George Orwell is arguably the father of modern dystopian fiction. A lot of terms we use in everyday life (perhaps more frequently than we'd like in recent years) come from his most famous work "Nineteen Eighty-Four". "Big Brother", "Room 101", "Thought Police" all come from his nightmarish vision of what was then the future, now... Continue Reading →
Follow the Footsteps of The BFG – Roald Dahl’s Grave, Great Missenden
The beautiful village of Great Missenden was once the home of author Roald Dahl and is now his final resting place. His wickedly funny and inventive children's books are still as popular today as they were when I read them many years ago. Dahl is buried in the churchyard of St Peter and St Pauls.... Continue Reading →
Seeking Sherlock – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Grave, Minstead, UK
In a quiet corner of a typical English churchyard, lies a man who was definitely not typical. In fact, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, would probably have a few things to say about being buried here at all. All Saints Church in Minstead is a quirky building, added to over the years... Continue Reading →
Notebook collection: Tolkien – Maker of Middle Earth
I wanted to share a few photos of this exhibition, currently on in the Weston Library, but photography isn't allowed. That's understandable so instead please enjoy these photos of the notebook and badges I bought at the library shop. The exhibition itself isn't big but it's free and packed with artifacts from Tolkiens life and... Continue Reading →
Agatha Christie’s Grave, Cholsey, UK
I've never read any of Christie's books but I'm very aware of her contribution to literature. Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot are legendary characters. I'm especially familiar with the latter thanks to David Suchet's portrayal of him in the TV series my mother loved to watch. Despite her huge success, Agatha Christie is buried in... Continue Reading →