Maths for the masses Seventy-six years ago, in central Africa, an archaeologist discovered a ten-centimetre prehistoric bone. It wasn’t any old bone. It had notches in it, 168 of them, in three columns. It was, at the very least, a tally stick used for recording quantities, and it might be some form of base-12 calculation. … Read more
When I hear this, my mind conjures up a black-cloaked figure on a huge glossy black horse, a masked face, a tricorn hat, and a bunch of lace at his throat. A crack and a flash from his pistol, fired only in warning, of course. The highwayman – a gentleman robber, a romantic icon. It’s … Read more
Do you have the courage to stand up to an absolute ruler, risking imprisonment and losing your livelihood or life? And you would not just be putting yourself in peril—bullies come for your family as well. Not many of us have that type of courage. But we can look around the world, and at history, … Read more
The wives of many male authors have had a rough time, regardless of how much they supported their husbands in emotional and practical ways. Charles Dickens’ attempt to have his wife Catherine, mother of his ten children, committed to an asylum lost him several friends and supporters at the time, even though in the 19th … Read more
A Clergyman’s Daughter by George Orwell. First published by Gollancz in 1935. Genre: Classic fiction After a few pages of “A Clergyman’s Daughter”, I had the eerie feeling that I was Dorothy. The author plunges you into her relentless routine, and I was soon wound up in it and exhausted by it. She is caring … Read more
Where do I live? Just west of London. Quite near Windsor. Oh, yes, yes, we do have a lovely castle… Hang on, what’s wrong with me? What I mean is that we have a spectacular, magnificent castle! It is the castle of all castles! The trouble is that I take it for granted. When I … Read more
In 1632 at the Battle of Lutzen, Swedish troops were advancing against the forces of the Holy Roman Emperor. But mist and dense smoke were drifting over the battlefield. King Gustavus Adolphus, his bodyguard scattered, was lost, deep behind enemy lines. If you have read “Heroes and Traitors”, this will sound familiar. In real life, … Read more
If you Google Alice Lisle you will find out that it is a “pub serving food with Sky TV in Ringwood”. You may like Sky TV with your food or food with your Sky TV, and it is a lovely pub, often frequented by friendly New Forest donkeys. But make sure if you visit the … Read more
Do you sigh with relief when you flush your pee and poo down the toilet? Or do you take it for granted? I urge you to think! Every time we hear the comforting sound of whooshing water, we should give thanks to the civil engineers who designed the sewerage systems that take our waste away. … Read more
The BBC conducted a poll at the time of the Millennium, to find out who Britons thought were the top 100 Britons of all time. Oliver Cromwell earned a place in the top ten. He was, after all, the only commoner to have been Head of State in the United Kingdom. Although we Brits like … Read more
