Category: history

Posts predominantly history related.

Beating the bounds

These days we all have easy access to maps and our local administration is likely run by some sort of government office, elected or otherwise. That wasn’t always the case especially in the U.K. where the role of the church was hugely important. With churches across the whole country, it was important to know what… Continue reading Beating the bounds

The oldest door in Britain

I was fortunate to be in Westminster Abbey a few days. Much of the main building is perpetually overcrowded and particularly so in midsummer. There is so much to see in terms of memorials and architecture, royal thrones and the like and yet there is one place which always seems to be empty and yet… Continue reading The oldest door in Britain

Nellie Duncan the witch of WW2

Nellie Duncan was born in Callander, near Stirling, in 1897, and as a child claimed the magical ability called “second sight”. She dallied with the supernatural from a young age and upon becoming an unmarried mother at 17, she was disowned by her parents, and found unpleasant work in a jute mill. In 1916 she married… Continue reading Nellie Duncan the witch of WW2

Indiana Jones and the hunt for his Fedora Hat

Summer is traditionally the time for the biggest blockbuster, fan pleasing movies and whilst the recently opened Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is still pulling in the punters, there is another company that is doing very well out of it all. They being Herbert Johnson, a 134-year-old London hatmaker that makes the original… Continue reading Indiana Jones and the hunt for his Fedora Hat

The newly unearthed Roman Mausoleum in Southwark

Fast on the heals of the remains of some Roman docks being found by Upper Thames Street in London, last weeks another Roman find made the news in the U.K. What the archeologists involved call a “Completely unique” Roman mausoleum. Though the news sites have just mentioned them, it is something that I’ve known about… Continue reading The newly unearthed Roman Mausoleum in Southwark

Rockall – The loneliest rock in the world.

Not many people know of Rockall and fewer still can pinpoint it on a map. Those that vaguely know of it likely do as the BBC mention it on their shipping forecast several times a day. There is a good reason for that. It’s rather in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The tiny, uninhabitable… Continue reading Rockall – The loneliest rock in the world.

The curse of Tamurlane (Timur the lame) and the disaster that struck Russia.

I’m sure like many others, I watched the events in Russia over the weekend. I had a 20+ year start on most peoples as I’ve despised Putin since almost the day he came to power due to his brutal obliteration of Chechnya. I remember back then being a bit disappointed not just on that but… Continue reading The curse of Tamurlane (Timur the lame) and the disaster that struck Russia.

Cloaked in history or I wish I could wear a cloak

It probably says more about what I watch on television or in the cinema that so many people seem to wear cloaks. We tend to think of cloaks as a little Medieval but both ancient Greek and Roman men and women wore cloaks. The Greek-styled Roman cloak, or pallium, was shaped like a square and sat on… Continue reading Cloaked in history or I wish I could wear a cloak

Secret Gardens, lavish lunches.

Some of you might remember that on the hottest day in the history of London last year, I became a Stationer. There are 111 livery companies, comprising London’s ancient and modern trade associations and guilds, almost all of which are styled the ‘Worshipful Company of’ their respective craft, trade or profession. These livery companies play a significant part in the… Continue reading Secret Gardens, lavish lunches.