I read somewhere - maybe in a Jack Reacher book - that in the northern hemisphere February is the barest month for trees and ground vegetation. It certainly felt that way today as I walked through Windsor Great Park. The wind was gusting and the centuries-old oaks stood stark against the sky, many with fallen branches around their feet, cast down by the winter’s storms.
Up closer however, there was life. There’s always life. Tiny buds on twigs, and molehills everywhere. The signs of other worlds, some hidden by the land and others hidden by time yet to pass.
This photo shows the Copper Horse, a statue of George III, erected in 1831. If you want a good revisionist biography of that monarch, I recommend Andrew Roberts’ book, published last autumn.
But if you just want to read History, Etc, know that this week I’ll be writing about royal jubilees, making another episode of the First Draft podcast and posting an exclusive, subscriber only article requested by a reader.
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Enjoy the rest of the weekend and see you soon,
Dan
Dan - I got the news this week that after two years of nervous anticipation due to the old Cov postponing things, Morocco are re-opening their borders and I am finally going to be trekking 100km across the Sahara desert fundraising for the charity Coppafeel! in approx 7 weeks time! Eek!
I will be passing through Casablanca, Ouarzazete, the Mharech Dunes and Gorge, the Rhris river bed, climbing jebel El Mrakib to Tafrouat and then on to the Bouzaine Dunes and Announ Baadi before heading back to Ouarzazete and home. Are there any interesting historical facts about this are you are aware of (I’m thinking Crusades related perhaps) that I can regale my fellow trekkers with on our journey?
"Hidden by time yet to pass"... what a beautiful sentence.