Walsall

 I wrote a history of the city of Walsall in the Midlands 

Mozambique

 I wrote a brief history of Mozambique 

Bishop's Stortford

 I wrote a brief history of the English town of Bishop's Stortford 

Teacher killed a student

 In 1860 a teacher named Thomas Hopley beat a boy to death. The boy was 14-year-old Reginald Chancellor and he had a learning disability. Among other things, the teacher hit him with a candlestick because he could not repeat the multiplication table.

The teacher was charged with manslaughter, not murder because the intent to kill could not be proved. He was sentenced to 4 years in prison. Discipline in the 19th century was brutal but even by their standards beating a child to death was going a bit too far.

Stamford

 I wrote a history of the old English town of Stamford 

Mongolia

 I wrote a history of Mongolia 

Spain

 I wrote a brief history of Spain  

Derek Bentley

 Derek Bentley was hanged on 28 January 1953. His conviction was quashed in 1998. This is my history of capital punishment. 

The 19th Amendment

 This is an interesting article. Myths about the 19th Amendment. 

Pomegranates

 Some useless fruit related information: Pomegranates were native to Iran and they have been grown for thousands of years. They were eaten by the Egyptians, the Chinese, the Greeks and the Romans. Pomegranates were eaten in Europe in the Middle Ages and they were mentioned by Shakespeare. Pomegranates were introduced into the New World in the 16th century.

Pomegranate is believed to be a corruption of the old French words pome garnete, which meant seed apple.

St Albans

 I wrote a history of the old English town of St Albans 

Thailand

 I wrote a brief history of Thailand. It is a fascinating country. 

Hoddesdon

 I wrote a history of the town of Hoddesdon in Hertfordshire 

Louth

 I wrote a history of the town of Louth in Lincolnshire 

Wisbech

 I wrote a history of the town of Wisbech in Cambridgeshire 

The two finger gesture

 I made a video about a common myth about the origin of a famous gesture 

Chulmleigh

I wrote a history of the village of Chulmleigh in Devon

Elizabeth Blackwell

 On 23 January 1849, Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman to qualify as a doctor in the USA. This is my history of women doctors.

St Austell

 I wrote about the Cornish town of St Austell 

Crewkerne

 I wrote a brief history of the village of Crewkerne in Somerset 

Pictures of Clapham

 I uploaded some pictures I took of Clapham 

Clapham

 I wrote a history of Clapham. In the 18th century, it was a fashionable place to live. Many distinguished men lived there including the scientists Henry Cavendish and Benjamin Franklin. 

Redruth

 I wrote a history of the Cornish town of Redruth 

The Masque of the Red Death

 This is an excellent animation of my favourite short story The Masque of the Red Death https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKPlapqoRwk 

Liberia

 I wrote a brief history of Liberia 

Newton Abbot

 I wrote a history of the town of Newton Abbot in Devon 

Roget's Thesaurus

 Peter Mark Roget was born on 18 January 1779. He is famous for Roget's Thesaurus. Happy, cheerful, contented, joyful, joyous jubilant, blessed, merry, blissful, birthday, natal day, date-of-birth, name-day Mr. Roget.

Truro

 I wrote a history of the Cornish town of Truro 

Birmingham

 I wrote a history of the great British city of Birmingham 

Bodmin

 I wrote a brief history of the Cornish town of Bodmin 

Ivan the Terrible

 Ivan the Terrible was crowned Tsar on 16 January 1547. He was the first ruler of Russia to have the title of Tsar.

Liskeard

 I wrote about the Cornish town of Liskeard 

Hat Day

 15 January is National Hat Day  

Queen Elizabeth I

 Queen Elizabeth I, was crowned Queen of England on 15 January 1559 

Doncaster

 I wrote a brief history of the town of Doncaster in Yorkshire 

Sun Tans

 For centuries it was fashionable for women to have pale skin. If you had a tan it meant you had to work outdoors. Having pale skin was a status symbol because it meant you could stay indoors. But from the 1920s tans became popular. A man named Eugene Schueller invented sunscreen in 1936.

Derby

 I wrote a history of the English city of Derby 

Launceston

 I wrote a history of the old Cornish town of Launceston  

Electricity

 I wrote a brief history of electricity 

Guatemala

 I wrote a short history of the Central American country of Guatemala 

Chard

 I wrote a brief history of the town of Chard in Somerset 

Hamble le Rice

 I wrote a history of the Hampshire village of Hamble le Rice 

The Upper Crust

 Today’s myth: in the Middle Ages and the 16th century in big houses they cut the top off loaves of bread because the bottom might be burned. The upper crust was given to the rich and the burned bottom was given to the servants. So we call the upper class the upper crust. It seems people did sometimes cut off the top of the loaf (it’s mentioned in a book published in the 15th century). 

