Life’s Not All About the Numbers or Linnaeus’ Floral Clock.

I have been remiss. I ignored my weekly blog deadline. Well…I didn’t ignore it, but time seems to have run away with me. This is particularly interesting because I have been reading about time and wondering about it too; how an afternoon with my children (when they’re tired) can seem like a lifetime but how … Continue reading →

It’s Always the End of World: End of Time Prophecies

I’m reading Bedlam London and Its Mad by Catherine Arnold. It tells the story of the notorious madhouse, rightly called Our Lady of Bethlehem Hospital, from the time of its foundation in the year 1247. It is a wonderful book and filled with hundreds of fascinating stories. Always on the lookout for a good lunatic, I loved … Continue reading →

“The morning star of the eccentric world”: Martin Van Butchell and Maria, Mummified in the Parlour

A few years ago, my charming husband made a particularly unsporting request about the disposal of his earthly remains; for when the time comes. (He’s not yet 40, so we can argue about it for a while yet.) His favourite place in the world is a game farm in the Lowveld over the Olifants (Elephant) River and hot, hot, … Continue reading →