like a cool beer after a hard day’s work on a summer’s day…? ok, not everyone, but those that do enjoy more than just the taste. It is a drink that since earliest times has signified the … Continue reading →

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The case of the wandering organ

Posted on June 16, 2015 by

Can you imagine a pipe organ that took up 900 square feet, was 70 feet high, 54 feet deep, weighed 87 tons and had 4,209 pipes, the largest of which was some 38 feet long. Large, but not unexceptional for … Continue reading →

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John Hassall: the poster man

Posted on June 11, 2015 by

Originally posted on The Library Time Machine:
You may not have heard of the artist John Hassall. But you’ve almost certainly seen his most famous work, the Jolly Fisherman. (You know the one: “Skegness – it’s so bracing”). You may…

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If you want to get ahead get a headline

Posted on June 9, 2015 by

Please say a prayer to your favorite god for the soul of Vincent Musetto, who has died, but whose memory will live on for ever and ever amen among sub-editors because in April 1983 he was blessed with the concatenation … Continue reading →

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New superhero… The Tackler

Posted on June 9, 2015 by

I’m learning to hate the verb “to tackle”. Everybody, in the UK at least, seems to be “tackling” something. We are “tackling climate change”, though of course we aren’t, unless you count tut-tutting about China and India’s power stations, or … Continue reading →

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