Troy

Nearly half a century ago we started "classical studies" as I began secondary school. It was a prelude to a (not very successful) attempt to teach us Latin. I enjoyed some of the stories, but gave them little thought during the following decades.

My interest in Greek history and mythology was sparked again when we decided to take a holiday in Crete. Since that decision two years ago - I've been getting deeper and deeper into the subject. I've thoroughly enjoyed reading (and listening to) Stephen Fry's books "Mythos" and "Heroes" - and spent a lot of time in the British Museum in the Greek galleries.

Ahead of the current exhibition at the British Museum - "Troy: Myth and Reality" I bought the book written for the exhibition - well worth a read, and I have found it fascinating. I had intended to visit the exhibition soon after it opened in November - but the General Election, in which I stood as a candidate - put an end to that hope. I am intending to go to the British Museum very shortly. Over the recent holidays I've been reading the book and other background material. I'm hooked - I've even started on (an English translation) of Homer's "Iliad"

2020 has arrived - and Washminster has returned!

It takes a long time for a New Year to arrive - It first arrived in Samoa & Christmas Island at 10h00 GMT - Tuesday 31st December. New Zealand saw the New Year in at 11h00. China saw 2020 in at 16h00, and a large part of the European Union at 23h00.

London - which includes Greenwich - where the "Prime Meridian" runs through, welcomed the New Year in, five minutes before this was posted.

However it still has a long journey to go. It will reach the USA at 05h00 but the final welcoming of 2020 will be in parts of the US Minor outlying Islands at Noon on Wednesday (GMT).

Wherever you are reading this - and whether the New Year arrived many hours ago - or is still some time off, may I wish you a Happy New Year.

Washminster is back!

At first the posts may be separated by a few days - as I get back into the rhythm. It's been a long time since I was blogging on a regular basis. You can still look back at some of the earlier posts. The first was made on Wednesday 7th March 2007, and began as an exercise to get me writing on a regular basis, ahead of starting to study for a Ph.D. at the University of Hull. I was working at Westminster at the time , and was able to witness some of the key events of that decade. On the 27th June 2007 I posted a number of times from the Palace of Westminster - as Tony Blair stepped down and power passed to Gordon Brown.

I've posted about the various US Presidential Elections - and reported from Washington at the height of each one.

(Warning - this is me! But I'm pictured with a cardboard cutout of Hillary Clinton - taken in a Democrat campaign office in Fairfax County, Virginia)


Many of my posts were written with my students in mind. But time moves on - and some of the law may no longer be applicable. Certainly the British Constitution has seen many changes in recent months.

So what will the new Washminster look like? It will of course continue to bring news and insights about the British Parliament and the US Congress - but won't stop there. While I continue to follow both - I am also interested in what is happening elsewhere - do expect to read more about the French Parliament; the European Parliament; and politics across Europe (especially France, Greece and The EU), the United States and China.

Much of my time will be spent exploring History - so expect lots of posts about areas that I will have been researching. These will include the ancient history of the very modern city that I live in (Milton Keynes); British History from the re-population of Britain after the last Ice Age to the death on the Battlefield of Bosworth of Richard III; Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome - and China (plus anything else that attracts my interest). I'm looking forward to going to the Troy exhibition at the British Museum - I had intended to go a lot earlier - but was otherwise engaged as a candidate in the Parliamentary constituency of Buckingham. The British Museum is a great place to visit - and is now one of the most places that I visit most frequently in London.

As the year progresses, I also hope to visit a number of interesting places around the UK (and beyond?) - Ill be posting about those too.



Do subscribe to this blog - and send me your comments. I'm hopeful that I'll be able to invite some guests to post for a one-off or even a regular basis.

Just keeping watching this space.

Washminster Reborn

I've not been writing many posts since I retired from lecturing. I enjoyed writing - and appreciated the discipline it imposed upon me to come up with something new - on a regular basis. But I have no students now - and I'm not as engaged at Westminster or in Washington as I once was. My interests have also developed. History has always been a passion for me - an essential when teaching law and politics, particularly in the UK - but of late my interests have focussed on local history - and globally on Roman, Greek and Chinese History.

I had also effectively retired from politics. From 2012 onwards I became increasingly concerned at the ways that politics, and campaigning were developing - particularly in the UK & US.

But 2019 became a key turning point for me. I put my name forward for consideration as a Labour Party Parliamentary Candidate (my previous runs for Westminster had concluded in the first decade of this century) - and was selected as the candidate in Buckingham - a huge (by British standards) constituency, but which I live only a couple of kilometres from.



It was tremendous fun - but also exhausting, and troubling.

Perhaps the time has come to revive Washminster - to comment upon current issues in law and politics, but also to share some of my activities as a retiree.

So tomorrow, the first day of 2020, I intend to start blogging again. Do let me know what you think of the new format and content.

Detroit DTW

One of my favourite airports to fly into the US is DTW (Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport) - and I’ve used it a few times. (Flying Birmingham International Airport (easy to get to by train from Northampton (where we lived from 1982-2002), Rugby (2002-9) and Milton Keynes (2009 to date) to Amsterdam then to Detroit and then the final leg into National Airport in Washington DC. ) Sounds complicated, but was much pleasanter than the trips I look via Heathrow direct to Dulles, transport via London & into DC made them a much greater slog - and I found deals which made it cheaper.

Information about DTW can be found at 

  

https://www.detroit-metro-airport.com/

Platform:MK

Since the beginning of this month, I have been a researcher and presenter on the Platform:MK the lunchtime show on Milton Keynes community radio station - Secklow 105.5FM

Listen live here (12.00 to 14.00 Tuesdays [UK Time], Wednesdays & Thursdays) -

http://radioplayerhosting.com/stations/live/1406/index.html

To listen to earlier broadcasts - click here