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)
Dunstanburgh Castle, Northumberland
A visit to Dunstanburgh Castle, in Northumberland, is not something to fill in the odd half-hour, partly because no road comes within a mile and a half of it. The only way to get there is to walk! So give yourself plenty of time, preferably on a day with good weather, and appreciate the dramatic coastal scenery as well as the looming castle walls as you approach, whether from the north or the south.
By John Welford3 years ago in Wander
Driving on the left
You have just arrived in the UK for your visit, picked up your hire car and ... got into the passenger side by mistake! This is one of a relatively small number of countries where the rule of the road is that you drive on the left, which also means that most cars have right-hand drive. That in itself presents a few challenges for those who are not used to it, but let’s concentrate here on the peculiarities of actually driving on the left.
By John Welford3 years ago in Wander
The Dunmow Flitch
Great Dunmow is a village is Essex (half way between Bishop’s Stortford and Braintree) that owes its fame to a custom that has been running unbroken since the 12th century and which is mentioned in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. Married couples are put on trial to prove the strength of their marriage and, should they convince a judge and jury, win the prize of a side (or “flitch”) of bacon.
By John Welford3 years ago in Families
Dreams of Death
When people talk about “dreams that come true” they usually have in mind beneficial situations that they have dreamt about and which they wish can become reality. However, there have also been instances of people dreaming about their own demises, and which have indeed come true.
By John Welford3 years ago in Horror
Dr Todd's comedy turn
Dr Todd (not his real name) was a senior lecturer at a college in the South of England that trained teachers for both primary and secondary schools. One of his roles was therefore to visit students in schools as they underwent their teaching practice, with a view to assessing their progress. So that is what he was doing on a sunny morning in February at a primary school somewhere in West Sussex.
By John Welford3 years ago in Education
"Dover Beach", a poem by Matthew Arnold
Matthew Arnold’s (1822-88) major contribution to English literature was as a prose writer, but in his early years he wrote a considerable quantity of poetry, most of it not being particularly good. However, with “Dover Beach” he produced one of the greatest poems of the 19th century, and it deserves its place in popular acclaim.
By John Welford3 years ago in Poets
Domesday Book
Domesday Book (pronounced “Doomsday”) is one of the most remarkable documents ever compiled. It is a detailed survey of a conquered land, namely England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. No other country in the world, at this point in history or for centuries afterwards, had been described as fully. Domesday Book therefore offers a unique portrait of a medieval society and economy.
By John Welford3 years ago in The Swamp