I had been longing to go to Retreats for You for at least a year, ever since I heard about it via Clare Mackintosh and Emma Darwin‘s blogs. For the last nine months I’ve been collecting together research materials and reading around various topics for Book No 2. Writing the latest will be a very […]
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10 Reasons Why the Georgians are Cooler than the Victorians
This year, the tercentenary of the accession of the House of Hanover to the British throne, has been named Year of the Georgians. Here, in no particular order, is my humble take on why: 1. Better Wars Victorian Wars are so boring. They don’t even have good names. The dull old ‘Crimean’ or ‘Boer’ wars […]
The YEAR Parliament Burned Down
Well, 2013’s been a year and half, that’s for sure. Thanks for sharing it with me. Here’s a bit of a recap for those not on the rollercoaster: January The Day Parliament Burned Down is shortlisted for the Longman-History Today Prize. I attend the jolly party, and while the book doesn’t win, I’m just delighted […]
Yet More Relics of the Old Palace
I blogged this time last year about the snuff boxes made from salvaged wood from the old Palace which still occasionally turn up at antique dealers, and early in 2013 about the mysterious ornaments made from stonework of St Stephen’s for the delight of antiquaries. Now I’m thrilled to report that this week I acquired two pieces of fabric from […]
Not Seen, Not Heard: The Ladies’ Gallery of the Old Palace of Westminster
This week is Parliament Week, and 2013’s theme is ‘Women in Democracy’. I thought it would be fun therefore to provide you with a description of what it was like for women to visit a debate in the House of Commons before the 1834 fire. This well-known account comes from the Irish novelist Maria Edgeworth, […]
Talking Books 2: How to be the Perfect Talk Host
I’ve been in two minds about whether to publish this post. You see, this one is about what makes a good experience for a speaker. Not what makes a good talk, but the view from the other side of the mike: what makes a good host. It may offend some people, but here goes, because […]
