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)
Common land in England and Wales
There are still surprisingly large areas of land in England and Wales, both in cities and rural areas, that are classed as common land in that certain rights to its use have been laid down as being for the benefit of the people in general and not for the private profit of an individual.
By John Welford3 years ago in The Swamp
Does more carbon dioxide mean better crop yields?
Here’s the deal – mankind is burning fossil fuels at such a rate that atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO²) is increasing to unprecedented levels (in historic times, that is). Plants need CO² to photosynthesise, and therefore to grow and produce more of the same. So surely the more CO² we humans produce, the better? Sorry – there are a few problems with this scenario!
By John Welford3 years ago in The Swamp
"No Worst, There Is None", by Gerard Manley Hopkins
Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844-89) is renowned today as being one of the most innovative poets of the 19th century, despite only being known as a poet to a very small circle of admirers during his lifetime. His development of poetic devices such as “instress”, “inscape” and “sprung rhythm” only became influential long after his death. He is best known today for poems such as “The Windhover” and “Pied Beauty”, which are celebrations of the natural world, but towards the end of his life (he died of typhoid at the age of 55) he suffered from intense depression and used poetry (intended for no eyes but his own) as his means of coping with it.
By John Welford3 years ago in Poets
- Top Story - March 2021
Charles PonziTop Story - March 2021
The maxim that a fool and his money are soon parted is never more true than when the method used for doing the parting is a fraudulent financial scheme of the “pyramid” type in which people are promised massive returns on their investment but there is no proper foundation for such confidence. Such schemes are often dubbed “Ponzi schemes”, but why are they so called?
By John Welford3 years ago in Criminal
Cardinal Mazarin
Cardinal Mazarin was a fascinating figure from the history of France in the 17th century. Despite not being French, he was that country’s most powerful politician for 19 years, and the fact that he became a cardinal was itself bizarre given that he was never ordained as a priest!
By John Welford3 years ago in The Swamp
Estella in "Great Expectations"
The role played by Estella in Charles Dickens’s novel “Great Expectations” is a strange one. The reader meets her when Pip, the central character, is invited to Satis House by the eccentric Miss Havisham, ostensibly to play cards with her adopted daughter Estella, the latter being a few years older than Pip but probably barely into adolescence at the time they first meet.
By John Welford3 years ago in Geeks
Caravaggio: An Extraordinary Artist
Caravaggio (1571-1610) was one of the most extraordinary characters in the history of art. His fiery temper and wild behaviour led to a sometimes tempestuous life, and this was reflected in his paintings. His treatment of light added to their drama.
By John Welford3 years ago in FYI
Caratacus: The King who Lost Britain to the Roman Empire
Caratacus (sometimes spelled Caractacus) was a Celtic British king at the time of the invasion of Britain by the Romans under Emperor Claudius. Caratacus’s defeat and capture marked the true beginning of Rome’s occupation of Britain that was to last for nearly 400 years.
By John Welford3 years ago in The Swamp