Posts about History
Fyrish Monument
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Looming over Evanton on the Cromarty Firth is Cnoc Fyrish (Fyrish Hill), topped by the strange construction of the Fyrish Monument. The construction was the brainchild of Sir Hector Munro of Novar, who had it built in 1792 to provide work for the unemployed during the time of the Highland Clearances.
More than just wooden stumps
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If you’re heading along the A9 across the Cromarty Bridge in Scotland when the tide is out, you’ll see a number of blackened stumps sticking out of the mud of the estuary just next to the Ardullie roundabout for Dingwall. There is more of a history to them than you might think: they aren’t just random
Through the mists of time
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The older I get, the more I come to recognize the way in which my photographs aid my memory. This is borne out by the way in which I can scroll back through my Lightroom catalogue of digital photos – currently topping 61,000 entries on two external hard drives, with more to be added from
Nazi Party Congress Hall, Nuremberg
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When we visited southern Germany in 2011, one of the places I wanted to see was the former Nazi Party rally ground on the outskirts of Nuremberg. The site is one of huge historic importance and although all of the identifying insignia have been absent for nearly seventy years, much of the foundations and layout…
Remembering the floods from 2005
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I drove through Brienz this weekend for the first time in a couple of years, and roadworks near the office where I used to work reminded me of the terrible events of August 2005. Three days of unrelenting rain washed a large amount of debris and felled wood into the lakes of the Bernese Oberland,
Longines Factory, Saint-Imier
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Since the early part of the 20th century, Longines has become synonymous with timekeeping in the sports world and for measuring the accuracy of world records.
Schloss Banz
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Construction of this former monastery began in 1698. The church, built in Baroque style, was consecrated in 1719. The main altar, the chancel and the statues of saints in the church and on the facade are by Balthasar Esterbauer; the ceiling frescoes are by Melchior Steidl. In 1933 Duke Ludwig Wilhelm in Bavaria sold the
The Courtyard
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On a visit to Ebern in Germany, we came across a picturesque autumnal courtyard. On the wall outside, a plaque told of many years ago.
Ponte Vecchio, Florence
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This medieval bridge in Florence, rebuilt in 1345, is the only one remaining which is lined on both sides by shops. Originally hosting butcher shops, the bridge has been populated by jewellers and goldsmiths since the late sixteenth century. The bridge is the only one in Florence to have survived the Second World War: on
The Grotto of Saint Columba
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Deep in the Jura mountains is a large cave; easily accessible, as it sits alongside the main road which winds its way through the bottom of the Pichoux Gorge. In the cave is a shrine to the Christian St. Columba of Spain.
Didlington Hall estate, Norfolk
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The church of St. Michael, on the private ground of the Didlington Hall estate, west of Swaffham in Norfolk, England.
Interview in Czech photo blog Odcloneno
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I was contacted a while back by the editor of Czech photo blog Odcloněno, Michal Fanta: Michal asked to interview me and use some of my photos on the blog. The interview was published this morning; here’s the English transcript. Many thanks to Michal for the exposure and, as he’s mentioned; please do get in…
Random Ear Movements
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A detailed look back on a little over twenty years as an R.E.M. fan, with details of what each of the albums means to me and what part music has played in my life so far.
Parco Civico, Lugano
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The civic gardens on the lakefront at Lugano surround the Villa Ciani, just a couple of minutes to the east of the city centre.
Are you Charlie Baker?
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I have translated this short story from an archived article in German newspaper Die Zeit from June 1976, which I came across via a link which Konstantin Binder posted to his Twitter account. The original title is “Oh! You’re German?” but I don’t feel that this direct translation matches the tone of the article. I…
Eleven, Cathedral St. Ursen, Solothurn
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The number eleven has a lot of relevance in the Swiss city of Solothurn.
I Remember
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There are some times of year when it’s strange to be at home in a country where the national history is different. In November, two of them fall within days of each other: Guy Fawkes Night and Armistice Day.
