November 11th 2018

If you are reading these chronologically you will know that last month I decided to slow down a bit and then realised I didn't need to slow down, I needed to do less. Please let me know why, as everyone was commemorating the 100 year anniversary of the ending of World War One, I decided to update and enhance my history website.

This is why there was no blog last weekend as I prepared for the task. I wanted to update each year of the war from 1914 to 1918 and to finish by updating 1918 today, 11th November, Sunday. I did it, of course, but I did give myself a considerable amount of extra work but, having managed to do what I wanted, also gave myself an incredible feeling of satisfaction and achievement.

This is, to me, what life is all about; achieving something. The fact I received some highly complimentary comments was nice but was not my aim. Even if no one had said a word, I would still have felt good because I know what I set out to do and I know that I did it.

On the basis that you heard it here first, and it will later be adjusted, I intend now to give myself a lot more time for the rest of the year. The learning website will continue to be updated each weekday with a new country in the “Know Your Continent” section but I hope to have all updates written by the end of this year for uploads covering the period until May 1st next year. I will keep you abreast of my progress. If I do then the start of next year can be given over to a large amount of research that I want to do. Watch this space.

November 18th 2018

I have spent a couple of hours today looking back over some previous blogs. As any of you who have been following this will know, I have this wish to enhance the material on my learning website by adding video clips and the best way to obtain those clips is to take a journey around England.

To be honest, ever since meeting up with my old friend the late Doug Brown, this journey has been a dream. I always thought that because of the nature of the work, the filming, the involvement of “Owlbut”, the whole complex operation, that I needed to have some help, some company, to employ someone.

Again, as you may know, this has proved well nigh impossible. I freely admit I am not easy to work with or for but the people I have come into contact with have not had my vision, my desire nor have they been as honest as I need.

In the middle of this week, while driving to Birmingham, it all became clear as to how I could achieve what I wanted, my dream. Rather than go through another depressing experience, I don't really get depressed so maybe another time wasting experience would be a better phrase, of trying to find someone to work with I should just slightly tweak the work that was to be done so that doing it alone was not only preferable, it was entirely feasible.

That, then, is the way I shall now go. My worry that it was too much for one person to do has evaporated. All is clear. To infinity and beyond. Well not really infinity, just to the end of my dream.

November 25th 2018

In case you hadn't spotted it, we are only one month away from Christmas. I am trying, as hard as I can, to take some time off over the festive period and so am working even harder now to allow this. Uploads here may be shorter or even not appear at all.