In Victorian London most of the poor lived in what would be called slum housing. During the 18th century many ramshackle ‘courts’ had been built as a result of speculative infilling behind street frontages. However, the reputation of one court stands out. For at least 40 years, from the 1830s, there was an enclave in The Royal Borough… Continue reading The worst slum in London
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‘The Foulest Place of Mine Arse is Fairer than thy Face’
Reblogged from The Social Historian, an inestimably irreverent yet academically impeccable site from an Oxford associate profesor of social history, Jonathan Healey. Give him an award, somebody… By the way, for American readers, Boots equals Walgreens. On Michaelmas Eve, 1544, two women came to blows in the open street in Winchester. We know who they… Continue reading ‘The Foulest Place of Mine Arse is Fairer than thy Face’
Civil War Echoes: Mrs. Longstreet and the B-29
Oh, Say Can You See? They sure did
Declaration of Independence, quoted verbatim, merely substituting King Jean Claude Juncker for King George…
The stars look very different today
As the JaggerDaltreyTownsendRichardsWattsYoungStillsMcCartneyGilmourNashDylanetc creatures start to fall from their perches, we should be prepared to withstand more of this sentimentalised handwringing from the media. The hardass in me says that only to his wife, family and friends was Bowie’s departure ineffably sad, but for those, like us, who liked what he did, not whether he left the… Continue reading The stars look very different today
Slouching toward Bethlehem
How’s this for predicting the rotten fruit softness of the failing Liberal experiment of the past 50 years in just a few words? In 1919 WB Yeats wrote a short religious poem called The Second Coming. This is a part:- Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the… Continue reading Slouching toward Bethlehem
Donald Trump’s hair peace
This may be the way that it was just before Rome fell. With barbarians cradling assault rifles at the gate, the commentariat wile away the time that is left to them by worrying themselves sick about Zwarte Piet-type problems. Zwarte Piet is Santa’s cool helper and is a harmless Christmas tradition for kids that dates… Continue reading Donald Trump’s hair peace
Save the Half Moon in Herne Hill
Like she sang… “Sweeties’ Snack Bar, boarded up now And Egles The Tailor and the Shine Boy’s gone Faded out with ragtime blues”