All Articles
How did people tell the time & keep appointments before clocks were invented ?
It’s almost incomprehensible to the modern mind not to know the time and the date. Our world would cease to function in the way it does. So let’s imagine then an average man during the Dark Ages, in say in the 9th century. After a hard days work he decides to meet a friend for a drink. Was there an awkward pause after. ‘Okay, why don’t I meet you at my place at… ?’ …so how dis the world function before clocks ?
Sark – A Potted History
In this article we have a whirlwind look at the history of one of the most enigmatic of the Channel Islands, Sark.
The Invention of Money – A Short History
From prostitution to dealing on the stock exchange, trading has been around for tens of thousands of years. But when did mankind move from a barter system to exchanging goods for bits of metal and paper ?
Rubber
Rubber is a unique a wonderous material. However processing the raw latex into a durable and useful form proved very difficult. Charles Goodyear was a man obsessed with it. Here’s an account of his struggle.
Daily Life as a Medieval Monk
Let it not be said that we at guernseyDonkey.com ever short change you when it comes to answering some of those random questions that have a habit of flitting across our minds from time to time, or that we skimp on adding to that great body of knowledge that we like to call “Internet Fluff” so … “What did Medieval Monks get up to ?”, “What was the daily life as a monk like ?”
Did English used to have gendered nouns? … Yes!
In Romance languages (and many others), nouns have a gender. English today doesn’t but it wasn’t always so. In this article we look at how this situation came about.
Radio Ga Ga
We take radio and television signals for granted now. But if you really think about it radio waves really are a strange phenominon … invisibly beaming sound from one point to another through and around solid objects !
Guernsey Folklore – Witches Seats
Witches Seats … something that you may not even notice but they’re there all right on many an old Guernsey cottage and farm house.
What every body is saying … when bodies start talking
Whether you like it or not your body leaks information about you. Every day in every interaction your body posture and movements are transmitting information about your inner thoughts and feelings without you knowing it .. this is “body language”. The trick is can you consciously control it or even read other peoples ?
The Origins of the Modern Moggie
It may surprise you to know that the origin of the modern moggie, one of the mysteries of veterinary science, has only very recently been solved by researchers.
Unlocking the Secret of Egyptian Heiroglyphs – The Rosetta Stone
The Rosetta stone is one of the most valuable artefacts ever to have been found by archaeologists. It literally unlocked the secrets of the Ancient Egyptians. Up until its discovery their rich language, culture and beliefs were a complete mystery and one could only marvel at their accomplishments in art & architecture in a kind of mute awe.
Riddle me this … Can you solve these Riddles?
Pit yourself against some mind bending riddles and see if you can work out what each one is referring to.
When was the 1st WheelChair Introduced ?
The paralympics of 2012 have shown the world that less-abled Olympians can compete and perform every bit as well as their Olympic counterparts. The technology of the various prosthesis and wheel chairs are amazing too. But when was the first wheelchair as we know it invented ?
Some Random Guernsey Factoids
Some rather random factoids about our island home of Guernsey …
