Author: HistoricalHoney

“So, you dress on the weekends?”…how many times have I heard that? It’s usually at that point in the party, road trip, after work drink or whatever, when the group has split into pairs or threes. And the quick answer is….well…yes. About a decade ago, I found out that a friend of mine was into…

I have been back and forth about writing this post for a few months now, because it seems to open a cultural can of worms. A while ago I wrote a post giving advice for people who wanted to pursue a career in the cultural sector. The result was a barrage of criticism and cynicism….

Men in uniform and an historic house – what could be a more perfect way to spend a Tuesday?! With that very thought in mind I visited Beningbrough at War, an exhibition that sits within the Yorkshire Country House Partnership (YCHP) HLF funded project ‘Duty Calls: The Country House in Time of War’ (what a…

So, despite taking a module entitled “The Crusades” in my second year of university, I ashamedly admit the finer points of each crusade has faded in my mind. I was therefore excited to begin reading ‘The Empress’ by Meg Clothier, and hoped it would quickly jog my memory whilst I lost myself in a historical…

Two Anne’s. One fighting for her Queen-ship, the other head of Princess Mary’s household. They may have shared the same name, but it seems very unlikely they would have shared a friendship.  During the early 16th Century (and prior to one of them being decapitated!) there were two Anne Boleyn’s ‘treading the boards’ at the…

The wrecking of RMS Tayleur made headlines around the world almost 60 years before the Titanic. Both ships were run by the White Star Line, both were heralded as the most splendid ships of their time – and both sank in tragic circumstances on their maiden voyages. The wrecking of RMS Tayleur.  Source: Image courtesy of Gill Hoffs…

Sometimes, it’s the little things someone does that makes them truly amazing at their profession. No matter what the field, the great ones notice the things that others gloss over. They’re adamant about righting the smallest irregularities, and the most seemingly insignificant aspects can be worked over endlessly. While they’re appreciated for their successful projects…

Readers have asked whether Graylings, the country seat that Oliver Farraday, one of the main characters in my new novel, owns and dearly loves, was based on a particular National Trust property. I have to admit that yes, it was. Or rather, it was based not just on a particular National Trust property, but more on an amalgamation…

Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia (June 18 1901 – July 17, 1918) was the youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia,  the last sovereign of Imperial Russia. She had three older sisters’ named Olga, Tatiana and… 6.5 If you are anything of a historical novel buff, then you are probably already familiar with Kate Furnivall’s ‘The Jewel of…

The Medici Mirror is a first novel by Melissa Bailey and is clearly a labour of love. Unfortunately, however, I found it a labour to read. While the premise of the book was initially interesting and the historical links intriguing, I was ultimately disappointed. The novel revolves around a sixteenth century mirror both its past…