Beachcombing's Bizarre History Blog

Dear Reader, New university continues to be testing. Much more important has been a bust up with the Nanny’s bipolar boyfriend: Nanny has now moved into the Beach mansion to escape his anger, though she accidentally left her keys to our house with said boyfriend. She may (or may not) bring her 60 kilo dog […]

Dear Reader, A good if terrifying couple of weeks teaching in a new university. Thanks for your interest and support. There follow the most interesting words sent in to StrangeHistory. Thanks to all contributors and linkers… Have a warm February Beach A Very Old Carp: Gary finds the fount of the legend… All the Fun […]

Dear Reader, Beach has been a bad blogger. The past week he has barely put a post up as he was – writing his new book… The book in question is about the supernatural in the island whose cold, harsh Atlantic sands you see above. Apart from crazy and happy writing hours still a lot […]

Crikey, well this has been another dramatic month… Beach has been in intense contract negotiations and will now leave his old institute and go and work in another one: he was given an offer he could not refuse and 72 hours to decide, the next three days were a sort of gnawing hell. Many times […]

Dear Reader, A great October with a visit from a friend and children (early 5 Nov bonfire tonight) and, on a less positive note, a very large bill from a bastardly continental organisation: several tens of thousand dollars. The long awaited audit. There follow the most interesting words sent in to StrangeHistory. Thanks to all […]

Dear Reader, What a month. A phantom pregnancy (farce and fear), watching a five year old start school (tragedy), and lots of book editing (the highlight?), then there has been the fun of the American elections and new students (outstanding classes). There follow the c. 10000 most interesting words sent in to StrangeHistory. Thanks to […]

Dear Reader, and so term is beginning. First class this morning. Butterflies and relief, for the first time in a decade, that the summer is over. Still 48,000 academic words written and some fun had. There follow the c. 10000 most interesting words sent in to StrangeHistory. Thanks to all contributors… Have a great September! […]

Dear Reader, another difficult month: the strange ebb and flow of ‘luck’ is a fascinating subject. Many hours in hospital after a Dutch friend of Beach managed to break his heel in the Beach garden and needed a translator and a bodyguard (angry nurses). A tortoise escaped and is MIA and another lost an eye […]

Dear Reader What a month of good and bad: Brexit, a rogue Italian bureaucrat demanding thousands, a visit to grandparents, a car crash, a visit from grandparents and, of course, now Beach has gone and lost one of his jobs: all because he wouldn’t force twenty students to sit through a conference that didn’t have […]

Dear Reader, Two weeks of relative rest and two weeks of maps, nineteenth-century manuscripts and joy with a very small teaching load. Thanks, as always, to the multiple linkers: Amanda, Invisible, Chris S, Joan, Ricardo, Wade and others. I’ve put the very best contributions below to the posts from this month: the cream follow here, […]

Dear Reader, Exhausted after yesterday finishing the last exams. Will drift back into consciousness over the next week, for now sitting out in the garden with the tortoises. Thanks, as always, to the multiple linkers: Amanda, Invisible, Chris S, Joan, Ricardo, Wade and others. I’ve put the very best contributions below to the posts from […]

Dear Reader, Last month of uni work makes April the worst month and the next week will be the worst week of the worst month. Up at 4 and sleep on the train… Thanks, as always, to the multiple linkers: Amanda, Invisible, Chris S, Joan, Ricardo, Wade and others. I’ve put the very best contributions […]

Dear Reader, Uni holidays coming up so a restful week ahead and this week Mrs B took the kids away skiing so restful weekend behind. Happy days. Thanks, as always, to the multiple linkers: Amanda, Invisible, Chris S, Joan, Ricardo, Wade and others. I’ve put the very best contributions below to the posts from this […]

Dear Reader, January that jumping-in-a-cold-pool-feeling as term begins, even if kids as always nice. Long hours, and early mornings. Up at four twice this week to try and make things work: though in truth today I managed somehow to sleep in till six. Thanks, as always, to the multiple linkers: Amanda, Invisible, Chris S, Joan, Ricardo, Wade and […]

Dear Reader, thanks as always for all the emails and communications. This month, for the first time in six years, started a book, very excited. Perhaps a cycle is drawing to an end. Christmas was good with friends visiting and a trip to the cinema for the first time in a decade: Star Wars… This […]