November 6, 20223 yr 24 minutes ago, Mace said: I've heard "chester" comes from the Latin "castrum" (fort). Place names like "Dorchester" and "Leicester" Also, London was founded by the Romans as Londinium. Dugald Walker
November 6, 20223 yr On 11/5/2022 at 4:23 PM, birdguy said: Martin, have you ever visited Hadrian's Wall? Or the Antonine Wall? I wish that a trip to Britain had been a part of my life. Those two walls are something I've always wanted to see. Noel I haven't Noel, no. In fact I've never been very far north. For the future perhaps. I've visited New Zealand on the other side of the planet, as my ex wife was half New Zealander, but never Scotland on my doorstep. Been all round Cornwall and Devon and some of Wales but never up North. Edited November 6, 20223 yr by martin-w
November 6, 20223 yr On 11/5/2022 at 11:23 AM, birdguy said: Interesting that 3 of the 7 greatest scientists on the list were women. Martin, have you ever visited Hadrian's Wall? Or the Antonine Wall? I wish that a trip to Britain had been a part of my life. Those two walls are something I've always wanted to see. I did make it to Australia for a few weeks when I was still in the Air Force. I filled in for a guy for three weeks while he was on emergency leave from our station in Alice Springs. I did get to visit 'The Rock". Noel Were you at Pine Gap? I spent three years in Australia on an ATC contract with the Commonwealth from the U.S. back in early 1980s.
November 6, 20223 yr Author No Les, I wasn't at Pine Gap. I was just in Alice Springs with the US Air Force for a couple of weeks. We had a station there. What we did at the time was classified and I don't know if it still is so I'm not at liberty to disclose it. I was there in the mid 60s, Noel Edited November 6, 20223 yr by birdguy The tires are worn. The shocks are shot. The steering is wobbly. But the engine still runs fine.
November 7, 20223 yr On 11/3/2022 at 3:46 PM, birdguy said: I pity British school kids who have to learn this history which extends much further back (did King Arthur really exist?) than our own history here in the US. We just have to study about a few dozen presidents but British kids have to know all about the Marys and Edwards and Elizabeths and Henrys and Charleses and Annes ad infinitum. The simple fact is that they can not be taught all of it. There are only so many hours in an academic year, and with all the other things they have to learn ( mathematics, languages, science, art, music etc ) there's not enough time left to teach all aspects of British history. Rather, a certain period will be chosen for a term's study, and that will include a field trip. For example, the Norman invasion (one of the most important events in British history) will be studied for a term, along with a visit to a Norman cathedral such as Salisbury or the one here in Norwich. The following term, it might be the industrial revolution, with a visit to Ironbridge. The aim is not just to teach history, but to get children interested in it. As their education progresses, the study will become more in-depth, but still only certain periods at any one time. There's just too much of it, otherwise. When I was at school, we also studied what was called Classics - so we read an abridged version of Homer's Iliad, and Xenophon's Anabasis. Of no practical use at all in life, but that's not what it was about - it was intended to fire the imagination, and imbue a desire to find out more. I still know the difference between my Myrmidons and Mycenaeans. Hadrian's Wall - with some friends, I walked the length of it in 1977, in the dead of winter, camping in a tent along the way. The most idiotic time of year to do it, but we were students - idiotic comes with the territory. There we sat around a camp fire, surrounded by snowfall, telling tales of ghostly centurions seen pacing the ramparts, and scaring ourselves half to death.Great fun! I've never seen what's left of the Antonine Wall, but will do next time I'm up there. As for King Arthur, he is broadly considered a fictional character and, like Robin Hood, inspired by contemporary writings about other people. Edited November 7, 20223 yr by Paul K Surely not everybody was kung fu fighting. https://rationalwiki.org
November 7, 20223 yr Author 3 hours ago, Paul K said: There are only so many hours in an academic year, and with all the other things they have to learn ( mathematics, languages, science, art, music etc ) there's not enough time left to teach all aspects of British history. History teaching has to be abbreviated. Both time and history move on. History is additive. For instance, in my lifetime so far there have been four major wars (WW2, Korea, Vietnam, War on Terror not to mention Panama and Grenada) and 16 presidents. Herbert Hoover was president in the year I was born. Every year that passes adds new history. It's got to be difficult to select what's important and what's not. When I was in school I carried a couple of books home to do my homework under my arm. Today I see school kids with backpacks to carry everything. Noel The tires are worn. The shocks are shot. The steering is wobbly. But the engine still runs fine.
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