History

Pluto in Capricorn: oppression and revolution

23 September 2009

Reflecting on the recent protests in Washington DC against government in general and President Obama in particular, I was struck by the prominence of  the old revolutionary flag with the snake and the ‘don’t tread on me’ motto. I expect that the protesters  know nothing about astrology and precious little about history but their identification with a [...]

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Discovering my Grandfather: a piece of Russian history

31 August 2009

Some years ago I lived near Cambridge in a wonderful flat that was the top floor of a large Georgian house. The owners, Terrence and Iris Armstrong, were friends as well as landlords and I was often invited to Sunday lunch which I enjoyed since they almost always had interesting guests. One time they particularly wanted [...]

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Clava Cairns: A place out of time

19 June 2009

Near Inverness, hidden away and difficult to find,  is a neolithic burial site known as the Clava Cairns. Located close to Culloden battlefield, it is bypassed by the many visitors heading for the more famous location. This is just as well. Clava is a place that should be experienced  in quiet solitude. The atmosphere is [...]

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