The two history talks I gave were about these two Georgian period artists … Francis Wheatley (1747 – 1801) and James Gillray (1756 – 1815) … Francis Wheatley We're learning something of the Georgian era (George I to George IV: 1714 - 1830) … which included the sub-period that is the Regency era (when George IV as Prince of Wales was regent during the illness of George III). Some members of the group opt to give talks on different subjects - I'm usually the one that tends to break the mould … choosing something interests that me, rather than a subject suggested. Cha ..read more

  Canadians were stationed near here in both World Wars … we think of War but don't often relate to which one … sad, but true … Cuckmere River running out to the English Channel with its oxbow lakes A blog post had sent me off to the Group of Seven landscape artists, who were prominent Canadian artists practising at the Algonquin School, Ontario (1920 – 1933) … … a group I had heard about because Emily Carr, the Modernist and Post-Impressionist style artist lived on Vancouver Island - where I encountered her, was associated with the group. Frederick Varley's 'The Ga ..read more

  How on earth did we get from a language of 1,000+ years ago to the English we speak today – or do we speak English … is a tweet, or text message, or morse code a completely different language … who knows – come back in a thousand years and someone will be able to tell you! Showing how explorers exploited our lands - as they expanded their settlements in 400 - 500 CE (AD) All I can say is – I am so grateful I'm an English speaker in this day of the internet and books … I have no idea how I learnt to write in English or adapt my own style for my blog – life takes us on od ..read more

  Free Chol Soo Lee – an American documentary film released late last year – has just been screened by our Film Society … how evocative, while being informative, it was … quite, quite extraordinary … The Towner's guide review is as follows: Julie Ha and Eugene Yi’s intelligent, insightful and vital documentary explores systemic racism within the American criminal justice system via the extraordinary story of one man. In 1970s San Francisco, 20-year-old Korean immigrant Chol Soo Lee is convicted of a Chinatown gang murder after cursory racial profiling. After spending years fi ..read more

  The 'Strandlopers' – roamed free along their South African coastline as their lore suggests – existing and depending upon natural availability – plants, herbs, animals and water … they would have been aware of the weather conditions … Strandlopers - to be found in the  Rijks Museum,  Amsterdam … those early days – the oceans were only known by the effect of the winds … with the celestial knowledge … as indigenous peoples in all countries of the world have their lore … The Dutch came first to establish a maritime and trading base at Cape Town for the long journey t ..read more

  Life seems to rush by … and I gather it gets faster as one gets older … Donna's badge for her WBOYC post Donna with her blogging friends started this – at least two of them are on Vancouver Island, when I was there, but we only blog-connected as I was leaving … Tai Chi - c/o Wiki solo forms - Taolo form - painting from 1300s  I keep myself rather well occupied, but need to do more walking, and thought I'd start Tai Chi, with Qigong, at home on a daily basis – something I used to do … and include breath exercises as an extra … I need to work a schedule ou ..read more

  A life of adventures – whether we're blogging, writing short stories or novels … 'On Leopard Rock' – Wilbur Smith's autobiography Recommended by me to all writers to consider … we're travelling as life ages … our life changes, we grow, we think … we wonder … I enjoyed his books, then got a little bored at the 'sameness' … now decades later, after coming across an article on his passing, which led me to decide that I needed to read his autobiography … … I have the same feelings … b-u-t …....related to his life's journey, by realising how much education I'd missed by not abso ..read more

  Well – I'm there … what to write, what to think – nothing's changed here, what to do … well easy – celebrate as and when … Hip, Hip Hurrah! 1988 by Danish artist Peder Severin Kroyer (1851-1909) … and so into my 16th year of blogging with all of you friends … and on a Friday the 13th … apparently there have been twelve of those in the past 3/4 century … … but in blogosphere-land – what to write … ah well … these popped up … I've no idea if any of you have come across this site StuckInABook … he (Simon) lists a Century of Books – one book for each year 1919 – 2018 … The b ..read more

'The Clock in My Mother's House' …  What a great cover ... ... my own mother had a clock that I will now forever think about as I remember this story by Annalisa … The dictating clock – an apposite quote: 'One of the greatest mysteries of the Universe is time. Time is enigmatic, a dimension that doesn’t quite behave like the three geometric ones. A particularly strange fact about time is that people can experience it differently.' Two Cornish people should connect shouldn't they … I do – albeit I've never lived there – I most definitely relate to my mother's county … so ..read more

  Ma'at is the goddess, who personified the ancient Egyptian concepts of:                   truth,             balance,                             order,             harmony,                                               law,                mor ..read more