Tag Archives: William Hartley

Brave New Suburbs

Brave New Suburbs, by Bill Hartley The urge to live in the country has led to considerable infilling and expansion of North Yorkshire villages in recent years. Across the county there has been a range of new developments some of … Continue reading

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Atlas Woke

Atlas Woke, by Bill Hartley Historical geography has been defined as ‘the branch of geography that studies the ways in which geographical phenomena have changed over time’. There used to be a more succinct definition: ‘the study of past landscapes’ … Continue reading

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Best Westerns

Best Westerns, by Bill Hartley In recent years the Western, once thought defunct, has undergone something of a revival. That said, recent releases shouldn’t be confused with what comes under the heading of ‘Modern Western’. This can be defined as … Continue reading

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Battered and Bruised

Battered and Bruised Bill Hartley, on beholding Grimsby The House of Fraser store in Grimsby is set to close. For anyone who thinks that a department store represents retailing at its best, the place is a depressing sight. Large areas of … Continue reading

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Silver Scream

Silver Scream Bill Hartley, on the retirement-community racket On a busy urban road near where I live stand a pair of heavy duty iron gates set into a high brick wall. This defensive perimeter has the feel of an institution … Continue reading

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Reform, in Name Only

Reform, in Name Only Bill Hartley returns to prison Along with other departments, the Ministry of Justice was required by the coalition government to undertake budget cuts. Prisons were particularly hard hit and according to the Prison Governors Association there … Continue reading

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Cell Phones

Cell Phones by Bill Hartley The governor of a women’s prison once confided that she preferred middle aged men for her senior management team and that she was prepared to fly in the face of Equal Opportunities to get them. … Continue reading

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Weber’s Epigone

Weber’s Epigone  Bill Hartley considers a curious contention Early Islam and the Birth of Capitalism, Benedikt Koehler, Lexington Books, London 2014, 212pps  The Prophet Muhammad was a businessman and entrepreneur. This is one of the many interesting facts revealed in … Continue reading

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An Islamic Industrial Revolution?

An Islamic Industrial Revolution?                Bill Hartley explores the putative contribution of Islamic civilisation to the development of industrialism Recently I came across a critique of a book The Cultures of the West; A … Continue reading

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History for Sale

History for Sale  Bill Hartley salvages some buried heritage A community may lose its sense of place and cohesion for various reasons. Economic decline or changes to the built environment are two of the most obvious. Sometimes though it can … Continue reading

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