Black History Month

1 February 2025 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  11 minutes

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama greet 106-Year-Old Virginia McLaurin during a photo line in the Blue Room of the White House prior to a reception celebrating African American History Month © Lawrence Jackson

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama greet 106-Year-Old Virginia McLaurin during a photo line in the Blue Room of the White House prior to a reception celebrating African American History Month © Lawrence Jackson

Black History Month is an annually observed commemorative month originating in the United States, where it is also known as African-American History Month. It began as a way of remembering important people and events in the history of the African diaspora, initially lasting a week before becoming a month-long observation since 1970. It is celebrated in February in the United States and Canada, where it has received official recognition from governments, and more recently has also been celebrated in Ireland and the United Kingdom where it is observed in October.   read more…

Oswestry in the West Midlands

30 January 2025 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

Llwyd Mansion © flickr.com - Shropshire & Telford TSB/cc-by-2.0

Llwyd Mansion © flickr.com – Shropshire & Telford TSB/cc-by-2.0

Oswestry (Welsh: Croesoswallt) is a market town, civil parish and historic railway town in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483 and A495 roads. Oswestry is the largest settlement within the Oswestry Uplands, a designated natural area and national character area.   read more…

Pie and mash

26 January 2025 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Bon appétit, London Reading Time:  9 minutes

© Goddards Pies Limited/cc-by-sa-4.0

© Goddards Pies Limited/cc-by-sa-4.0

Pie and mash is a traditional working-class food, originating in the Docks of London. Often accompanied with jellied eels, the dish has been popularised as “a Cockney classic”. It typically consists of a minced beef pie, mashed potato, and a parsley sauce known as liquor. Pie, mash and eel shops have been in London since the 19th century, and are still common in East and South London, and in many parts of Kent and Essex.   read more…

Tan Hill Inn in North Yorkshire

10 January 2025 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Bon appétit Reading Time:  5 minutes

Any Sunday roast left? © geograph.org.uk - Gordon Hatton/cc-by-sa-2.0

Any Sunday roast left? © geograph.org.uk – Gordon Hatton/cc-by-sa-2.0

The Tan Hill Inn is a public house at Tan Hill, North Yorkshire. It is the highest inn in the British Isles at 1,732 feet (528 m) above sea level. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, it is slightly higher than the Cat and Fiddle Inn in the Peak District, which is at 1,690 feet (520 m).   read more…

The Lanesborough in London

6 January 2025 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Hotels, London Reading Time:  6 minutes

© geograph.org.uk - Anthony O'Neil/cc-by-sa-2.0

© geograph.org.uk – Anthony O’Neil/cc-by-sa-2.0

The Lanesborough is a 5-star hotel on Hyde Park Corner in Knightsbridge, central London, England. The hotel is operated by the Oetker Collection. It occupies the neoclassical former building of St George’s Hospital, which is listed Grade II*. The hotel is situated next to Hyde Park Corner tube station.   read more…

Settlements of the Moravian Church

27 December 2024 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Architecture, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  8 minutes

Moravian Gemein House in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA © flickr.com - w_lemay/cc-by-sa-2.0

Moravian Gemein House in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA © flickr.com – w_lemay/cc-by-sa-2.0

The Moravian Brethren Settlements are a group of historic settlements founded by the Moravian Brethren, an evangelical free church. These settlements were recognized as a transnational World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2024. The World Heritage Site includes the settlements of Christiansfeld in Denmark, Bethlehem in the USA, Gracehill in Northern Ireland and Herrnhut in Germany.   read more…

Royal Pavilion in Brighton

18 December 2024 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  7 minutes

© Fenliokao/cc-by-sa-3.0

© Fenliokao/cc-by-sa-3.0

The Royal Pavilion (also known as the Brighton Pavilion) and surrounding gardens is a Grade I listed former royal residence located in Brighton, England. Beginning in 1787, it was built in three stages as a seaside retreat for George, Prince of Wales, who became the Prince Regent in 1811, and King George IV in 1820. It is built in the Indo-Saracenic style prevalent in India for most of the 19th century. The current appearance, with its domes and minarets, is the work of the architect John Nash, who extended the building starting in 1815. George IV’s successors William IV and Victoria also used the Pavilion, but Queen Victoria decided that Osborne House should be the royal seaside retreat, and the Pavilion was sold to the city of Brighton in 1850.   read more…

Play ‘Sir Thomas More’, 420 years old and more relevant than ever

17 December 2024 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, London Reading Time:  12 minutes

"Hand D" from the Elizabethan play "Sir Thomas More", believed to be William Shakespeares handwriting

“Hand D” from the Elizabethan play “Sir Thomas More”,
believed to be William Shakespeares handwriting

Sir Thomas More is an Elizabethan play and a dramatic biography based on particular events in the life of the Catholic martyr Thomas More, who rose to become the Lord Chancellor of England during the reign of Henry VIII. The play is considered to be written by Anthony Munday and Henry Chettle and revised by several writers. The manuscript is particularly notable for a three-page handwritten revision now widely attributed to William Shakespeare. Except for Shakespeare, the authors were associated with the Admiral’s Men. Shakespeare himself belonged to the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, renamed the King’s Men in 1603.   read more…

Snowdonia National Park in Wales

31 October 2024 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Palaces, Castles, Manors, Parks Reading Time:  12 minutes

Sunrise over Snowdonia © flickr.com - Hefin Owen/cc-by-sa-2.0

Sunrise over Snowdonia © flickr.com – Hefin Owen/cc-by-sa-2.0

Snowdonia, or Eryri, is a mountainous region and national park in North Wales. It contains all 15 mountains in Wales over 3000 feet high, including the country’s highest, Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa), which is 1,085 metres (3,560 ft) tall. These peaks are all part of the Snowdon, Glyderau, and Carneddau ranges in the north of the region. The shorter Moelwynion and Moel Hebog ranges lie immediately to the south.   read more…

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