Recent Articles in Scrapbook

A miscellany of chit-chat, quizzes, and articles about the places we have visited

Molly is a Mawk – not a hawk

“What does Mollymawk mean?” We’re often asked the question, by people passing by. To us it’s obvious. “Haven’t you noticed that ruddy great bird painted across the transom?” we reply. “You mean the seagull?” ! Worse, some of you have been spelling her name with an h, as if the old girl were a bird of prey… So I guess it’s time we explained.

The Cruising Clan (or Why Can’t We All Just Be Nice To Each Other?)

In which the Admiral muses on friendship, world peace, and on the wholesome nature of the drunken sailor.

Like a dog to water!

Our latest news will astound any of you who have ever met Poppy-Dog.

Melilla

Bearing in mind all the fuss that the Spanish make about the British occupation of Gibraltar it comes as a surprise to many people to learn that they have their own little enclave on the opposite shore, in Morocco. Indeed, Spain has not one but two tiny territories on African soil. The first, Ceuta, is almost the mirror image of Gib, being a similar but much more lowly rock, standing on the far side of the Straits. The second, Melilla,…

Hot off the press!

We are thrilled to be able to announce the publication of two books, one by Jill and the other by Roxanne.

Spanish Water Works

Whether through the fault of man or because of natural changes in the climate, the Spanish region of Murcia has for hundreds of years been an arid one. Some say that anciently this was a lush, forested place but that Bronze Age man felled the trees to make way for his own choice of vegetation. This led to a decrease in rainfall. Regardless of whether he was to blame, having entered upon the scene and set up camp, man had…

Snow Wells

What do you picture when you think of Spain? Sunshine sparkling on a blue sea. Sandy beaches fringed by a never-ending border of hideous apartment blocks. Red wine; orange groves; bull rings; flamenco dancers… If you have visited the interior you will also picture villages nestling on rocky outcrops, and mountain ranges fading into the blue. If you have come here for the skiing you might picture crisp white slopes – or, then again, you might picture brown ones, on…

The Sub-Aquatic Naturalist

The year before last, Caesar and Xoë learnt to dive. And ever since then I have wanted to learn too. At the time when my brother and sister learnt to dive, I was only eight. Xoë and Caesar were 14 and 16. They each did several training dives and then they did an exam. They both passed with 100%. Then they were both proper, qualified Open Water Divers and had to be brought all sorts of expensive kit such as…

Arthropod Quiz Answers

Here are the answers to our recent, devious quiz.

Another Nature Quiz

Our last quiz proved to be a bit too taxing for all but the experts. So we have made this one… different.