A while ago I shared some advice on how to survive an air raid and another post on what dangers you should watch out for in the aftermath. I’m pleased to let you all know that so far none of my readers have had the opportunity to use […]
This afternoon I jumped at the chance to view the 1926 silent black and white film ‘Mantrap‘ at the Regent Theatre in Dunedin, screening as part of the International Film Festival. It is a rare experience to attend a silent film with live piano accompaniment, something that must […]
Collecting can be very rewarding. It has the thrill of the chase, offers genuine investment opportunities and can open personal windows into different times and places. So with the Olympics currently underway I thought that perhaps this might be an opportunity to lure a few readers into the […]
Apologies for the delay since my last post, in part due to my attempting to juggle my day job with screenings at the International Film Festival and of course soak in as much of the Olympic atmosphere as is possible when in the completely opposite time zone. But […]
Wednesday July 24th 1912 was a fairly unremarkable day. No liners collided with icebergs, no Archdukes were assassinated and no Kings were crowned. But today does mark a special centenary that I thought I’d share with you. It was one hundred years ago today that the Lyttelton Railway […]
I’ve hatched a cunning plan to get you all over the midweek hump, not just today but every week. It involves a series of photographs of men wearing aprons, the story of a pioneer photographer and a 19th century movement to make every Wednesday a half-holiday. First, as […]
Congratulations, you have just survived your first air raid! But as you emerge from the dust and rubble you realize that your world has changed forever. Few people know how to survive an air raid and even fewer know what to do in the precious minutes once the […]
Being caught in an air raid is something that most of us don’t usually need to worry about, but that is no excuse for not being ready. If you know what to do in the event of an earthquake, tsunami, cyclone/hurricane and other similar hazards then you owe […]
As the latest large quake to hit New Zealand was a safe distance from any communities and deep enough to not cause any severe damage it seems okay to treat it with a bit of ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ humour. So this goes out to the many […]
Congratulations to prolific historian, writer and blogger Matthew Wright on the launch of his latest book, Convicts – New Zealand’s Hidden Criminal Past. Any book that features convicts, piracy, tall-ships AND cannibalism will automatically get my seal of approval but to have someone with the experience and ability […]
