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Richard Debben – Labourer and carman
By Christine Swan Dorset is a wild and ancient undulating landscape of southern England, that I know best from coastal holidays and the novels of Thomas Hardy. I had never considered that I might…
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Revisiting Lille
By Christine Swan Last weekend, I travelled to Lille once again to soak up the remnants of sixteenth century life that my ancestors would have known, but also as a relaxing break, half way…
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Going back to my Huguenot roots
By Christine Swan I last visited Lille in April 2025. The weather was chilly but glorious with spring sunshine. On this occasion, I also visited Valenciennes and Tourcoing. Over the last eighteen months, I…
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Growing, growing, gone!
By Christine Swan As autumn begins to show its hand, I reflect on a year of growing. Two years ago, we purchased a greenhouse which allowed me to overwinter tender plants, to start seeds…
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Theatre trips July to September
By Christine Swan As autumn draws in, I reflect on the extraordinary summer that has recently passed. Warm weather and sunshine was in abundance, which was conducive to outdoor theatre performances, which I enjoyed…
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William Humphrey – Keeper of horses
By Christine Swan When I began to publish this blog, I made the decision to tell everybody’s story, despite how unremarkable they may appear. William was my great great grandfather, so I have a…
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Open House Festival 2026 – the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich
By Christine Swan I decided to visit Greenwich as my participation in Open City’s Open House Festival. My second port of call was the Old Royal Naval College, now inhabited by The University of…
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Open House Festival 2026 – A visit to the Fan Museum
By Christine Swan Is there anything more elegant than a fan? A beautiful accessory to hide your blushes, and an elegant companion to cool you on a hot day. This summer, there were many…
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The Ragged School Museum in Mile End
By Christine Swan During my last trip to the East End, I once again planned to visit some areas that I had previously missed. After a lifetime in teaching, the Ragged School Museum is…
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Experiencing Shakespeare’s Globe
By Christine Swan Although I have now returned to work and the weather is turning its back on the summer, I still have plenty of stories to tell of my holidays. Before the end…
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Saint Paul de Vence – a visual feast
By Christine Swan During my recent holiday in France, I decided to revisit St Paul de Vence, a place that I last went to over a decade ago. It is not too difficult to…
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A trip to Cimiez
By Christine Swan I had tried to walk to Cimiez in a previous holiday. Foolishly, I had not appreciated that what appeared to be a short distance on a map, was in fact, a…
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