If you are interested in how the food system works in the developed world, and how it could or should work, allow me to recommend Hungry City: How Food Shapes Our Lives. I was very hyped to read this book, and when I finally acquired my own (second-hand) copy, it was just as thought-provoking asContinue reading “‘Hungry City’”
Tag Archives: commentary
Clarifying the Commonwealth, 2025 edit
This post, and the one before it about the monarchy, were originally written in 2021 as ‘how it IS because’ posts, but now, in 2025, they are ‘how it was’ and could use an update to reflect some recent changes. This time we address the Commonwealth, which has a new Head, one less Realm, andContinue reading “Clarifying the Commonwealth, 2025 edit”
De-mystifying the Monarchy, 2025 edit
Back in 2021 I wrote two posts, one on the Monarchy and one on the Commonwealth, just clarifying and demystifying both subjects, because they are both widely misunderstood and spoken of in overly generalised terms, and I’m so tired of it. Four years on from those initial posts (not the first on those subjects!), IContinue reading “De-mystifying the Monarchy, 2025 edit”
‘Having Fun Isn’t Hard When You’ve Got A Library Card’
Today is a miscellanea of food history, Anglo-Icelandic interactions, and a French law. What do they have in common? I learned about all of these things from books I decided to read for fun from the library. So, hurrah for libraries. Also, if you understand what the title of the post is a reference to,Continue reading “‘Having Fun Isn’t Hard When You’ve Got A Library Card’”
Chipping Away at Ignorance, One Word at a Time
As you will know if you have been reading this blog for a while, I am a defender of the monarchy and Commonwealth (to be clear, I mean the monarchy based in the UK). I understand how both institutions work in the present day and am continuing to refine that understanding, so that I canContinue reading “Chipping Away at Ignorance, One Word at a Time”
Where Does the Food Come From?
You know I love that map of York from 1852. It has featured in, and often inspired, some previous posts on here. One day I’d like it in a big frame on my wall. Anyway, one of the things I kept noticing on the map, especially down around the Fishergate area, and just a littleContinue reading “Where Does the Food Come From?”
Today is Commonwealth Day
I have written a post about the Commonwealth before, which clarified what the Commonwealth actually is, and what it does, and straightened out some incorrect assumptions about it. This year, Commonwealth Day is particularly significant, because this year is the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee: for seventy years, she has not only been Queen, but also HeadContinue reading “Today is Commonwealth Day”
Yes, A Platinum Jubilee is Kind of a Big Deal
Today marks the seventieth anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s accession. She has been Queen for seventy years. Some people don’t even spend seventy years working before they retire, and yet here is our Queen, fulfilling her role as Head of State admirably, seventy years on. The Commonwealth Realms will celebrate this milestone later in theContinue reading “Yes, A Platinum Jubilee is Kind of a Big Deal”
‘Ich Dien’
On the official crest of the Prince of Wales, there is a motto: ich dien. In German, this means ‘I serve’. The history of this motto, and the ostrich feathers that accompany it, are not the point of this post. Nor is the history of the title ‘Prince of Wales’, though both are very interesting.Continue reading “‘Ich Dien’”
Inform and Improve
It’s the first of the month, and that is always a time to think about how to improve oneself and make a fresh start. The month in question today is July, which means it is Canada Day. This year there are calls to cancel Canada Day, and instead to think about how Canada has wrongedContinue reading “Inform and Improve”
How It Was Because 