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)
Transatlantic Migration from England During the 17th Century
The story of the Pilgrim Fathers, who sailed across the Atlantic in the Mayflower from Plymouth (England) to the New World in 1620, is well known, but what is not so widely appreciated is that this was just the start of a virtual torrent of emigration from England to the colonies during the rest of the century.
By John Welford3 years ago in FYI
Events leading to the 1917 "October Revolution" in Russia
The October Russian Revolution, which actually took place on 6th and 7th November 1917 (the discrepancy was brought about by differences between the Julian and Gregorian calendars), had causes that went back many years and many events can be cited as contributory factors.
By John Welford3 years ago in FYI
The Statue of Eros in London's Piccadilly Circus
The status of Eros in Piccadilly Circus is one of the best-known “sights of London”, especially since it ceased to be in the middle of a roundabout at one of the capital’s busiest junctions. It has several features of interest that relate to its construction and significance.
By John Welford3 years ago in Wander
The Enigma Variations, by Edward Elgar
The Enigma Variations is one of the most popular orchestral works written by the English composer Sir Edward Elgar (1857-1934). It comprises a theme and 14 variations, the last one also doubling as the work’s finale. It was composed in 1898-9 and was first performed in London on 19th June 1899 when it was an immediate success.
By John Welford3 years ago in Beat
Elegabalus, Emperor of Rome
One would hardly expect many Roman emperors to make an appearance in a comic opera, but anyone who has seen “The Pirates of Penzance” by Gilbert and Sullivan might have been puzzled by the claim of Major-General Stanley that he can “quote in elegiacs all the crimes of Heliogabalus”. Even though the name is more usually given as Elagabalus, not many opera-goers will know to whom he is referring, or what crimes he might have committed.
By John Welford3 years ago in FYI
Counting the votes
The political process in the United Kingdom is steeped in tradition, and no part of it is more traditional than the actual process of counting the votes and declaring the result. During a General Election this will happen across the country on election night, with the media anxious to catch each constituency’s declaration and calculate the “swings” that can be used to predict the overall result.
By John Welford3 years ago in The Swamp
Edward the Black Prince
Edward the Black Prince should have become King of England but died before his father (King Edward III), so the throne passed to his less worthy son, who reigned as King Richard II. Edward represents many people’s idea of a knight from the period when chivalry was at its height. Indeed, Chaucer’s “perfect gentle knight”, from the Canterbury Tales, written not long after Edward’s death, could have been a nostalgic (and doubtless sanitised) portrait of the Black Prince.
By John Welford3 years ago in FYI