Thursday, 30 January 2025

Namibia

 I wrote a brief history of Namibia 

Wednesday, 29 January 2025

Malawi

 This is my history of Malawi 

Tuesday, 28 January 2025

Jamaica

 I have written a history of Jamaica 

The Cathars

 I wrote a brief history of the Cathars, a religious sect that flourished in southern France in the Middle Ages

Monday, 27 January 2025

Blackpool

 I wrote a brief history of the English seaside town of Blackpool. It's a famous resort. 

Sunday, 26 January 2025

Holocaust Memorial Day

27 January is Holocaust Memorial Day. On 27 January 1945, the Russian army liberated Auschwitz concentration camp.

Saturday, 25 January 2025

Manchester History

 I wrote a history of the great English city of Manchester 

Liverpool

 This is my history of the English port of Liverpool. It was founded as a town by King John in the early 13th century. 


Thursday, 23 January 2025

On Tenterhooks

 Why do say on tenterhooks? After it was woven wool was pounded in a mixture of clay and water to clean and thicken it. This was called fulling. Afterward, the wool was stretched on a frame called a tenter to dry. It was hung on tenterhooks. So if you were very tense, like stretched cloth, you were on tenterhooks.

Wednesday, 22 January 2025

Monday, 20 January 2025

Sliced Bread

 Sliced bread went on sale in the USA in 1928. The first recorded use of the phrase ‘the best thing since sliced bread’ (or one just like it) was in 1952 when a comedian called Red Skelton said in a newspaper that television was ‘the greatest thing since sliced bread’.

Adverts for sliced bread said it was the greatest thing since wrapped bread (wrapped in waxed paper). So the best thing before sliced bread was wrapped bread.


Sunday, 19 January 2025

Deep Wood

 When I was a child I had a book called Deep Wood. It was about talking animals, a badger, an owl, a hedgehog, etc. I loved that book. I thought it was easily as good as Winnie the Pooh but it never got anything like the same fame. It's a shame. It's also a mystery why some books are a big hit and others are not. 🦉Deep Wood was written by Trevor Elleston. It was published in 1945. 🦔

Sumptuary Laws

 On 19 January 1363, King Edward III introduced a sumptuary law. It laid down which types of cloth and fur each class could wear. The laws applied to the middle ranks of society, knights, merchants, and craftsmen. The king didn't want them to get ideas above their station and dress like nobles.

The law didn't mention the poor - since they couldn't afford expensive cloth anyway. Many more sumptuary laws were passed until the time of Elizabeth I in the late 16th century. Most people ignored them.

Saturday, 18 January 2025

Medieval Women Doctors

 There were women doctors in the Middle Ages. In 1292 there were 8 registered women doctors in Paris (it was then a town of about 80,000 people). In 1311 women in France were forbidden to practice as surgeons unless they passed an examination in front of master surgeons.

Wednesday, 15 January 2025

Facts and Myths about Elizabeth I

 I found an interesting website of facts and myths about Queen Elizabeth I 

Monday, 13 January 2025

Saturday, 11 January 2025

Selling your wife

 In the 18th century and early 19th century, men in England sometimes sold their wives 

Wednesday, 1 January 2025

The Tudor Year

 I wrote an article called What Happened on This Day in Tudor History. It's a list of dates during the year and bits of info about what happened on that day.