anniversaries
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On 17 April 1387, as part of the annual St George’s Day festivities, it was before the court of Richard II that Chaucer first performed his masterpiece, the Canterbury Tales. It was clear even then that he’d produced a very important work, but it’s only today that we appreciate it to the full—and are still…
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When I first saw this list of monarchs’ nicknames I felt sure I’d have come across them all. But no, I only knew ten of the eleven. No doubt you know them all, but the one on which I came a cropper was number seven, the Be-Sh*tten – James II. Or James the Sh*t. Good…
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Three things I can say about Tewkesbury, which is only a few miles away from where I live, are that it is (a) historic, (b) beautiful and (c) full of ghosts. Well, I can vouch for the first two, but the third is something I have yet to experience. According to this article https://www.greatbritishlife.co.uk/things-to-do/23727059.ghostly-walk-across-tewkesburys-bloody-meadow/?fbclid=IwAR38XvM57xwfaunaAQL3XWN_GsCsleTg3FnXIM4mg2pV5_cyJP_lRdhqUCI the…
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Today we all worry about global catastrophe, with terrible weather phenomena and all manner of fearful occurrences. Well, we understand more now, but what if we’d lived in medieval England? Back then everyone believed quite genuinely and fearfully in the supernatural, magic, Otherworldly beings, the wrath of God and the evil of the Devil. It…
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Well, here’s a novelty. Usually things are found at castles and other historic sites, but at Pontefract Castle they’ve lost something. Not a small something either, but a dungeon. How could that be, do I hear you ask? Well it seems that at least one visitor claims to have been inside this mysterious dungeon in…
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… , History Muses, by our own Ashley Mantle. This episode features Ian Churchward of the Legendary Ten Seconds talking about their music. Ashley says: “History Muses is a brand-new podcast in which I talk to history creatives, essentially anybody who uses or is inspired by history to create something, be it books, films, music,…
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Foix is in the south of France, occupying the eastern part of the modern département of Ariège, and you can read about its castle here. The former counts are listed here. But I am concerned presently with only one of them, Gaston Phoebus III de Foix, of whom my previous knowledge was mainly confined to…
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Hmm, yes. If you believe the above heading you’ll believe anything. Let me explain it. Back in 2013 I read this article this article, which is pro-Richard and follows the facts in general. But then everything was spoiled in the comments at the end, one of which contained the following:- “….Richard met his fate on…
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One of the things about being awarded, or inheriting, a peerage or baronetcy in the Early Modern period was the necessity to keep up appearances. Great families would compete to have better servants than their contemporaries. Whilst employing a better butler or housekeeper would be a relatively inconspicuous maintenance issue, a designer or gardener could…
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