Innovation vs. Tried & Trusted
My directors demanded innovation. Innovate or die was the mantra. Faster! Cheaper! Lighter! Stronger! You get the picture. And there is a place for it. I’d rather cross the Atlantic in a modern airliner than a Zeppelin. I’d rather be treated by a modern surgeon than a...
Battle of Britain – Facts & Turning Point
On 7th September 1940 there was a turning point in the Battle of Britain. The Luftwaffe switched from attacking RAF Fighter Command airfields, to bombing London. The Blitz as it was known, was devastating for London, but a huge relief to Fighter Command. Although the...
Cardinal Richelieu
Armand-Jean du Plessis de Richelieu became Cardinal Richelieu on 5th September 1622, in the reign of Louis XIII. The assassination of Louis’s father, Henry IV in 1610 is the subject of The Suggested Assassin, the third book in the Sir Anthony Standen Adventures....
RAAC and AI
Reinforced-Autoclaved-Aerated-Concrete (RAAC) is very much in the news in the UK. More than a hundred schools have been forced to close because of the risk of classrooms collapsing. I’m a retired civil engineer and have designed and built numerous concrete structures....
Richard Hillary, Battle of Britain, Archibald McIndoe, and My Favourite Book
On the 3rd of September 1940 Richard Hillary was shot down during the most intense phase of the Battle of Britain. Richard Hillary was the author of my favourite book, The Last Enemy, which I posted about in Readers Club. He had joined the Oxford University Air...
MAD, Oppenheimer, and Crossbows
My trawl through todays historical events has thrown up a coincidence. On the 30th August 1146 it is said that European leaders banned the crossbow. I confess that I am yet to find authoritative confirmation of this date. In 1139 the Second Council of the Lateran,...
According to Hoyle
According to Hoyle is a phrase I remember from childhood. On Sundays my father played golf, followed by poker at the card table in the clubhouse. According to the Oxford English Dictionary according to Hoyle means according to plan or the rules. The impression I had...
The Abolition of Slavery
King William IV, signed royal assent of the Slavery Abolition Act 1833 on 28th August of that year. The Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 was a landmark legislation that marked a significant turning point in the fight against slavery in the British Empire. The act finally...
Writing Process
Today I’m compelled to write about the creative writing process. I’ve reached quite an exciting phase in writing my fifth novel. Yesterday scenes were playing out in my mind like scenes in a film. Now I know that I can write it. Of course it’s taken a lot of hard work...
Innovation vs. Tried & Trusted
My directors demanded innovation. Innovate or die was the mantra. Faster! Cheaper! Lighter! Stronger! You get the picture. And there is a place for it. I’d rather cross the Atlantic in a modern airliner than a Zeppelin. I’d rather be treated by a modern surgeon than a...
Battle of Britain – Facts & Turning Point
On 7th September 1940 there was a turning point in the Battle of Britain. The Luftwaffe switched from attacking RAF Fighter Command airfields, to bombing London. The Blitz as it was known, was devastating for London, but a huge relief to Fighter Command. Although the...
Cardinal Richelieu
Armand-Jean du Plessis de Richelieu became Cardinal Richelieu on 5th September 1622, in the reign of Louis XIII. The assassination of Louis’s father, Henry IV in 1610 is the subject of The Suggested Assassin, the third book in the Sir Anthony Standen Adventures....
RAAC and AI
Reinforced-Autoclaved-Aerated-Concrete (RAAC) is very much in the news in the UK. More than a hundred schools have been forced to close because of the risk of classrooms collapsing. I’m a retired civil engineer and have designed and built numerous concrete structures....
Richard Hillary, Battle of Britain, Archibald McIndoe, and My Favourite Book
On the 3rd of September 1940 Richard Hillary was shot down during the most intense phase of the Battle of Britain. Richard Hillary was the author of my favourite book, The Last Enemy, which I posted about in Readers Club. He had joined the Oxford University Air...
MAD, Oppenheimer, and Crossbows
My trawl through todays historical events has thrown up a coincidence. On the 30th August 1146 it is said that European leaders banned the crossbow. I confess that I am yet to find authoritative confirmation of this date. In 1139 the Second Council of the Lateran,...
According to Hoyle
According to Hoyle is a phrase I remember from childhood. On Sundays my father played golf, followed by poker at the card table in the clubhouse. According to the Oxford English Dictionary according to Hoyle means according to plan or the rules. The impression I had...
The Abolition of Slavery
King William IV, signed royal assent of the Slavery Abolition Act 1833 on 28th August of that year. The Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 was a landmark legislation that marked a significant turning point in the fight against slavery in the British Empire. The act finally...
Writing Process
Today I’m compelled to write about the creative writing process. I’ve reached quite an exciting phase in writing my fifth novel. Yesterday scenes were playing out in my mind like scenes in a film. Now I know that I can write it. Of course it’s taken a lot of hard work...