On 5th December 1872, the ship Dei Gratia was about 400 miles east of the Azores, when crew members spotted a ship adrift in the choppy seas. Capt. David Morehouse was surprised the vessel was the Mary Celeste, which had left New York eight days ahead of the Dei Gratia and should have already arrivedContinue reading “The Mary Celeste Society”
Tag Archives: fiction
Scargill’s Gannet – 1
Scargill’s Gannet has been extinct for about three hundred years. Whereas the seabird called the gannet has numerous colonies around the British coast, the numbers of Scargill’s Gannets gradually dwindled away until none were left. Scientists discovered skeletons of this bird embedded in logs and branches – their beaks stuck fast in the wood. It’sContinue reading “Scargill’s Gannet – 1”
Great Sunda Chameleon Fish – 3
It’s estimated Chameleon Fish spend about 80% of their time looking like other fish, a statistic which makes it difficult to know whether their numbers are in decline or not. Suffice to say, if the reader is swimming in the seas around Indonesia or the Philippines and sees a fish transform into another fish, youContinue reading “Great Sunda Chameleon Fish – 3”
The Poodle Shark – 1
The Poodle Shark is so called because of the round knobs of cartilage that were found at the top and bottom of its tail, on the top of its dorsal fin, and on the ends of its pectoral fins. These round protuberances hindered the shark’s passage through the water, slowing its progress by about 20%Continue reading “The Poodle Shark – 1”
The Silver Jackdaw of Bratislava
The Silver Jackdaw of Bratislava is a little known offshoot of the Corvidae family of birds. In the summer, Silver Jackdaws migrate from the area between Bratislava and Vienna to the High Tatra mountains in Eastern Slovakia and Poland where they build nests well out of the sight of humans. The reason these jackdaws haveContinue reading “The Silver Jackdaw of Bratislava”
The Straight Snake of Assam
Most snakes move in a forwards direction by zig-zagging along the ground. However, the Straight Snake of Assam. a small brown snake from north-eastern India, always moves in a straight line. Herpetologists believe that the snake is extremely sensitive to the presence of its prey and will stop dead if prey is near. As itContinue reading “The Straight Snake of Assam”
Dry Stone Walling Contest
“I can build a better stone wall than you can,” “My wall is straighter than yours,” and “My stone wall is longer than yours” were all familiar brags in 16th Century Yorkshire when the farmers were building walls around Littondale to enclose their sheep and cows. After 100 years of controversy and shoving between rival wall builders a manContinue reading “Dry Stone Walling Contest”
Dancing around the Windmill
The concept of the Village Idiot is a long-held tradition that was refined to its highest degree in rural Somerset in the 1300s. At that time the position of Village Idiot was an official job title and had a salary, though it was paid in acorns. Both men and women could apply for the role in the annual DancingContinue reading “Dancing around the Windmill”
HASTE – Bonfire Night
My name is Brian Snell and I am a representative of the Health and Safety Time Executive or HASTE for short. I have a kept a diary of my more interesting experiences as it was important to document my findings for HASTE just in case they were sued for negligence by the people I met.Continue reading “HASTE – Bonfire Night”
The Anti-Pope Games, Avignon
The Western Schism in the Roman Catholic Church began in 1378, when the French cardinals believed the election of Pope Urban VI was invalid. They elected Clement VII as an anti-pope and he took up residence in Avignon in France. The Protestant reformer Martin Luther was excommunicated by Pope Leo X on 3rd January 1521,Continue reading “The Anti-Pope Games, Avignon”
Julian Worker Fiction Writing 