by David West | Feb 9, 2026 | News
On the 9th of February, 1555, John Hooper the Bishop of Gloucester was burnt at the stake. John Hooper (c.1495–1555), Bishop of Gloucester and later Worcester, was among the most resolute and uncompromising figures of the English Reformation. A theologian shaped by...
by David West | Feb 8, 2026 | News
On the 8th of February, 1950, the secret police of East Germany were established. They were called the Stasi. Having recently read the George Smiley series by John Le Carré, I feel I know a fair amount about the Stasi, but I’m sure there must be more to learn. The...
by David West | Feb 7, 2026 | News
I heard the term Barbenheimer for the first time yesterday. I haven’t seen Barbie but I watched Oppenheimer on the flight to Lima in 2024. I thought it was absolutely brilliant, and a very worthy Oscar winner. In a rare cultural moment dubbed “Barbenheimer,” Barbie...
by David West | Feb 7, 2026 | News
I posted yesterday about Singapore. It seems to me that Raffles gets rather too much credit in Singapore’s story, because the day after signing the treaty, Raffles took his leave and left Singapore in the hands of William Farquhar. William Farquhar (1774–1839) was a...
by David West | Feb 6, 2026 | News
On the 6th of February, 1819, the Treaty of Singapore was signed. I have nothing against Singapore, I’ve never been there, it isn’t on our bucket list, but I would like to visit. If I’m sounding at all negative it’s simply that it has been quite a while since I’ve...
by David West | Feb 5, 2026 | News
On the 5th of February, 1852, the New Hermitage Museum opened to the public in Saint Petersburg. Claire visited it on a school trip. Perhaps when Russia comes to its senses, I might get a chance too. The State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg is one of the world’s...
