George Orwell


Heraldry in England developed in all its elaborate glory in the middle ages. One of the most striking features was the emergence of supporters as part of a full coat of arms. Animals, both real and imaginary, humans, angels and objects could all be used to stand either side of the main shield. In England, the development of the monarchy can be traced by observing the […]

Rule all England under a Hog


Vaguely Interesting Snippets | 28 December 2012  Home Secretaries were historically required to be present at royal births. Fortunately for Theresa May and the Duchess of Cambridge, the tradition was abandoned in 1948. Queen Victoria enjoyed Lewis Carroll’s Alice In Wonderland so much that she suggested he dedicate his next book to her. Lewis Carroll was, of course, a pen name for a distinguished Cambridge mathematician […]



Stephen Irvine, 18 June 2012 If the audacity can be excused, dear friends, I shall begin by enlivening my own limited powers of expression with a few chilling words from the master, using the following passage from 1984: The nightmare had started…. There were times when his nerve so forsook him that he began shouting for mercy even before the beating began… Sometimes he was beaten […]

Strike While the Iron is Hot