Yesterday’s world today

I have always been fascinated by man’s story as an animal.  It is some time now since I read Zoology at Newcastle and I have not really done anything with the knowledge but the interest has remained with me ever since.  I have often pondered on how much of what we do is driven by … Continue reading Yesterday’s world today

Evolving people

Early human remains have been discovered in Europe dating back to over seven million years.  This may be stretching a point.  They are the remains of an ape-like creature with human-like teeth found in both Bulgaria and Greece yet the inference is enormous.  This discovery turns our current thinking of human evolution on its head. … Continue reading Evolving people

People’s differences and evolution

Can everything be explained by evolution?  It is a subject that has fascinated me ever since my formative years as a young and fresh faced zoology undergraduate.  Not that my degree has ever really been put into practice but it is something I think about a lot.  Evolution is something that is widely appreciated yet, … Continue reading People’s differences and evolution

Learn from play

Children learn from play. Hold the front page. Who could believe it? Whatever will they think of next? I heard it on the news so it must be true, yet anyone who has ever had children knows this to be self-evident.  Children learn the social norms of interaction, collaboration and hierarchy through play.  Anyone who … Continue reading Learn from play

A visit to the Archive

During all of the seven years that I've wandered the corridors of County Hall I have never visited the County Records Office.  I'm not really sure why.  Perhaps it is because it is somewhere the public go rather than being just an office, or maybe I just have not found an excuse.   As if I … Continue reading A visit to the Archive

Bloody efficient

I give blood.  I do so out of a sense of civic responsibility though it could be because I am pompous and enjoy that feeling of self-righteous smug satisfaction.  I have a silver card which is somewhere between twenty five and forty nine donations. I don't think I'll ever get to eat at the Palace. … Continue reading Bloody efficient

#DurHack 2017

University seems to be so much more fun when I was there.  Perhaps it was the subject that I did or perhaps it's all the cool stuff they get to play with now.  The students do work hard though.  Again a lot more than when I was there.  If I remember rightly my years at … Continue reading #DurHack 2017

Gently reminiscing

There is a film crew and a load of extras outside of County Hall.  They are filming for the TV series George Gently which has been set in and around Durham over the last ten years.  There are some old vehicles, an ambulance, a Bedford van and a black Transit with Tyneside Office Stationers written … Continue reading Gently reminiscing

A new Forth Bridge

The Forth Rail Bridge proudly stands across the Firth of Forth some nine miles west of the city of Edinburgh. Its russet red metal work has a complete length of about two and a half kilometres.  It is a world renowned railway icon and a testament to Victorian engineering.  It truly is a product from … Continue reading A new Forth Bridge

Global reach

There are one hundred and ninety-six countries on the world.  One less if you don’t count Taiwan (don’t tell Trump).  Last year, at least one person read my blog from eighty four of these sovereign states, up from sixty-four in the previous year.  That means my blog has covered over forty-two per cent of the … Continue reading Global reach