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)
Newgrange ancient monument, Ireland
Some 700 years before the main stones were erected at Stonehenge, and even longer before the Pyramids were built in Egypt, a massive tomb was being built in Ireland that can still be seen today. This is at Newgrange, in a loop of the River Boyne between Drogheda and Slane, about 25 miles northwest of Dublin.
By John Welford3 years ago in Wander
Greece in Neolithic times
The Neolithic (New Stone Age) era in ancient Greece must be reckoned to date from around 6800 BCE to 3200 BCE. Climatic changes made it possible for groups of people to settle in fixed locations and for the hunter-gatherer economy of the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic eras to give way to more settled ways of life, including farming, stock-rearing, and the creation of pottery. Around 1,000 sites have been identified that show signs of occupation in the Neolithic period.
By John Welford3 years ago in FYI
"God Save the Queen": the UK national anthem
The British national anthem was the first in the world to be adopted as such, with every other country subsequently following suit with its own anthem, sometimes even using the same tune as the British one. Like many British institutions it was a matter of evolution rather than deliberate creation, coming about almost by accident.
By John Welford3 years ago in FYI
Features of Dorset's Jurassic Coast
The county of Dorset, on the south coast of England, has one of the most fascinating coasts of any county, with many features of interest packed into a short distance. Here are some of Dorset’s natural wonders along this stretch of the world-famous Jurassic Coast.
By John Welford3 years ago in Wander
Napoleon Bonaparte: a short dictator?
There is a general belief that Napoleon Bonaparte was unusually short, and that he is therefore part of the common perception that dictators tend to be short people who make up for it by being particularly unpleasant to everybody else and conquering as many countries as they can. But, in Napoleon’s case, is this true?
By John Welford3 years ago in FYI
Mystery in "A Passage to India" by E M Forster
The mystery around which much of the plot of Forster’s “A Passage to India” revolves is that of what actually happened in the Marabar Caves. Was Miss Quested molested by Dr Aziz? However, there are mysteries that go much deeper than that and it is these that give the novel its greatest strength.
By John Welford3 years ago in Wander
The worst teacher I ever came across
I have no hesitation in nominating for this honour - Mr Starkey. We had the misfortune of encountering each other between 1959 and 1963, so he is long since dead and therefore unlikely to be offended by what follows, however well deserved it might be.
By John Welford3 years ago in Education
Must-see exhibits at the National Gallery, London
London’s National Gallery, which occupies one side of Trafalgar Square, is one of the world’s greatest collections of Western European paintings, containing around 2,300 exhibits dating from the 13th to the 19th centuries. For any art lover visiting London, it is a “must see” destination. Here are brief descriptions of just a few of the many treasures on display.
By John Welford3 years ago in Geeks