culture
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As you have probably gathered by now, I’m rather partial to a spooky story, and one that appears in The Folklore of Oxfordshire by Christine Bloxham is that of the very early 16th-century Lord and Lady Tanfield and their ghostly chariot, in which they reportedly haunted Burford and Great Tew in Oxfordshire. A bit out…
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On 2 August 2019 I wrote this post—which contained the following link https://x.com/liz_lizanderson/status/1016611053394976768 concerning a portion of medieval livery badge thought to be that of Henry Holand, 3rd Duke of Exeter. The 3rd duke fought for Henry VI and died mysteriously at sea, it’s thought at the instruction of the very Yorkist Edward IV. The…
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For the purposes of this article, the sweet lady in question is Philippa of Hainault, the queen of Edward III of England. She was very interested in gardens and in acquiring new flowers. Perhaps she was influenced by her French mother, Joan of Valois, Countess of Hainault, who in around 1340 sent some cuttings of…
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As you can read here—A Brief History of Pearls -Story of Pearls, Facts about Pearls (americanpearl.com)—pearls have found favour with mankind for a very long time, and rightly so, for they are truly beautiful. That sheen. That cool-yet-warm glow. That delicate shade of….of whichever pearl you happen to be admiring at the time. For they…
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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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Well, ladies and gentlemen, if you’re looking for something exciting to do and are in the vicinity of Leicester on Saturday, 20 April, 2024, there’s to be a grand celebration of St George’s Day. Saturdays aren’t always conveniently placed on anniversaries, so the 20th is the closest one! To quote from this site City gets…
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The fenland around Peterborough is a liminal place, a world of still, deep water, rustling reeds, flat land and a big sky. A place full old legends of the Lantern Man and the Toad Man and the spectral dogs known as Black Shuck. A place full of memories, of hidden secrets… In 1999, a major…
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We laugh today at magazine/TV/whatever advertisements (see here) that show housewives dressed up to the nines, waiting hand and foot on their menfolk, and sobbing ecstatically when given a Hoover or new iron for Christmas. Oh, he’s so thoughtful! Like…y-e-s…. 😏Just let him try it today! Well I have just come upon an item from…
The New Murrey and Blue blog 