The debonair Basil Marigold's

One of my favourite applications that has been created by the introduction of the internet and modern technology is Google Earth. It is a fantastic tool and is continually being updated and improved. You can, literally, spend days wandering around cities and countries. There is however a few anomalies on the GE. One of which has been seized upon by journalists as evidence of Atlantis, the lost island first mentioned by the Ancient Greek philosopher Plato, in his works the Timaeus and Critias. He portrayed a great naval power lying beyond the pillars of hercules [Gibraltar on the European side, and any number of two or more pillars on the african side, such as Jebel Musa in Morrocco]. The Pillars guarded the entry into the Atlantic and in the time of antiquity, passing through them marked the unknown world. Beyond the pillars sat Atlantis according to Plato. There are others, more modern historians who believe it may be located in the med. The island of Thera, a volcanic island destroye

If you lived within 50miles of me you would have heard the audible gasp of delight when I initally saw this headlin e, on the BBC website. This was swiftly tempered by the fact that although the photo looked like the kind of dreams I have. The Jelly Babies will not, in any way, be made of Jelly.

I am not sure how I came onto this, this evening but I am glad I did as it inevitably involves some You Tube time. I was 15 in 1991 and about to begin my two years of GCSE courses. It was November and like I said I had just started the GCSE's the september gone (for my wife's information, she'd have been in her 2nd year at University! and did she ever think, in 1991 that in Brixham, Devon, her future husband was doing GCSE's not knowing her or his own future? I love thinking of these things), she probably didn't know that he was about to mourn the loss of a hero. I didn't have many heroes then, but Freddie Mercury was one. Queen where one of the biggest bands in the world and had been for the past decade. There time was probably coming to an end as 1991 saw the release, on the 19th of November, U2's follow up and transformational album, Achtung Baby, confirming them as the new kings of rock and roll. 4 days later Freddie Mercury confirmed the rumours that he

When I was growing up there was a story my mum often re-told about myself and my sister, who is 11months younger than me. We were born close together and as a consequence we spent our youth going through the same schools with me continuously in the year above, blazing a trail so to speak. I cannot stress how different we were academically at school, which is where this story comes. It must also be born in mind that we shared the same surname at the time of this. I changed mine in this month, 11 years ago. Hasn't time flown! My Mum attended my sister parents evening (my father never really did) in her 5th year (we had that at this time, instead of what would now be year 10/11?). She was talking to our history History (who was also deputy headmistress) and the teacher was saying how my sister was essentially not really interested in the subject, not really academic with it and skipped listens and could misbehave in them. School in general never appealed to my sister I think. At whic

And not the Spartans who battled at Thermopylae. But this is my 300th Blog post, wow. A large figure indeed. If I had it in cash form, I'd probably by a gadget of some kind, maybe a camera. But anyway, what to say for the 300th? I could mention the birth of my son, Joshua Douglas, who arrived in circumstances that would not be out of place in an episode of casualty or Eastenders, the scene where you think to yourself; That's so far fetched it's ridiculous. Well it can happen, it happened to us. I kind of think it would be nice if it hadn't but it did. Are you sitting comfortably? One thing you should know. The plan was always to leave our eldest daughter at home, as we would bring her nanny down to stay the night and babysit while we went to the hospital, which is 20minutes away in Sutton. That was the plan, to disrupt the child as little as possible. My wife, oh my sweet, stoic wife, who could challenge Thrasea Paetus himself came in at about 5:40pm breathing heavi