ELFSTEDENTOCHT
This is the famous Elfstedentocht – the ‘Eleven Cities Tour’ – a test of physical and mental endurance like no other. There was no …
CRISPS OR CHIPS
Do you like crisps or chips? Your answer will depend on whether you are English or American, but they are, basically, the same thing: Crisps …
COMMUNAL SLEEPING II
Communal sleeping II – this blog is a sequel to last week’s blog on the same topic: Why have lost the idea of communal sleeping? …
COMMUNAL SLEEPING
Until the mid-19th Century, communal sleeping was completely normal; that is, sharing a bed with friends, colleagues and even total strangers, happened all the time. …
CHRISTMAS PUDDING
Loved and hated in equal measure, Christmas pudding’s cultural and political clout have extended far beyond the dining table. It has been called a “gastronomic …
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS
The beginning of a New Year encourages many of us make New Year’s resolutions, and most of us break them in the first few hours, …
TYRIAN PURPLE
For millennia, Tyrian purple was the most valuable colour, and a prestigious symbol of power and influence, on the planet. Then the recipe for making …
LOST LUGGAGE
After weeks of blogs that have been mainly political, “Lost Luggage” is purely fun – a welcome break you might say. It surprised me …
LOST LEGO
Lost Lego seems like a kid’s nightmare, or some publicist’s idea of a catchphrase. However, when five million pieces of Lego are lost it becomes …
ROME RECYCLING ITS COINAGE
A recent article about Rome recycling its coinage brought home to me the idea that modern Western society didn’t invent re-cycling, as many of us …