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 origin of hammer throwing
When watching the hammer throwing event at modern athletics competitions such as the Olympic Games, one thought that crosses many minds is that the thing being thrown does not look much like a hammer! That metal ball on the end of a flexible wire would be the last thing one would choose for knocking in a few nails!
By John Welford3 years ago in Unbalanced
Hannah Arendt
Hannah Arendt was born in Germany in 1906 where she studied philosophy but, because she was Jewish, was prevented from teaching in German universities under the Nazi regime. She fled to France in 1933 and to the United States in 1941, where she eventually became the first woman to hold a full fellowship at Princeton University. She died in 1975.
By John Welford3 years ago in FYI
Hadrian's Wall, northern England
Hadrian’s Wall is a remarkable relic of the Roman Empire, having been in place for nearly 1900 years. The size of the wall, which stretches for 73 miles across northern England, is amazing in itself, as are the remains of various forts and other structures along its length.
By John Welford3 years ago in Wander
Green lanes in the UK
A green lane is an unsurfaced country road, of which some 5,000 miles exist in England and Wales. They are distinguished from footpaths by being wide enough for vehicles to use, but they are not recognised as official routes and are therefore not given road classifications.
By John Welford3 years ago in Wander
Growing up adopted
I don't actually remember when I first knew that I had been adopted. I had had my suspicions from quite an early age, though. I knew that I was born in Scotland, but that my parents had never lived there - my mother lived for more than 100 years in the town where she was born, on the south coast of England.
By John Welford3 years ago in Families
The Grantham rail crash, 1906
The fatal rail crash that occurred at Grantham on 19th September 1906 must count as the “Marie Celeste” of British rail accidents by virtue of the fact that the cause seems to be inexplicable. What happened is clear enough, but why it did is another matter altogether.
By John Welford3 years ago in FYI
A dastardly crime
What is recounted here took place a few years ago, but the memory is still raw! During the university term I made a regular journey by bus, once a week on a Wednesday, to perform my duties as a part-time librarian at De Montfort University in Leicester (I have since retired from this post). At the time, the session ran from 5.00pm to 10.00pm, after which I left the library to walk to a nearby bus stop for the journey home. I had a choice between bus stops, because there were several possibilities, but I used to walk along the canal towpath for a short stretch, then up some steps to catch the bus in King Richard's Road, so named in honour of Richard III, who passed this way in 1485.
By John Welford3 years ago in Criminal
Global Warming: searching for common ground
The world seems to be sharply divided between those people who are convinced that global warming is a serious issue that is largely the result of human activity, and those who prefer to downplay its seriousness and deny that mankind is responsible for any global warming that may have been observed. But is there common ground from which any sensible debate can proceed?
By John Welford3 years ago in FYI