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Recent Articles
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The Riverside of Watford in Hertfordshire
In the seventeenth century Watford had become sufficiently important to have a service of carriers to London but in those days the River Colne had to be forded on entering the town. Sometimes the water was as high as the saddles of the riders. Since then the waters of the Colne have fed breweries…
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Discovering Spilve and the Aviation Heritage of Riga
Contrary to rumours that Spilve Aerodrome outside Riga was abandoned I was delighted to discover that is thriving and features one of the few Stalinist-era buildings in Riga, a magnificent terminal building. Nearby is the unique Latvia Soviet Aviation Museum currently based next to Riga…
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Shenley Village is a Great Day Out from London
Shenley is a traditional English village deep in the Hertfordshire countryside. Just 16 miles from the centre of London it is a lovely place to spend a day. An old orchard, a walled garden, lovely walks in the woods and lunch in a country pub will delight its visitors.
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Daugavpils in Latvia – a River, a Fortress, a Lily
Latvia is a fascinating and unusual destination. The northern region of Latgale is rich in history, culture and traditions unique to the area. In Daugavpils, I tried the local spirit, Šmakovka, celebrated in a museum. I visited Daugavpils Fortress, home of the famous Mark Rothkit Art Gallery,…
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Bembridge, the Best Village on the Isle of Wight
Bembridge, a village on the Isle of Wight, was simple a collection of wooden huts and farmhouses until the building of its first church in 1827. The next milestone in its development was the draining of Brading Hay a tidal estuary wide enough to separate this small village from the Isle of Wight.…
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Tracing the Story of Art Nouveau in Riga
It is difficult to find an all-embracing definition of Art Nouveau architecture. Buildings in this style represent a breakaway from traditional, more rigid styles. In general, it introduced a fluidity of lines in the structure of buildings and decorations embracing the theme back to nature. …
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Touching, Tasting and Listening to London
Special tours for visually impaired and blind visitors to London are available at many of the major attractions in London. Especially created for them these tours are accompanied by guides trained for this purpose. In particular the Tower of London offers a descriptive tour, St Paul’s Cathedral…
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A Sunday Morning Stroll Around the Marais, a District of Paris
Le Marais is an old Parisian district situated on the north bank of the River. It is a glorious mixture of history, architecture, cultures and cuisine. It is home to the Hôtel particulier, a large private mansion incorporating several bedrooms for the use of guests and some grandiose religious…
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Exploring Abervagenny Beneath the Brecon Beacons
In this age of re-cycling the market town of Abergavenny close to the Welsh/English border is doing a good job converting its historic buildings for new uses. A nineteenth century hunting lodge is now home to a museum, the visitor centre occupies an eleventh century tithe barn and the cinema is…
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Kiev, City of Domes
Kiev or Kyiv, the capital of the Ukraine is renowned for its high-rise architecture. Elegant nineteenth century residences punctuate its sky line, austere blocks serve as a reminder of Russian occupation but for me the lingering memory is the domes that dominate a grand array of impressive…
