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.

A visit to the impregnable Tilbury Fortress

Last Monday being part of a long Bank-holiday Monday and us entering our months behind schedule first warm weather of the year, I decided to visit Tilbury Fortress in the county of Essex though to all intents and purposes it is on the edge of London. It’s a property that belongs to English Heritage and… Continue reading A visit to the impregnable Tilbury Fortress

Queen Elizabeth I – Linguistic genius?

There are many things we may associate with the great Queen Elizabeth I from her famed private life,  glorious victories at sea particularly over the Spanish Armada and that famous speech at Tilbury.  As she put it, she may have had the body but of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and… Continue reading Queen Elizabeth I – Linguistic genius?

The Bacton Altar Cloth Revealed To Be The Only Surviving Gown of Queen Elizabeth I

One of the things I like to do both when I am giving tours or merely pottering around the countryside in my own time is to stop off an explore village churches.  Each one is a veritable box of delights and you can never tell what you will find inside. Almost always there will be… Continue reading The Bacton Altar Cloth Revealed To Be The Only Surviving Gown of Queen Elizabeth I