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  • Burning Library: Apion’s Writings January 7, 2015

    Author: Beach Combing | in : Ancient
    Burning Library: Apion's Writings

    Beach has sometimes in the past celebrated burning libraries, books (and for the multimedia age films) which we know once existed but that have long since disappeared into the dusty maws of time. An impressive burning library author to add to the growing file is Apion Plistonices, impressive because Apion managed to lose not a […]

    Ghost Cart/Coach of St Andrews January 7, 2015

    Author: Beach Combing | in : Modern
    Ghost Cart/Coach of St Andrews

    This is a ghost story that appeared in a nineteenth-century British newspaper (SDE) for 18 Aug 1888. I dare say you heard the old of St. Andrew’s in the Kingdom Fife, N.B.? A charmingly interesting place for lovers of history. However, l am not going to enter into a thorough description here, intention being merely to […]

    Epiphany Gift 5: Latham’s Elizabethan Fairies January 6, 2015

    Author: Beach Combing | in : Modern
    Epiphany Gift 5: Latham's Elizabethan Fairies

    A happy epiphany to all. Six year old little Miss B (her picture) has just announced that she thinks that ‘adults’ might be behind the Santa Claus lark and this seems, then, like an excellent time to give Beach’s fifth epiphany gift. This is Minor White Latham’s Elizabethan Fairies published back in 1930. In Beach’s […]

    Daily History Picture: Train Ride with Bang January 6, 2015

    Author: Beach Combing | in : Historical Pictures
    Daily History Picture: Train Ride with Bang

    More train disasters

    Daily History Picture: Audrey Shopping with Friend January 5, 2015

    Author: Beach Combing | in : Historical Pictures
    Daily History Picture: Audrey Shopping with Friend

    Yes this is Audrey Hepburn’s pet deer.

    The Mystery of the Fairy Battery January 5, 2015

    Author: Beach Combing | in : Contemporary, Modern
    The Mystery of the Fairy Battery

    Here is a place and a name that is hard to account for. On the 1850 Ordinance Survey map for Lancashire (79) there is a peculiar rock formation with the words Fairy Battery by the side. This is on Lowe Hill to the north of Turton and Entwistle Resevoir (already built in 1850). There follows […]

    Daily History Picture: Early Beatles Picture January 4, 2015

    Author: Beach Combing | in : Historical Pictures
    Daily History Picture: Early Beatles Picture

    McCartney, Lennon and Harrison play at a wedding in early pre fame days.

    IELTS for Mothertongues: So you thought you knew English! January 4, 2015

    Author: Beach Combing | in : Actualite
    IELTS for Mothertongues: So you thought you knew English!

    A weird experience six week ago that, while in no sense historical, might interest some poor folks out there who have to go through the same ordeal. Beach was born in the shires of England. As such English is his mothertongue and lacking any particular linguistic proficiency he knows English well and lots of other […]

    Chime Hours and Chime Children January 3, 2015

    Author: Beach Combing | in : Contemporary, Modern
    Chime Hours and Chime Children

    The ‘chime child’ was born at a magic time of the night (the times varied but involved bells). She or he had psychic abilities; think of it as a temporal version of the seventh son or the caul. The idea of chime children has become an increasingly popular one in recent years. Beach typed in […]

    Daily History Picture: Desperation Beach January 2, 2015

    Author: Beach Combing | in : Historical Pictures
    Daily History Picture: Desperation Beach

    Sniffing glue in Cumbria in the late 1970s

    Immortal Meals #19: Rum Up at Harewood House January 2, 2015

    Author: Beach Combing | in : Contemporary, Modern
    Immortal Meals #19: Rum Up at Harewood House

    ***Dedicated to Chris who sent this one in*** The year is 1805, the month December and the location Harewood House, a delightful stately house near Leeds, Yorkshire. The cellar records have a special note for this meal as something extraordinary happened there. The Lascelles family, who had built and owned Harewood, ordered up eight bottles […]

    Beachcombed 55 January 1, 2015

    Author: Beach Combing | in : Beachcombed
    Beachcombed 55

    Dear Reader, Anarchy rages in the Beachcombing house with newborns and shifting nannies, then, this morning snow arrived on the beach. Thanks, as always, to the multiple linkers: Amanda, Chris, Chris S, Joan, Ricardo, Wade and others. I’ve put the very best contributions below to the posts from this month. Thanks to all emails too. […]