Category: Uncategorized

My husband and I were warned prior to traveling from Paris to Versailles; apparently we would be sorry to spend more than a day there. “You’ll be bored silly,” people scoffed. I now realize those people must be the very ones who plan fifteen activities a day on their “vacations.” Which makes it not a…

Boston: Athens of AmericaThe comparison to Athens might be a little far-fetched, but for America, Boston is as old as it gets. The epicenter of the American Revolution, Boston, Massachusetts is the gateway to where the Old meets the New England. So join me on a whirlwind tour of historical hotspots in a place that I am…

I like Amanda James. For a start, she is an ex-history teacher (which is always a positive in my book) and she is pretty funny to boot. By the third page of her new book, ‘A Stitch in Time’, I was giggling on the tube – ugh, embarrassing! Now, there is no denying we all judge…

The Celts would not have called themselves Celts. That is an outside term from the Greek “Keltoi” or Latin “Celtae.” The Celts may have referred to themselves as Brythons or Britons (They were not called English until after the rise of the Anglo Saxons later on in history). The term “Pict” meant “the painted people”…

Pre-Warning: I had never come across this story before. That being said, I found it to be so compelling I am officially obsessed. This is the story of John Tawell, a Quaker, a philanthropist, and a murderer. Sound juicy enough for you? For me, being a tech-loving history buff, the clincher was the involvement of…

When we think back on the great figures in history, we remember the struggles they fought; their courage, leadership and great innovative minds… so WHY did so many balls it up and meet their end in a way totally unbefitting to how they lived in life? Well, here are some of my favourites: Who: Attila…

We’ve all said it – or heard it – but who exactly was Gordon Bennett and why does a small corner of Ireland remember his name so well? James Gordon Bennett was an American millionaire, owner of the New York Herald and the original playboy. He was renowned for his scandalous and controversial behaviour which was quite alarming to…

It is so obviously apparent when watching a cat lounge around the home in complete comfort that this whole domesticated lifestyle isn’t new to them. They have been masters of this for a very long time. But just how long? We take a look back at the earliest evidence for domesticated felines in history… The earliest…

Situated just off the main through road in Warwick, which many a person will walk or drive past each day, sits a wonderful little place. Passers-by often comment on what a pretty building it seems to be. ‘Some sort of old hospital’ I regularly hear muttered. Sometimes, you’ll see a wedding party buzzing about eagerly…

I don’t know about you but I have always wanted to be an archaeologist. As such I wanted to ask one what it was really like to ‘live the dream’. Annie Partridge, a community archaeologist working for Canterbury Archaeological Trust, kindly agreed to answer my questions and shed some light on what it is really like…