A random selection …
The Local Legacy of Capt. James Cook
Well, it’s been a quite a while since I last posted a photo of that obelisk known as Capt. Cook’s Monument, perched ever so ostentatiously upon Easby Moor. A tribute it is to that infamous chap, Captain James Cook, the problematic “discoverer” of Australia, who hailed from the local village of Great Ayton during his […]
Mulgrave Castle
Standing on a narrow ridge between two parallel wooded valleys, Mulgrave Castle is part of the Mulgrave Estate owned by the Marquess of Normanby. Parts of the formidable curtain wall are Norman but the photo shows the keep which dates to the end of the 13th century. The large window in the east wall is […]
With a teachers’ strike likely, it seems timely to point out that exactly 50 years ago today teachers resumed their normal working after a three-month work-to-rule dispute with the local authority
On this day in 1973, the Daily Mirror published interviews with some Teesside pupils: HILARY COX, age 13: “It’s rotten, it’s boring, and my Mam says she’s sick of me going in and out like a yo-yo all day. There’s nothing to do at all. “I’ve been going to all the classes that have been […]
Shit Sack Day
Two years ago I posted about Royal Oak Day, 29th May, to commemorate when Charles II returned to London and was restored as King in 1660. On this day, true Royalists wear a sprig of oak leaves in recognition of Charles’s escape by hiding in an oak tree at Boscobel House, Shropshire, after his defeat […]
The Price of Popularity—When stunning views become exploited gems
I tend to avoid Roseberry summit on weekends. It’s bustling up there, not my cup of tea. I crave the sweet solitude of the hills. But these days, being out in the countryside is like the coolest thing to do. Blame it on the pandemic or whatever, but it’s not like the old days. Ah, […]