A journal by Peter Hargreaves
The two Posts so far on Parish Iconography have been concerned with road names and what they say about local history. This post explores other iconography in the landscape, reminding you that you are in Grouville. Following General Don’s improvements to the road system, mile stones were set up, marking the number of miles from … Continue reading Parish Iconography; Grouville Part Three
Current interpretations of Classical Athens are criticised, in particular their tendency to view non-modern Athenian demokratia as if it is a proto-modern democracy. Rather, a more real view is advocated that Ancient Athens and Attica should be understood on their own terms. Harold Butterfield‘s “The Whig Interpretation of History”, written in 1931, made a similar … Continue reading Review: The Realness of Things Past; Ancient Greece and Ontological History by Greg Anderson Assessment 10 out of 10
In Jersey local roads, in particular those which led down from the Island plateau surface were notoriously bad. They were worn down by the passage of cattle and carts. Such roads have since been tarmacked and can now be very attractive, particularly in spring. An example La Rue du Jutize, Grouville is shown below. Jutize … Continue reading Parish Iconography; Grouville Part Two
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
Of Books, Bikes & Islands 