Windgather Press
Landscape, life and history
Are you amused by things like landscape, archaeology, world heritage, historical ecology and rural history, from a British point of view? Then you might like the contents on this blog because the aim is to focus on topics like the above mentioned, and, perhaps, some other similar ones.
There is a lot of interesting literature within these fields and it will play its role on this blog, just like documentaries, pictures and sometimes also news flashes.
Is it not intriguing to think about how the very first villages on the British Isles came about? What did they look like? How did they go from that to the massive cities we live in today? And what happened along the way?
There are so many questions and only by digging deep into the history books, and adding some scientific calculations and anthropological conclusions can we come up with suggestions for answers.
Dorset Beaches
28 Jul 2021
Dorset provides visitors with numerous sandy beaches. Several are even designated as areas of outstanding beauty. Some of the most popular coastal areas of the county include Studland, Old Harry's Rocks and Lulworth Cove. During the summer months, the beaches of Dorset see an influx of tourists.
Explore Norwich - England's Charming Historic City
5 Feb 2020
Norwich is more than just a city with beautiful houses and lots of green spaces. The charming city with its friendly residents has a long and fascinating history dating back thousands of years ago. It used to be the wealthiest city in England during Medieval times and the industrial revolution.
Pubs in rural England
22 Jun 2019
England can boast of a great heritage of pubs that have been in existence since the middle ages, some of which are found in rural areas and small villages all over the country. Nowadays, some of these pubs are still up and running, with The Royal Standard in Beaconsfield claiming to be the oldest – this pub’s history in fact dates back to 1086, when it was documented as an alehouse in the Domesday Book!
There have been little changes over the years when it comes to pubs. In the past, they used to offer respite to travelers, serving ale and beer, and also offering entertainment in the forms of music and various types of games. In the early twentieth century, pubs also started to install lever-operated fruit machines. The first fruit machines did not even pay out any money – instead, players could win food, drinks or cigarettes.
Nowadays, fruit machines at pubs are no longer lever-operated; instead they have gone digital. Still, a lot of players now prefer to play online slots instead, since hundreds of these games are now available at regulated UK casinos, and they come with the potential of paying out huge sums that sometimes amount to millions of pounds. However, if you crave that sense of nostalgia and would like to spend an entertaining evening out at a pub, you can still find a number of pubs around England with physical slot machines, as well as great ale, of course!
The UK: Four nations, one country
6 May 2019
The United Kingdom consists of four nations: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Containing 136 inhabited islands, the country's official name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. While English is the country's official language, Welsh and Gaelic are still spoken in certain parts of Wales and Ireland.