Second attempt is better

I started again and am currently up to 1444 words. I'm still on France though so i think i may limit my inclusion of Italy to some comparisons otherwise even with a 4000 limit i'm going to run out of space before i've written about Yugoslavia, made comparisons, conclusion et cetera.

A dead end

Up to 900 words so far but i do not like what i am writing at all! In fact i think i am going to start again. Reading back what you wrote the day before is always an interesting experience. And i found i was reading a narrative about what the French resistance did and not an answer to the question (which was how effective resistance was militarily and politically). Some narrative is required of course to put things in context but i went too far over into writing a history of the French resistance.

Draft 2 will commence tonight then.

Final TMA underway

After much reading (and forgetting no doubt) and no little procrastination i have finally started to write my final TMA for my course. It is a double-TMA so 3500 to 4000 words, the longest i have yet to attempt in my OU career in fact. The subject is Resistance and how effective it was in WW2 from a military and political point of view. I will be concentrating on France and Yugoslavia with Italy also mentioned to add some contrast. So far i am up to 701 words which is not bad for the first day!

My conclusion will be on the lines of resistance in the form of partisan warfare was more effective militarily in the East but the resistance was more effective politically in the west. Now i just have to explain myself!

Start writing family history

I still have not decided on next year's course but i am considering a "filler" course to tide me over in the 3-4 month gap between AA312 and whatever i do next year. A173 is what i am considering, it is a short course (so has no bearing on my degree though the 10 points can be kept in the bank i guess for another day) to help "you to interpret and write about family history". I need to get my family history research project back up and running. I've dropped the ball on this this year.

Stone Age man used fire to make tools - 50,000 years earlier than thought

A team at the University of Cape Town in South Africa say they have found evidence of early man using fire to make tools 50,000 years earlier than first thought and maybe even earlier. Stone Age man from 72,000 years ago was using fire to soften a stone called silcrete to allow it to be worked on. They may even have been doing this since 164,000 years ago, up until now heat treatment was thought to date from Europe a "mere" 25,000 years ago. Knowing how to use fire may have been how these early humans were able to survive the colder climes when they left Africa and gave them a crucial advantage over the Neanderthals.

90 years of RAF military pilot training

Some nice photos celebrating the 90th anniversary of RAF military pilot training. A number of events were held to celebrate this at RAF Linton-on-Ouse.

Religion in history: conflict, conversion and coexistence

Continuing my musings for next year, AA307 looks to be an interesting course. I quite enjoy religious history, i even enjoyed the module on the Reformation when i was doing A200 (which was not a popular opinion!).

Photographs of the 1800s

A nice photo essay on the Daily Telegraph website showing early photography. The British Library is holding an exhibition of 19th century photography later in the year. Looks like it could be well worth a visit.


Nelson's Column under construction in 1844