the Lady of Shalott Very loosely, in Tennyson’s poem, the main character is isolated in a castle on an island, where she can observe the world through a magic mirror, and occupy herself by weaving a magic web, but may not leave the tower or she will be struck by a mysterious curse. She knows… Continue reading “I am half sick of shadows” said
Author: john
The Year of the Nurse and Midwife
Today would be the two hundredth birthday of Florence Nigthtingale, and the World Health Organisation designated 2020 the Year of the Nurse and Midwife in her honour. Although the Coronavirus crisis may have taken some of the attention which might have otherwise been paid to this remarkable woman, it has also emphasised the importance of… Continue reading The Year of the Nurse and Midwife
Margaret Box still in Bralo, October 14th 1918
Margaret Box, my Great Aunt, was nursing in Salonica and Serbia at the end of the First World War. She wrote many letters home, which I am transcribing here. This one, to her father, follows the one she wrote she wrote to her mother, from Bralo on 11th/12th October 1918. Previous Index Next c/o 49th… Continue reading Margaret Box still in Bralo, October 14th 1918
Say not the struggle naught availeth
I started this post a couple of years ago and never published it, but this has been a favourite poem of mine for many years, and the idea of a hyperlinked version must date back to before 2009, as that is when Sun Microsystems was acquired by Oracle. The poem can be seen as… Continue reading Say not the struggle naught availeth
Diversity and Regulation
The intertwined themes of Diversity and Regulation are in my thoughts a lot at the moment, so this post acts as an anchor from which I expect to expand on in other posts. Diversity We are surrounded by diversity – among people, in the objects in our daily lives, in culture and knowledge, in fortune… Continue reading Diversity and Regulation
On Isolation, being prepared and the NHS
As I write this we are in self isolation, in response to the Coronavirus. The situation is exposing the risks of much of the ‘Just in Time‘ world wide flow of goods and people which we normally take for granted to view. As the situation is unusual, many people have panicked and stockpiled things they… Continue reading On Isolation, being prepared and the NHS
December 1918 – Margaret Box home soon, or not
Previous Index Next By late December 1918, Margaret Box had been Nursing in Salonica and Serbia for around three months, and her Father, John Robert Box must have written to Scottish Women’s Hospitals, with the aim of sending her a tie as a Christmas present. On the morning of 20th December they sent him a… Continue reading December 1918 – Margaret Box home soon, or not
New Year 1978 and Box Family history from Margaret Box
Every time I dig into the treasure trove of family letters I find that both sides of the family seem to have been in the habit of cramming as much into a letter as possible. This letter, send from my Great Aunt Margaret – of Nursing in Salonica and Serbia fame – to my mother… Continue reading New Year 1978 and Box Family history from Margaret Box
John and Charles Wesley Treasure Hunt in Oxford City Centre
If you have an interest in Methodist History, and wish to visit 15 locations around Oxford City Centre related to John and Charles Wesley, or Methodism today, there a free mobile phone app, called Huntzz, which can take you round them on a free Treasure Hunt. Instructions Download the app onto your phone, and run… Continue reading John and Charles Wesley Treasure Hunt in Oxford City Centre
On being born
Birth is one of the experiences we all share, although the circumstances can vary widely. I, and – I believe – my brother were born in The Simpson Memorial Ward of the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary (although, surprisingly neither of us are mentioned in the Wikipedia article section on Notable Births !). Sir James Young Simpson,… Continue reading On being born