Can anyone believe that I have written Halloween (related posts for 7 years now. When I started this blog I thought I’d be lucky to still be going in a month. As with everything else, I always try to keep my Halloween posts grounded as I think that makes them more realistic and also more… Continue reading An eerie journey along old Corpse Roads
Month: October 2019
A piss-poor history of urine
I’m going to try not to use the P word too much in this post, as tempting as it is as that would be taking the Pee but urine has actually had a long history of practical uses especially in medicine. None other than Pliny the Elder back in Rome recommended fresh urine for the… Continue reading A piss-poor history of urine
Paying homage at the tomb of the Venerable Bede
If like myself you have anything like a passing history in old Anglo-Saxon history or even history itself, the works of Bede are something to behold. I always find it a bit boring I suppose that so many people think of British history as being Stonehenge, Romans, Vikings, a bonkers king who kept killing his… Continue reading Paying homage at the tomb of the Venerable Bede
Original hand-drawn battle plans by Admiral Lord Nelson for the Battle of Trafalgar are discovered.
Incredible a hand-drawn sketch by Admiral Lord Nelson himself showing his plan for victory at Trafalgar has been discovered tucked inside the pages of a scrapbook after nearly 200 years. They were discovered by historian Martyn Downer in a scrap book book from the 1830s which was recently sold at auction. It shows his plan… Continue reading Original hand-drawn battle plans by Admiral Lord Nelson for the Battle of Trafalgar are discovered.
A peek inside possibly the second smallest home in the U.K.
In my line of work I spend a lot of time walking round palaces, great houses and cathedrals but last week I had the opportunity to revisit one of the smallest houses imaginable in the beautiful Lake District in the country of Cumbria. What makes this house extra special is not just its tiny size… Continue reading A peek inside possibly the second smallest home in the U.K.
Murky Moor photos
I’ve been away for a few weeks giving a long tour of parts of north east and north west England and having returned I have found my wordpress to stubbornly refuse to fully function on my iPad or even let me log in on my computer. As such, I’m forced to do a simple post… Continue reading Murky Moor photos
To be on Tenterhooks in Spitalfields
Have you ever heard of the phrase “on tenterhooks”? It has come to mean being in a state of tension, uneasiness, anxiety, or suspense, and that is because tenterhooks were once very common sights indeed. Tenterhooks aren’t the big hooks you might see in a meat market or butches but are instead related to the cloth… Continue reading To be on Tenterhooks in Spitalfields
An old plan of Piccadilly Circus Underground Station.
I’m away on a 2-week tour in the near future and so this shorter than usual post is just to help fill the gap before, during or after I come back. The incredible print below is of Piccadilly Circus Underground Station and dates from the late 1920’s. It illustrates the multitude of tunnels needed to… Continue reading An old plan of Piccadilly Circus Underground Station.
The Restoration of the Aldgate Pump of Death!
I’ve no doubt included photos and mentioned in passing the old Aldgate water pump which used to be right next to an eastern gate of the old Roman wall surrounding the city of London. Aldgate Well was first mentioned all the way back in the thirteenth century during the reign of King John. It possibly… Continue reading The Restoration of the Aldgate Pump of Death!
Stephen Liddell 