Image credit:
(1) Own photo; @ofTheseIsles
(2) Bell Scott, W. (1811-1890) 'Hawthorn Blossom'; © National Galleries of Scotland Collection; photo available at: nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artist…
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of These Isles
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of These Isles
@ofTheseIsles
Celebrating the flowers of These Isles. 🏴 🏴 🇮🇪 🏴
British Isles Katılım Mart 2026
171 Takip Edilen17 Takipçiler
Across the British Isles, hawthorn has long been associated with the month of May, so much so that it is known colloquially as 'Maythorn' or simply 'May'.
As one of the earliest plants to flower each year, the hawthorn signals the transition from spring to summer, with its blossoming buds serving as an indicator of the fecund months ahead.
Often, small birds select the hawthorn as the safest place to build nests, with its tightly woven, prickly branches protecting chicks from predators. Similarly, it was customary for May sprigs to be hung on doorways to ward off evil spirits and encourage reproduction. Though, beware: to bring hawthorn into the home was said to precipitate death; indeed, during the Great Plague, it was observed that the aroma of disease was reminiscent of the sickly-sweet scent of hawthorn. In recent years, botanists have discovered that the compound trimethylamine emitted from May blossom is one of the first chemicals produced by decaying flesh.
The hawthorn’s reputation as a harbinger of death has since waned, but an essence of the cautionary folklore imparted by our ancestors prevails. The May's thorned branches and delicate, alluring flowers have long provided poets with an apt metaphor for courting lovers, a pursuit that will always entail risk and reward. Symbolic of optimism and new beginnings, it is little wonder that numerous ships have been named after the plant since the early seventeenth century, most notably, the America-bound Mayflower in 1620.
The utility of the hawthorn as an emblem is rooted in the reality that if one ventures to pick its flowers, great care must be exercised so not to be pricked by its thorns.
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I would love to see these floats on our streets again
Knowledge of London@Knowledgepoint
United Dairies horse-drawn milk floats were iconic, daily fixtures, particularly in London, until the mid-20th century, fully transitioning to electric vehicles by the late 1950s. These carts known for their reliability, with horses often moving between houses without command.
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of These Isles retweetledi
Make Infrastructure Beautiful Again. How it always used to be until functionalism reduced all expression to mere utility.
Phoebe Arslanagić-Little@PMArslanagic
The building on the left of this photo is Munjara, on the Kupa River in Croatia. It’s a hydroelectric power station disguised as a neo-gothic castle. I know people with paintings of it hanging in their homes.
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of These Isles retweetledi
The stunning 14thC vaulted ceiling in the nave of Tewkesbury Abbey for #MedievalMonday
Featuring a collection of roof bosses that depict the life of Christ, I defy anyone to leave without an aching neck!
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On 4th May 1535, the first five martyrs of the English Reformation were executed at Tyburn Tree, London.
John Haile, a secular priest, had been convicted of treason for denouncing Henry VIII's divorce from Catherine of Aragon and subsequent remarriage to Anne Boleyn.
Richard Reynolds, a Bridgettine monk, along with three Carthusian priors, John Houghton, Robert Lawrence, and Augustine Webster, had been condemned for their refusal to sign the Oath of Supremacy. This recently instituted declaration recognised Henry VIII as Supreme Governor of the Church of England, supplanting papal authority.
Instead of violating their consciences, these pious men chose to sacrifice their mortal lives in order to preserve the salvation of their souls; the agony of execution would pale in comparison to eternal damnation.
Today's Feast of the English Martyrs commemorates those canonised or beatified men and women who were martyred for their Catholic Faith between 1535 and 1680.
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Image credit:
(1) J. M. W. Turner (1802) 'South view of Salisbury Cathedral from the Cloisters'; courtesy of Victoria and Albert Museum.
(2) J. M. W. Turner (1796-7) 'Entrance to the Chapter House, Salisbury Cathedral'; courtesy of Victoria and Albert Museum.
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Admiring William Turner's sublime watercolours of Salisbury Cathedral this Sunday.
Though there are many details to appreciate within each painting, the divine light radiating from the Chapter House is truly exceptional; I expect that it shall always be my favourite Turner composition.
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of These Isles retweetledi
Thank you to everyone who has just joined us, as well as everyone who's been following this account for a while, Thanks to your love for pubs and sharing our content, you help this page and it's message reach far and wide. 🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻
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@Matedwards7 Magnificent photograph; the light is beautiful!
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Queen Elizabeth II during her first tour of Australia (1954)
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A few photographs of the beautifully maintained Italianate gardens, with many blossoms in bloom!
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Powys Castle basking in the Welsh sun, earlier this week 🏴
I highly recommend visiting to explore the rich history of this medieval fortress and its eminent inhabitants. The exceptional Clive Collection contains some truly magnificent pieces, and there is an abundance of natural beauty to admire throughout the grounds.
#Powys #Wales #Medieval #Castle #VisitWales
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Image credit:
(1) Statue of David Livingstone at Victoria Falls National Park, Zimbabwe; Uploaded to Wikimedia Commons by Wayne77, CC BY-SA 3.0.
(2) Map of the Travels of David Livingstone in Africa (1873); Gutenberg Project.
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🏴 Today, we commemorate the life of the venerable David Livingstone: a learned physician, intrepid explorer, and resolute missionary, whose steadfast faith guided him from Lanarkshire to Chitambo, where he died on 1st May 1873.
Pious and industrious from a young age, Livingstone's childhood consisted of labouring in a cotton mill by day, studying Latin and Greek by night. Having saved money to enrol at Anderson's College, Glasgow, Livingstone read Medicine, enabling his acceptance into the London Missionary Society in 1838. Ordained as a missionary in 1840, Livingstone set sail for South Africa, landing at Cape Town in March, 1841.
During his exploration of the continent, Livingstone's tribulations included: a lion mauling; confrontations with Boers, as well as the Portuguese, whose inhumane treatment of the natives he found repugnant; countless illnesses, injuries and infections. Yet Livingstone persevered, propelled by his desire to bring 'Christianity, Commerce, Civilisation' to Africa, and thus destabilise the still-prevalent slave trade.
Simultaneously, while traversing Africa, his cartographic productions advanced Western knowledge of the continent. For instance, Livingstone is thought to have been the first European to have laid eyes upon the waterfall situated between Zambia and Zimbabwe, naming them Victoria Falls in honour of his sovereign.
The Greek verb hupomeno derives from hupo (under) and meno (to abide, remain); it connotes an active acceptance of a burden, a willingness to bear one's cross. Livingstone embodied this notion until his death in 1873, after which his heart was buried in the Zambian soil.
Today, over 95% of Zambia's population is Christian.
'For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also'' (Matthew 6:21).
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@ChurchesATW Many beautiful churches to visit in Stamford; it spoils us for choice!
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