By Tim Lambert Below is a list of old sayings and where they came from. However, sometimes it is impossible to say for certain how an old saying originated. Sometimes we can only give the most likely explanation. ACHILLES HEEL In Greek mythology, Thetis dipped her son Achilles in the mythical River Styx. Anyone who was immersed… Continue reading The Origins of Some Old Sayings
Category: Articles
A Brief Biography of Galileo
By Tim Lambert Galileo Galilei was born on 15 February 1564 in Pisa, Italy. (He is one of the few famous people known by his first name rather than surname). Galileo was the first of 6 or, some say, 7 children. His father was a musician, and although the family was fairly well off, they… Continue reading A Brief Biography of Galileo
A History of Alton
By Tim Lambert Early Alton There was a Roman settlement at Neatham, near Alton in Hampshire. It is believed it was called Vindomis. However, Alton began as a Saxon village. Its name may be derived from Saxon words meaning the farmstead or village by the spring. Alton first appeared in national history in July 1101.… Continue reading A History of Alton
A History of Underwear
By Tim Lambert Early Underwear The ancient Egyptians sometimes wore loincloths. The Romans also wore underwear. Both Roman men and women wore a loincloth or shorts called subligaculum. Women also wore a band of cloth or leather around their chest called a strophium. During the Middle Ages men wore linen shorts called braies but women… Continue reading A History of Underwear
A History of Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth
By Tim Lambert The Early Hospital The Queen Alexandra Hospital began as a military hospital. It was needed to replace an older hospital that stood on Lion Street in Portsea. Queen Alexandra Hospital was built in the years 1904-1908. The red brick buildings stood on the slopes of Portsdown Hill overlooking the village of Cosham.… Continue reading A History of Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth
Portsmouth in the 18th Century
By Tim Lambert If we visited 18th century Portsmouth what would we find? In the 18th century, Portsmouth consisted of two towns, Old Portsmouth and Portsea. Of the two Portsea was much larger and it was dominated by the dockyard. Most of Portsea Island was farmland but what is now Southsea Common was a marsh.… Continue reading Portsmouth in the 18th Century
The Logbook of Lyndhurst School North End, Portsmouth 1920-1955
By Tim Lambert 12/1/1920 Lyndhurst Girls School was opened this morning with an attendance of 236 girls drawn from Drayton Rd, Copnor, St Albans, and George St Schools 4/2/1920 Have tried to organise staff for the better teaching of singing and dancing 13/2/1920 Stormy weather prevails and much rain has caused many colds and 20 girls are sick… Continue reading The Logbook of Lyndhurst School North End, Portsmouth 1920-1955
A Brief History of Nicaragua
By Tim Lambert Early Nicaragua The agricultural revolution arrived in what is now Nicaragua in about 400 BC. Then in 1502, Christopher Columbus landed on the coast of Nicaragua. However, the Europeans didn’t explore inland until 1522 when Gil Gonzalez de Avila led an expedition to the region. The next year 1523 the Spanish landed… Continue reading A Brief History of Nicaragua
19th Century Portsmouth
By Tim Lambert The Growth of Portsmouth In the 18th century, Portsmouth was limited to the southwest corner of Portsea Island. During the 19th century, it spread across the whole island. By the 1790s a new suburb was growing up around Commercial Road and Charlotte Street It became known as Landport after the Landport gate.… Continue reading 19th Century Portsmouth
A Brief History of Belize
By Tim Lambert Early Belize The Mayans created a great civilization in what is now Belize. The ancestors of the Mayans were hunters but about 2,000 BC they adopted farming as a way of life. In the years from 300 BC to 250 AD organized Mayan kingdoms emerged. Then from 250 AD to 600 AD,… Continue reading A Brief History of Belize