Disaster at Sea: The Loss of the White Ship
While my main focus of interest is usually Lord Nelson and his Navy, today I'm writing about a ship of a very different era: la Blanche-Nef, aka, the White Ship, which sank during the twelfth…
Tag: Rae-Rae Franchi
The Admiral
The day I saw the Admiral For the first and final time, My mouth fell wide open, And my eyes blinked with surprise! He looked not like the gallant ‘Hero of the Nile’ That so…
The Great Cabin: An Adventure on Board HMS Victory
In 2013, I had a very special and ever-memorable adventure on board the historic HMS Victory. But before telling my story, I’d like give a little background as to how I came to be a…
Portsmouth vs. Plymouth: A Traveler’s Comparison
Well, here, we have it: my comparison of the two big naval bases in Britain: Portsmouth, also known affectionately as Pompey, and Plymouth, nicknamed ‘Guzz’ (and I don’t think anyone is exactly sure why!). I’ve…
Stratford and Shakespeare: Exploring the Birthplace of the Bard
Two years ago, I was assigned to read Shakespeare’s play Hamlet at college for English Literature, and would later delve into King Lear for the same reason. As part of my study of the famous…
I Will Be a Hero
Author's Note: This story is based on an experience that Admiral Nelson allegedly had when in his teens, after being invalided home from the East Indies with what was almost certainly malaria. During the voyage…