It was the day that everyone remembers and one which I had been waiting and preparing for for many months. My Freedom Ceremony at The Stationers Company. The only thing that I didn’t foresee was that it would be the hottest day in the history of London. I have a lovely heavy and quite fine… Continue reading My Freedom Ceremony at The Stationers Company
Category: history
Posts predominantly history related.
The Livery Companies of the City of London
Walking around the City of London as I do almost every day when I’m following in the footsteps of Romans, Vikings and various disasters as well as hunting out Secret Gardens, it’s hard to avoid some of the great halls in the Square Mile that belong to livery companies. There are 110 livery companies, comprising London’s… Continue reading The Livery Companies of the City of London
Different words for a bread roll across the U.K.
One of the things I really like and am interested in are the different quirks and vagaries of every day life and language. Whilst countries such as France celebrate their regions and differences, too often in the U.K. such things are watered down or ignored leading to widespread ignorance of ancient traditions, foods and cultures.… Continue reading Different words for a bread roll across the U.K.
John Dee- the original 007 Tudor Spy.
We all know of James Bond and his licence to kill spy films and many will remember James Bond himself was created by Ian Fleming. However he wasn’t the first in the world of espionage to use the code 007 and it’s quite possible that when James Bond was first thought up, Ian Fleming may… Continue reading John Dee- the original 007 Tudor Spy.
Whatever happened to the missing dead from Waterloo?
One of the big mysteries about the epic Battle of Waterloo may have been solved. There are several big battles in British history where despite large numbers of recorded casualties, few oil any human remains or skeletons have been found. Sometimes it is because the bodies were taken away, sometimes the exact location of the… Continue reading Whatever happened to the missing dead from Waterloo?
Remembering Ælfric the Grammarian
Walk around London or indeed any large British city or town and you might come across round circular blue plaques on the side of buildings. They are a way of honouring a person from history who has made a positive contribution to British culture in any number of fields. Normally one has to wait about… Continue reading Remembering Ælfric the Grammarian
Finding an old WW2 pillbox on the Thames
A few weeks ago I was out in East London towards the Thames Estuary doing some research for my book when I realised I was going to be close on an old WW2 bunker that I had been wanting to see for a few years but it being on the other side of the city… Continue reading Finding an old WW2 pillbox on the Thames
On the hunt for Black Marys Hole
Not every expedition I make, finds what I’m looking for. Sometimes it is all but impossible because for intents and purposes, what I’m looking for no longer exists on the surface. Unlike my last post on Clerkenwell, I knew I was doomed to fail on another trip to find Black Marys Hole. However I wanted… Continue reading On the hunt for Black Marys Hole
A look inside an Anchorite Squint
Whilst I was poking around a church recently I came across one of these (see photo below). It is an Anchorite Squint. Pious and and Holy people from faiths around the world have long sought solitude to get closer to God. usually this would take the form of living on top of a mountain or… Continue reading A look inside an Anchorite Squint
Thomas Becket Play and Pageant 2022
Whilst I was giving a Roman Tour on Saturday, my guests and I happened across a mini rehearsal fora special event coming up later this week in the Guildhall Yard. Two very large figures were inthe process of being taken apart. At first I thought it might be Gog and Magog but I quickly worked… Continue reading Thomas Becket Play and Pageant 2022
Stephen Liddell 