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)
Charlottenburg Palace, Berlin
Charlottenburg Palace is a remarkable ensemble of buildings and gardens that demonstrate the wealth and splendour of the Hohenzollern monarchy of Prussia during the 18th and 19th centuries. Situated in the northwest of Berlin, but within easy reach of the centre, it is well worth a whole day visit.
By John Welford4 years ago in Wander
The story of Monmouth's Ash
James Fitzroy 1st Duke of Monmouth was born on 9th April 1649 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. His father was King Charles II of England and his mother was Lucy Walter, the King’s mistress. The couple had fled to The Netherlands after the execution of the King’s father, King Charles I.
By John Welford4 years ago in The Swamp
Could Planet Earth be Hollow?
We have long been aware that there are people around who think that the Earth is flat, but did you know that there are also believers in the apparent fact that the Earth is hollow? The idea is that other worlds exist within the shell that we all know about and various theories have arisen as to the nature of these worlds.
By John Welford4 years ago in Futurism
Dulwich Picture Gallery
There is something very special about the Dulwich Picture Gallery. For one thing, it is well away from the artistic hub of central London and requires an extra effort for anyone who wishes to visit it. That said, the effort is not an enormous one if the visitor is willing to hop on board a suburban overground train at Victoria Station, travel three stops to West Dulwich station and then take a 10-15 minute walk.
By John Welford4 years ago in Wander
The possibly bizarre death of King Charles IX
King Charles IX of France died on 30th May 1574 at the age of 23, probably from tuberculosis. However, the stories that arose shortly after that time painted a much more sinister picture, with his death being attributed, one way or another, to his mother, the scheming regent Catherine de Medici.
By John Welford4 years ago in The Swamp
Quarry Bank Mill
Quarry Bank Mill is a remarkable survivor from the Industrial Revolution, namely a virtually complete cotton mill that opened for business in 1784 and can be seen today – in many though not all respects – just as its original owners and workers would have seen it.
By John Welford4 years ago in Wander
Procrastination, by George Crabbe
George Crabbe (1754-1832) is best remembered today as the author of “Peter Grimes”, the poem that inspired Benjamin Britten to compose his greatest opera. Britten admired the poetry of a fellow Suffolk man who was born in Aldeburgh, the coastal town that became Britten’s home, and whose works portrayed the lives of many Suffolk people, both poor and middle class.
By John Welford4 years ago in Poets
The Inquest, by W H Davies
W H Davies (full name William Henry Davies) (1870-1940) was a Welsh poet and prose writer who had an adventurous life that included tramping across the United States, as detailed in his “Autobiography of a Super-Tramp”, and losing a leg when he tried to jump aboard a moving train in Canada. This accident, which meant that he had to wear a wooden leg thereafter, meant that he had to return to Britain where he turned his attention to writing poetry.
By John Welford4 years ago in Geeks