The beautiful coast of Hartland Quay, Devon, England

Hartland Quay was once a thriving harbour, mainly because of the area's remote location and the difficulty of transporting goods by road. In the mid 18th century, once the railway had reached Bideford and improvements were made to the road network, the harbour fell into decline, and it became uneconomic to repair from the repeated storm damage.

Hartland Quay, photo by James Appleton

My favourite British nursery rhymes

I always loved nursery rhymes. They are cute and remind us of the childhood, but sometimes they might have surprising words. I enjoy finding connections between nursery rhymes in my country and in UK. It is amazing how many are common around the world.

One of those is nursery rhyme/play "This Little Piggy"(England, c1760). You probably know this one, maybe in some other wording. But the principle is that you play with child's fingers (or toes) white recite the rhyme.

This little piggy went to market, (wiggle one finger)

This little piggy stayed home, (wiggle the next finger)

This little piggy had roast beef, (and the next one...)

This little piggy had none,  (and the next one....) 

And this little piggy went wee wee wee all the way home. (and the thumb!)

This Little Pig Went to Market by Lilly Martin Spencer, 1857

Origins of British surnames

Surnames in England came in the use after the Norman conquest in 1066. As the country's population grew, people found it necessary to be more specific when they were talking about somebody else.  Thus arose descriptions like John the Butcher, Henry son of Richard, Thomas the Whitehead, Mary the Cook and Sarah from Gloucester, that, ultimately, led to many current English surnames.The introduction of parish registers in 1538 contributed significantly to the stabilization of the surname system, but it was not until the late 17th century that fixed surnames were introduced throughout England.

In England today there is around 45,000 different surnames, but most had their origins as one of these seven types.

Occupational

Many people have got their surnames based on their job, trade or position in society. Calling a man 'Henry Fiddler' indicated that he played a fiddle for a living, while someone named Chapman was a shopkeeper. Other occupational names include Archer, Baker, Brewer, Butcher, Carter, Clark, Cooper, Cook, Dyer, Farmer, Faulkner, Fisher, Fletcher (arrow maker), Fuller, Gardener, Glover, Hornblower, Hunter, Judge, Mason, Milner, Page, Parker, Potter, Sawyer, Slater, Smith, Taylor, Thatcher, Turner, Weaver, Woodman and Wright, as well as many more. Some surnames may come in variations such as Cartwright, Arkwright or Wainwright.

Blists Hill Victorian Town, Shropshire

Have you heard of Blists Hill town? Well, you have to have a good map, because it is not a real town. It is Victorian town borrowed from the past and presented to us now. To enjoy and learn. Blists Hill is a museum set in over 50 acres of land where iron was once smelted, coal and clay were mined and where bricks and roofing tiles were made. The remains of those industries can still be found on site, but in the same landscape a small industrial town has been created.

Much pleasure can be had by wandering around the site, looking in the buildings, listening to the customed demonstrators and getting involved with the various activities. Like any town anywhere in the UK Blists Hill would have been shaped by its geography, how it communicated with its neighbours and the rest of the country and most importantly, what type of work was available for its residents.

Great Witley Church, Worcestershire

The parish church of St Michael and All Angels was a great surprise to me. It was that 'wow' moment when you use 'wow' the most appropriately. Entering the church brings you suddenly on the Italian soil, with all Italian style in interior decoration.

The church is part of the Witley Court estate, but it is not under the responsibility of English Heritage. It is maintained by local community. Witley Church has one of the finest 18th-century ecclesiastical interiors in England and it is very worthy your visit, even if the Court itself is now a ruin due to the fire in 1937. Even if it looks like a private chapel it has always been a parish church, replacing the ruined 13th-century church that once stood here.