A journal by Peter Hargreaves
The range of local Iconography in Jersey is remarkable, Parish boundary stones, road improvement stones, wells, Abruevoirs and Lavoirs, above all road signs. Limited to two hours exercise away from the house in these V (viral) times I decided to cycle around the nearest parishes, recording parish iconography and retelling something of what they tell … Continue reading Parish Iconography; Grouville Part One
Why review a book published over 50 years ago? It was on my bookshelf dating back to my undergraduate days. I reread it as part of a study of Jersey Parishes, which I suggest are places without being central places, so I felt I should know what a central place is. It remains a very … Continue reading Review: Geography of Market Centers and Retail Distribution by Brian Berry (1967) Assessment 8 out of 10
On my last visit to London for some time, with Jonny I went to visit the gym premises set up by Sam Village. Sam is friend of Jonny’s and a professional trainer involved in keeping Formula One drivers fit. See https://www.kotwf.co.uk/high-performance . It is on a wonderful site at Brentford, in what was Middlesex, where … Continue reading Aits and Offshore at Brentford
I loved this Book, the biography of a literary giant. It was written by Maya Jasanoff, primarily a historian not a literary academic. Jasanoff, herself, writes beautifully: “Estuaries are liminal spaces between the river and the sea, and up the estuaries of Borneo, Conrad encountered liminal figures, living between cultures, a European or two among … Continue reading Review: The Dawn Watch; Joseph Conrad in a Global World by Maya Jasanoff (2017) Assessment 9 out of 10
The Reviews fell into groups. Peter, Ruth, Tracey and Chantal all rated it 8 or 9 out of 10. All were members of the Canoe Club and all had their own reasons for liking it, having travelled &/or paddled in some of the locations described, and interests in landscape & jurisdictional history and islands. All … Continue reading Discussion: The Frayed Atlantic Edge; a Historian’s Journey from Shetland to the Channel by David Gange (2019)
I both loved and felt belittled by this Book. The title has multiple meanings, the writer’s Journey along the Atlantic Edge and a Journey in which beliefs about past and present are challenged. The Frayed Edge implies both the deeply indented coast, with offshore islands, skerries and reefs, and the coastal communities and culture, variously … Continue reading Review: The Frayed Atlantic Edge; a Historian’s Journey from Shetland to the Channel by David Gange Assessment 8 out of 10
We left Luang Prabang by van. Unwisely, I offered to sit in the back of the van and, as the journey continued, felt increasingly travel-sick. It was a good road to avoid cycling on, as road and landscape had been desecrated by China Power damming the river valley. From mid-morning we were back on Bikes … Continue reading South East Asia (mostly) by Bike Part 2 Luang Prabang to Hanoi
Tim Cresswell is Professor of Human Geography at the University of Edinburgh. He considers the meaning of place for geographers, philosophers, artists and architects. He explores radical ideas in geography, for instance “Queer Places” and the occupation of Tiananmen Square, Tahrir Square, Cairo and Wall Street as significant moments of protest at significant places. I … Continue reading Review: Place; an Introduction by Tim Cresswell second edition (2015) Assessment 9 out of 10
Fleeing the Atlantic storms in January and February, Anne and I travelled extensively in SE Asia. Initially, we flew to Chiang Rai in NE Thailand, where we enjoyed a couple of tourist days. We had arranged to meet our friend, Jill, who joined us with two companions during a break in their course on yin … Continue reading South East Asia (mostly) by Bike Part 1 Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang
Angkor Wat is a truly impressive world heritage site. The central temple covers 1.6 sq km, apparently the world’s largest religious shrine. However it is only the most visited place in a sacred landscape, comprising 1,000 temples and shrines, and extending in an archaeological park over 1,000 sq km, some eight times the size of … Continue reading Angkor Wat; Cycling through a Sacred Landscape
Of Books, Bikes & Islands 