But it’s most unlikely that is the origin of the phrase. There is no evidence that the upper class was ever called the upper crust at that time. The rich were first called the upper crust in the 19th century, long afterward. The phrase was probably just a joke, comparing them to the upper crust of a loaf. It probably has nothing to do with actual loaves. 🍞

Thoughts on Poverty

  In the 1980s an old man told me that he was born into a reasonably well-off family early in the 20th century. He said that until the radio was coming in about 1925 you didn't see 'the hard side of life'. There were no supermarkets just lots of small shops like grocers, bakers, butchers, etc. People tended to stay in their own area of the city. Middle-class people just didn't see the poverty and hardship that existed in some areas.

In 1923 a woman was murdered in Portsmouth. What shocked people was not just the murder but the terrible conditions she was living in. Most people in the city had no idea those slums existed.

Nottingham

 I wrote a history of the English city of Nottingham 

South Africa

 I wrote a brief history of South Africa 

Glastonbury

 I wrote a history of the old town of Glastonbury 

Leicester

 I wrote a history of the city of Leicester. It began as a Roman town. 

Trinidad

 I wrote a brief history of Trinidad 

Northampton

 I wrote a brief history of the old English town of Northampton 

A myth about archers and a salute

 Once again, I heard the story that the two-finger gesture started because, in the Middle Ages, French soldiers cut two fingers off captured English archers (or threatened to do that) so they could no longer use a bow. So English archers waved two fingers at the French as a gesture of defiance. It's a myth. The two-finger gesture was first recorded in 1901. It's thought to have started in the 19th century, but nobody is sure how or why.

But there is no evidence it has anything to do with archery. There is no evidence at all that the French ever cut two fingers off captured English archers or threatened to do that. Why would they? If the French captured an English archer, wouldn't it be easier just to kill him? There is, of course, no evidence that English archers ever waved two fingers at the French. Unfortunately, it's an entertaining myth, so it tends to get passed around a lot.

Peru

 I wrote a brief history of the South American country of Peru 

Calais

 On 7 January 1558, the French captured Calais from the English. During the 14th and 15th centuries, English kings claimed they were also kings of France. At various times they conquered parts of France but in 1453 the French liberated all of France except Calais. However English monarchs continued to use the title king (or queen) of France for centuries. Finally, in 1800 King George III realised it was a bit too silly to keep that title.

Somerton

 I wrote a brief history of the small but charming town of Somerton, in Somerset 

Panama

 I wrote a brief history of Panama 

Ilchester

 I wrote about Ilchester in Somerset. It was once a large and important Roman town. 

Roxelana

 I read about a woman named Roxelana (Hurrem Sultan). She was born in Ukraine in about 1502 but she was kidnapped and made a slave. She was forced to be a concubine but later became the wife of the Ottoman Emperor Suleyman the Magnificent. She was a highly influential woman.

Bird Day

 5 January is National Bird Day 

Frome

 I wrote a brief history of the Somerset town of Frome 

Nicaragua

 I wrote a brief history of the Central American nation of Nicaragua 

Peterborough

 I wrote a brief history of the English city of Peterborough 

Hortensia

 Today's useless info: Hortensia was a famous Roman orator of the 1st century BC. She once gave a speech against a proposed tax. The rulers of Rome proposed to tax the property of 1,400 rich women (as a wartime measure). Hortensia gave a public speech saying women should not be taxed without representation. The rulers of Rome partly backed down and agreed to tax only 400 women.

Bridgwater

 I wrote a brief history of the Somerset town of Bridgwater 

Alaska Becomes a State

 On 3 January 1959, Alaska became the 49th state of the USA. Congratulations Alaska.

Cambridge

 I wrote a brief history of the old English city of Cambridge 

Perihelion Day

 3 January 2024 is Perihelion Day. On this day the Earth is closer to the Sun than on any other day in the year. The Earth orbits the Sun in an ellipse, not a circle so sometimes it is slightly closer to the Sun than at others. The point when the Sun is farthest away from the Sun is called the Aphelion. It is usually on 4 July.

Laos

 I wrote a brief history of the Asian nation of Laos 

Plymouth

 I wrote a brief history of the great English port of Plymouth, in Devon 

Iron Bridge

 On 1 January 1781, the world's first iron bridge opened to the public. When John Wesley saw it he compared it to the seven wonders of the Ancient World. Today we take it for granted that large structures are made of metal but before the Industrial Revolution, it would have been unthinkable.

Frankenstein

 The famous story Frankenstein by Mary Shelley was published on 1 January 1818.

Shepton Mallet

 I wrote a history of the small but attractive town of Shepton Mallet in Somerset

Happy New Year

 Happy New Year everyone 

Haiti

 1 January is Haiti Independence Day. Happy Independence Day.