The Copybook

Short passages for reading, drawn from history, legend, poetry and fiction.

1639

© chris55, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 3.0.

The First Train Journey by Steam Clay Lane

Richard Trevithick’s boss hailed the engineer as a genius. Today he’d have been fired. (Oh, and the train was delayed.)

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1640
The Keeper of the Gate Clay Lane

A widow cast her precious icon into the sea rather than see it dishonoured by government agents, but that wasn’t the end of the story.

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1641

© Riannacone, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 3.0.

St Nicholas of the Cats Clay Lane

A very unusual monastery with some very unusual protectors.

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1642

© Ωριγένης, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 3.0.

A Battle of Wills Clay Lane

Following an appalling atrocity in fourth-century Thessalonica, two strong and determined men refused to back down.

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1643
The Daring Escape of Richard the Fearless Clay Lane

The ten-year-old got away from a royal castle disguised as a bundle of hay.

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1644

From Wikimedia Commons.

Edmond Halley Clay Lane

Edmond Halley will forever be associated with the comet named after him, but his greatest achievement was getting Sir Isaac Newton to publish ‘Principia Mathematica’.

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