Monthly Archives: November 2014

Lucius Hiberius

I’ve just been reading Geoffrey of Monmouth’s History of the Kings of Britain, which to my shame I have to admit I’d never read in full before. Which is a pity, for while it is a work of fiction, it … Continue reading

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Sighelm and Indian pilgrims to Jerusalem

Some years ago I became quietly obsessed with the question as to whether an Anglo Saxon notable ever made it to India. The jury’s still out as whether Sighelm managed the journey, but everything I’ve read since has convinced me … Continue reading

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A political mockingjay

Today’s Bangkok Post reports that a Thai cinema chain has declined to screen Mockingjay – the latest in the Hunger Games series. Hunger Games was incredibly popular in Thailand, and the three finger Hunger Games salute was used by anti … Continue reading

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Greeting cards and thank you notes

Amanda, J’s niece, has a daughter who’s just turned three. Old enough to appreciate that she’s had a birthday so we sent her a card (we also have a glove puppet for her but we were totally disorganised, so we … Continue reading

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Queensland Rail withdrawing sleeper services

Way back in June, we rode the Sunlander from Brisbane to Cairns, knowing that it was the last year we could make such a trip, as the sleeper service was being withdrawn in December. Turns out that Queensland Rail are … Continue reading

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Cannons, Cooktown and the Russians

We’ve been having a little panic over the appearance of a Russian battle group in the Coral Sea – this isn’t the first time we’ve had one – Cooktown town council panicked in the 1880’s about the need to defend … Continue reading

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A day in Brisbane

 Yesterday, I went to Brisbane for a work thing – it wasn’t all work – I managed to snap this rather fine bit of 1890’s architecture in Edward Street just down from QUT in the old core of the city … Continue reading

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