by Simon de Swaan
The mountain sheep are sweeter
But the valley sheep are fatter.
We therefore deemed it meeter
To carry off the latter.
Thomas Love Peacock (1786-1866), excerpt from The War Song of Dinas Vawr (1823)
Thomas Love Peacock was born in Dorset, England in 1785 or 1786, depending on the source. He was a novelist, poet and playwright and mixed with the Romantic poets, although most of his work was satirical. He also worked for the British East India Company. He was also influenced by Percy Bisshye Shelley, who he met early in life. Peacock died in his library at Halliford-on-Thames in 1866, after refusing to leave his precious books to burn.
Photo inspired by Thomas Love Peacock’s poem “Ocean Gateway,” taken by the Wandering Angel.
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This once-charming seaside village was flattened by RAF and USAF bombers in an 8-month period from summer 1943 to spring 1944. The goal: blow up the railroad viaduct spanning the Recco River. The Allies ran 20 bombing raids on Recco, a small place, smaller than an American shopping mall. The effects were devastating. Only a few buildings — and the railway viaduct — were left standing. Hundreds of people died.
