16th Century
There are more things…
First an apology. I was going to insert photos into this piece, but the ones I took were rubbish and not wishing to compromise SB’s site with unauthorised clips I gave up with the visuals. [more…]
17th Century
17th Century
The good ship Fredericus Quartus, Part Two
The good ship “Fru Alida” Even less well known than Denmark’s triangular trade is the history of Danes and Norwegians as victims of slavery. North African pirate raids were a problem that affected coastal communities [more…]
17th Century
The good ship Fredericus Quartus, Part One
Transatlantic slavery was ended in 1833 by Britain after a campaign by William Wilberforce. It is one of the key dates in British history, and Wilberforce is a name known to everyone. Britain may have [more…]
17th Century
The Edgehill Camp Spectres
Edgehill was the first pitched battle of the English Civil War. It was fought near Edge Hill and Kineton in southern Warwickshire on Sunday, 23 October 1642. The soldiers of both sides were raw and [more…]
16th Century
Miguel de Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes was born in Alcala de Henares on the 29th September 1547, the second son of Rodrigo de Cervantes and Leonor de Cortinas. His father led a precarious and unsettled life as an [more…]
17th Century
Eccentric Aristos: Henry Cyril Paget and Henry De La Poer Beresford.
Born in 1875 Henry the eldest son of the 4th Marquess of Anglesey Citation needed here because it was rumoured throughout his life the Marquess was not his real father and that his mother had [more…]
16th Century
The History of the Pencil
Before the pencil Pens and ink have been in existence for a very long time, being used by the ancient Egyptians for writing and drawing on papyrus, a papery substance made by beating reeds flat. [more…]
17th Century
Sir John Vanbrugh – The Supreme Schemer
Its walls and towers stare down – rather snootily it could be said – from Maze Hill, over the lesser buildings clustering round its feet on the edge of Greenwich Common. Opposite, Canary Wharf’s ghostly-looking, [more…]
17th Century
A Postcard from the IFG Part Two
International Festival of Glass, Stourbridge, August 2022 In Part One, I just about managed to shoehorn two days of the fantastic Festival. Before I carry on telling you about the rest, a quick gallop though [more…]