Category Archives: History

Turning a Blind Eye to History

Posted on March 29, 2020 by Bill Hayes

The Battle of Trafalgar, fought in 1805, when the British Navy defeated the French Fleet in the service of the Emperor Napoleon, may not quite be over. The victory was delivered by Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson who commanded the British … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Politics, statues, Uncategorized, War & Peace | Tagged black lives matter, Cecil Rhodes, HMS Victory, Nancy Astor, Napoleon, Nelson, Robert E Lee, statues, Trafalgar | Leave a comment

Wolfie Cohen – Death of the Deli

Posted on April 15, 2019 by Bill Hayes

“As I see it, there are two kinds of people in this world; People who love delis, and people you shouldn’t associate with.” – Damon Runyon You cannot talk about Miami Beach without mentioning, perhaps the most famous Miami Jew … Continue reading →

Posted in Carl Fischer, Carl fisher, Dixie Highway, History, Hoxton Minipress, Miami Beach, Miami South Beach, rascal house, Uncategorized, wolfie cohen, Wolfie's | 2 Comments

Wandering is a part of the American Spirit

Posted on April 13, 2019 by Bill Hayes

As you go about your day on Miami South Beach, you could be forgiven for thinking that everyone comes to Miami, but nobody is actually from Miami. Of course, that is how the City and the Beaches began. South Florida, … Continue reading →

Posted in Barry Lewis photography, Carl Fischer, Carl fisher, Dixie Highway, Henry Flagler, History, Hoxton Minipress, Julia Tuttle, Miami Beach, Miami South Beach, Palm Beach, railways, snowbirds, transport, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

End of the voyage

Posted on April 6, 2019 by Bill Hayes

Standing at South Point Park, the southernmost point of Miami South Beach, at the mouth of the Miami River, Polish Jewish immigrate Marvin Joseph is taking his daily walk. He was one of the lucky ones who escaped Europe for … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Miami Beach, Minai South Beach, ostwind, snowbirds, St Louise, Uncategorized, Voyage of the damned | 1 Comment

Miami Beach: where neon goes to die

Posted on March 28, 2019 by Bill Hayes

“It’s full up, no rooms. Nothing” the old Jewish woman sitting out on the porch said as I pushed at the stiff front door of the decaying Art deco hotel on Ocean Drive. Stepping out of the Sun’s glaring heat … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Miami Beach, Minai South Beach, Uncategorized | Tagged Barry Lewis photography, Florida, Hoxton Mini Press, Miami Dade, Ocean drive, shtetle, snowbirds, SoBe | 2 Comments

The Future without a License.

Posted on August 6, 2016 by Bill Hayes

It has been a long journey from the Stone Age till now; through the Iron age to Bronze and Steel and Steam and Electricity and we have most certainly arrived at the Information Age. It’s who we are now. It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in engineering, Entertainment, History, techology, Uncategorized | Tagged cern, compact cassette, first webpage, Tim Berners-Lee, vhs vs beta, walkman, wire recorder | 5 Comments

In other’s foot steps.

Posted on February 28, 2016 by Bill Hayes

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. – Lou Tsu. Continue reading →

Posted in antarctic, Greece, History, Politics, Scott, Uncategorized | Tagged antarctic explorer, asylum, captain oats, Europe, Henry Worsely, ice, Scott of the antarctic, syrian refugees, tundra, walking across europe | 5 Comments

Unfinished Business

Posted on August 16, 2014 by Bill Hayes

. It may be me. Perhaps I am getting older and the policemen younger, but wars seem to be lasting a lot longer these days. A century ago this month, the armies of many nations across Europe marched off to … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Politics, Uncategorized, War & Peace | Tagged cold war, cricket, iraq, Isis, trench warfare, trenches, w c grace, war, zanzibar | 15 Comments

From O’Connell Street to Instagram

Posted on March 24, 2014 by Bill Hayes

No one is really sure on the numbers, but it was recently estimated that of all the pictures ever taken around the world over the last 200 years, fifty percent of them were shot last year. This is not so … Continue reading →

Posted in art, History, mandela, Uncategorized | Tagged Arthur Fields, disposable camera, Dublin, instagram, photography, polaroid | 15 Comments

Hirst, Banksy and the Martian Invasion.

Posted on January 5, 2014 by Bill Hayes

It must have happened in the middle of the night. One day it was there and next day it was not. A Banksy wall mural had been removed from the side of a commercial building in Wood Green in London … Continue reading →

Posted in art, conspiracy, fake, History, Uncategorized | Tagged Adam Dant, Andy Shaw, art market, Banksy, Citizen Kane, Clifford Irving, Damien Hirst, Donald Parsnips, Elmyr de Hory, forgery, Howard Hughes, Orson Wells, plagarism, Shoreditch, Spiral painting | 4 Comments