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)
"After Easter": a play by Anne Devlin
“After Easter” is the final part of “The Belfast Trilogy”, a set of plays by the Northern Irish playwright Anne Devlin (born 1951). The subject matter of the plays is the “Troubles” of the 1970s and 1980s as seen from a female perspective. The plays therefore echo the “Dublin Trilogy” by Sean O’Casey (1880-1964) which were based on the events surrounding the Irish Revolution of 1916-21.
By John Welford3 years ago in Geeks
"Der Freischutz", an opera by Carl Maria von Weber
Carl Maria von Weber was born in Eutin (in what is now northern Germany) on 18th November 1786 and died in London (during a visit) on 5th June 1826. He is best known today for a handful of operas, including Der Freischutz and Oberon, his second clarinet concerto, which is one of the finest works in the clarinet repertoire, and the orchestral "Invitation to the Dance". A contemporary of Beethoven and Schubert, he was one of the progenitors of the Romantic movement in European music.
By John Welford3 years ago in Beat
Poet Laureate
A poet laureate is a poet who is honoured for being, in theory, the best of his or her generation and given benefits in exchange for being required to perform certain duties. The institution is a British one, but it has been copied in the United States along somewhat different lines, and there are also poets laureate in Canada, New Zealand and a few other countries. It is therefore important to distinguish what the differences are, to avoid confusion.
By John Welford3 years ago in Poets
"Animal Farm" by George Orwell
George Orwell (real name Eric Blair, 1903-50) never joined any political party but regarded himself as a man of the left. He fought on the Republican side during the Spanish Civil War that began in 1936, during which he was nearly killed, but became disillusioned with the political infighting of the various factions that were arrayed against the Fascists. In particular he noted how the Stalinists regarded everyone else as an enemy. This experience led to his writing of Animal Farm as a satirical portrayal of the corruption of Communist ideals by Stalin and his cronies in the Soviet Union.
By John Welford3 years ago in Geeks
Plants found on salt marshes
There are very few environments that do not support plant life of some kind, although some places are more challenging than others. Salt marshes, which are low-lying coastal areas in estuaries and harbours that are flooded at high tide but exposed at low tide, make special demands of any plant that chooses to colonize them, but there are several plant species that have become particularly successful at so doing because they can tolerate a high level of salt in the water at their roots. In return, they have become an important part of the ecology of these areas.
By John Welford3 years ago in Earth
Places to visit in Winchester
Winchester, the county town of Hampshire, was once of far greater importance, being the capital of Alfred the Great’s Kingdom of Wessex and therefore the most important city in England. William the Conqueror hoped that his claim to the throne would be accepted by having himself crowned in Winchester as well as London. It was the monks of Winchester who were commissioned to prepare the Domesday Book.
By John Welford3 years ago in Wander