John Welford
Bio
I am a retired librarian, having spent most of my career in academic and industrial libraries.
I write on a number of subjects and also write stories as a member of the "Hinckley Scribblers".
Stories (501/0)
The Tailor, a painting by Giovanni Moroni
Giovanni Battista Moroni (c.1520-78) was a painter, mostly of portraits, who worked in the northern Italian cities of Brescia, Bergamo, Trento and Albino. His early works were mainly full-length lifesize portraits of local noblemen, but in his later years, spent mostly in his birth town of Albino, he developed a more intimate style in which the aim was not to glorify the sitter but to convey their personality. “The Tailor”, dating from around 1570, falls into the latter category.
By John Welford3 years ago in Geeks
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau (French for “New Art”) was a movement that flourished at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. It was a conscious rejection of the accepted values of the time and sought to unite all the decorative arts, including architecture and interior design, in making a new stride forward.
By John Welford3 years ago in FYI
Ramsey Island, Wales
Ramsey Island lies one mile off the Pembrokeshire coast (southwest Wales) and is a nature lover’s paradise due to its careful preservation and management by the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds). It is uninhabited by humans apart from the RSPB wardens and a small volunteer staff, and access is carefully controlled to ensure minimal disturbance to the island’s extensive wildlife.
By John Welford3 years ago in Wander
How can terrorism be defined?
When President G W Bush, in the wake of the outrages of 11th September 2001, declared his “war on terror” I remember thinking at the time that there was something unsatisfactory about this terminology. How can you fight a war against a concept? On the other hand, I suppose that it is no stranger than fighting a “war on poverty” or a “war on waste”.
By John Welford3 years ago in Criminal
"The Fighting Temeraire", by J M W Turner
“The Fighting Temeraire” (the full title includes the words “tugged to her last berth to be broken up”) is possibly the best-known painting by JMW Turner (1775-1851) and is one of the major attractions of the National Gallery, London. It is a masterpiece of light and colour, and one of the most atmospheric works of art ever committed to canvas.
By John Welford3 years ago in Geeks
Subutai, Mongol "dog of war"
Although there can be few people who have not heard of Genghis Khan, the Mongol emperor who swept all before him as he built a vast Asian empire in the 13th century, the same cannot be said of Subutai, who was one of the Khan’s feared “dogs of war”. However, without Subutai’s leadership and tactical genius it is quite possible that Genghis Khan would have achieved very little. The story of Subutai, who was arguably one of the greatest generals of all time, therefore deserves to be better known.
By John Welford3 years ago in Serve
The Manciple's Tale, by Geoffrey Chaucer
A medieval manciple was in effect the quartermaster of an Inn of Court, responsible for buying and looking after the food supplies for the lawyers who lived and worked there. Chaucer’s Manciple looks after the needs of more than thirty men “that weren of lawe expert and curious”, but when it comes to doing deals over the price of food, he “sette hir aller cappe”; in other words, he was the real brains of the place.
By John Welford3 years ago in Geeks
The Man of Law's Tale, by Geoffrey Chaucer
The Man of Law’s Tale (from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales), with its introduction and epilogue, has been preserved on a fragment of manuscript separate from any other tale. It cannot therefore be certain that Chaucer intended this to be the fifth tale, which is where many modern editions place it. Indeed, it would appear from its epilogue that the Shipman is about to tell the next tale, whereas what we usually get next is the amazing prologue of the Wife of Bath, followed by her tale. This is simply evidence that Chaucer was never able to edit the work as a whole, but it is unfortunate that we cannot relate this tale to its neighbours with any certainty.
By John Welford3 years ago in Geeks