Index to John Barber’s Blog

This is an index to all my previously published blog entries that have appeared on this site since 2 September 2010.

 

After almost two years time to call a halt.

 

These represent notes, opinions, views and histories of things that are considered typically British, indexed by date, most recent first.

The Queen’s Jubilee in Hertford

A beacon on Hertford Castle, no flag pole on Shire Hall and memories of 1953.

 

The Mary Portas Report

How Hertford differs from Harlow and the effect Mary Portas’ report will have.

 

The Man in Black

The work of the real men in black who could be aliens or government agents. Who knows?

 

Ebook week

A week to promote eBooks so my own are mentioned here.

 

Hertford architecture

Signposts covered for WW2, slits for post boxes, a snuffer and a green dragon.

 

Fore Street in Hertford

Three photos of Fore Street taken over a 80 year period showing the changes.

 

Recycling

How we recycled glass bottles and newspapers back in the 1950’s.

 

Telephone kiosks

The iconic British red telephone box is slowly disappearing but not in some communities.

 

Pre-decimal coinage

How the old British coins entered the language as slang and terminology.

 

Beer mats

The decline of the beer mat and its many uses and as a hobby for collectors.

 

Tiddlywinks

The game that was invented by the British but who failed to win a World championship.

 

Three Men in a Boat

The classic English story of three men’s boat trip along the River Thames.

 

Wimbledon

The annual disaster where no Englishman will win the tennis Grand Slam.

 

Moles

How a colony of moles drove one man to destroy his car, garden and house.

 

Do-it-Yourself

The story of Chris Culver whose DIY wrecked his own and neighbours houses.

 

Seaside holidays

The British love of holidays at the seaside and the rise of the saucy postcard.

 

The Mousetrap

The longest running British theatrical show that is now a tourist ‘must’.

 

Billy Bunter

The fat owl of the remove at Greyfriars school: ‘Yarooh, I say chaps’.

 

The cricket test

Norman Tebbitt and British citizenship awarded by the cricket team you support.

 

Judge Michael Argyle

The wit and wisdom of a leading judge who once sentenced a hooligan to life in prison.

May Day

Traditional English games played on Bank Holiday Mondays and the loss of others.

 

Toilets

The state of toilets in general and how one was turned into a chic wine bar.

 

Desperate Dan

The story of the Dandy, Desperate Dan, Katy and Aunt Aggie, cow pie and much more.

 

Ghost writer

How some authors gain inspiration and one the spirits of three dead people.

 

Unemployment

The solution of a self employed window cleaner to the unemployment problem.

 

Christmas Past

Traffic lights chaos and the tramp that spent Christmas in his local Woolworths.

 

Merrills

The rules of merrills, or Nine Mens Morris for download along with a board design.

 

Tea

The love of the British for a cup of tea and the lady who found a tea leaf in her garden.

 

Frank Bruno

The life, wit and wisdom of one of Britain’s Heavyweight champion boxers.

 

Police bands

Half time entertainment at British football grounds such as police marching bands.

 

Licensing

How licensing took the fun out of sex, gambling and after hours drinking.

 

Trial by Combat

An ancient custom whereby an accused person can fight another to decide guilt.

 

Briefcase

A survey into what men actually pack into their briefcases - briefs!

 

Gladys Leap

A map reference by Ordnance Survey where a post lady leaped over a stream.

 

Society of King Charles the Martyr

A group of high ranking people who celebrate the execution of King Charles 1.

 

Ferrets

The use of ferrets to catch rabbits and the ferret locating device for lost ferrets.

 

Mr Absolutely Fabulous

The owner of a Leeds fish and chip shop that used to greet his customers in such style.

 

The Halifax gibbet

An earlier version of the guillotine that was used to dispense a kind of social justice.

 

The Private Shop

A very English compromise to allow a sex shop to open in the town of Gloucester.

 

The Ffestiniog Railway

The closure of the only place in Wales where you could get an alcoholic drink on Sundays.

Planning Rules

Land banking and how to use planning laws to oppose unwanted developments.

 

Eccentrics

More stories of church eccentrics which seem to abound in the UK.

 

Hartlepool

The northern English town that has a under performing football club and hanged a monkey

 

Political parties

A very short selection of some of the political parties that have stood at General Elections.

 

Saltburn

One of the few towns in England where you couldn’t get an alcoholic drink now has a pub.

 

Tourist Information Centres

More strange question posed to staff at Tourist Information Centres.

 

Penky Follar

A very unusual game played with a cannonball thrown around ten pubs.

 

Greatest Liar Competition

How to win the Greatest Liar Competition by telling the truth.

 

Boring

A radio show phone in to find the UK’s most boring town which is .... !

 

Church eccentrics

Stories of real life clerics who led a very eccentric life style.

 

In a barrel

The man who had never sailed hoped to cross the Atlantic in a barrel.

 

The bedroom

A survey to find what people consider to be the most sexy colours for their bedrooms.

 

Tourists

Unanswerable questions asked of staff at Tourist Information Centres.

 

Trains

The British love travelling by train and one man travelled through every station.

 

Sundays

The traditional British Sunday as it used to be when licensing hours were extremely limited.

 

Cinema

Saturday morning pictures and the fabulous cinemas in which we went to see them.

 

Robin Hood

Many other parts of England have laid claim to be the home of the Nottingham outlaw.

 

Fairground Society

The people who collect fairground rides and like nothing better than being sick on them.

 

The best of British

A German tourist who noted that the British thought they had the best of everything.