Slad, home of Laurie Lee - Credit: Philip Halling
Laurie Lee (1914 to 1997) was a writer and poet who rose to prominence with his exquisitely lyrical trilogy of autobiographical works, Cider with Rosie (1959), As I Walked Out One Midsummer’s Morning (1969) and A Moment of War (1991). The first describes a pastoral, working class childhood, the second his wanderings across Spain as a young man, and the third his experiences of fighting for the Republican cause during the Spanish Civil War.
View of Uley
St James's Church, Piccadilly - Credit: Steve Cadman
Christopher Wren was appointed architect in 1672, and the church was consecrated in 1684. It was badly damaged in the Blitz.
Sadly the perfection is no longer. The firm still exists, but in 1993 it rebranded itself as Gabbitas Educational Consultants "to reflect the ever-increasing scope of our activities". One can only imagine what Stephen Fry would have to say to that.
Ridolfo Ghirlandaio Columbus - Credit: Ridolfo Ghirlandaio (1483-1561)
The discovery by Italian Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) of the American continents precipitated the European colonization of the New World.
Francis Drake (1540-1596) was a pirate, captain, politician, privateer and slave, and the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe (1577–1580).
Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618) was a soldier, courtier, explorer and poet who did much to proliferate the legend surrounding El Dorado.
Or rather they say, "Revenons à nos moutons", meaning "Lets get back to our sheep".
The origin of this curious phrase is a medieval play called La Farce de Maître Pathelin, in which a judge is deliberately confused by being presented with two cases at the same time, only one of which pertains to sheep. The phrase is his desperate and repeated attempt to get a grip on the ovine question.