Controlling women are a recurring theme in my life. Add to this a love of history. And so when I found the book Bess of Hardwick: First Lady of Chatsworth by Mary S. Lovell, I felt impelled to read it. It is said that only when a lesson is learned, does an issue stop recurringContinue reading “Controlling Women in History and Life: Bess of Hardwick and Tudor England”
Category Archives: history
The Curious Tale of a Rediscovered King, a DNA Trail and What It Tells Us of the Nature of Truth
“There were a lot of nasty rumours spread about me,” says Horrible Histories actor Jim Howick in his hilarious portrayal of King Richard III. “Tudor propaganda, it’s all absurd. Time to tell the truth about Richard III.” Who was he? “That King they found in the car park in Leicester”. This will have been theContinue reading “The Curious Tale of a Rediscovered King, a DNA Trail and What It Tells Us of the Nature of Truth”
A Pilgrimage By Steam to The Shrine of a Martyr in Canterbury Cathedral
“This world nis but a Thurghfare ful of wo And we ben Pilgrimes passinge to and fro.” So says Chaucer’s Knight, towards the end of his tale as recounted by Geoffrey Chaucer, the author of The Canterbury Tales. Gloomy those words may be, but they totally belie the racy, colourful and much-loved tales told byContinue reading “A Pilgrimage By Steam to The Shrine of a Martyr in Canterbury Cathedral”
The Holocaust: Why the Stories of the Survivors and Their Descendents Must Be Told Again and Again – And Why Every New Generation Must Listen
Today – Sunday 27th January 2013 – is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Many will be writing and talking about it. So why do I feel I must add my voice to theirs? Because, over the years I’ve read many books on the Holocaust and by survivors and by survivors’ children. I’ve listened to their stories,Continue reading “The Holocaust: Why the Stories of the Survivors and Their Descendents Must Be Told Again and Again – And Why Every New Generation Must Listen”
Darkness into Light: Celtic Spirituality
Heart of Darkness, Sharing the Darkness, embracing the darkness – the archetypal theme of darkness versus light is ever-present in our lives, through books, movies, media, faith, life experience. Last week – on the night of the full moon – I was at a Celtic Christian service in the 13th century church at Morton Bagot,Continue reading “Darkness into Light: Celtic Spirituality”
Mind Programming: What is the Central Desire of Your Life? And Who Put It There?
IN a recent episode of the BBC Drama Series “Merlin” we saw Guinevere being “brainwashed” by Morgana. Now Arthur’s beautiful queen (who was previously all goodness) is in Morgana’s power,and doing her will. Although of course she did use the full force of her magical powers as well, Morgana used long-established brainwashing techniques on Guinevere.Continue reading “Mind Programming: What is the Central Desire of Your Life? And Who Put It There?”
A Man We Owe Our Freedom To
On a recent visit to the Churchill War Rooms in London, I experienced in my imagination what it would have been like to work as part of Winston Churchill’s team underground during the Second World War. As I walked through the offices and passed the displays and spent time in the Churchill Museum, I wasContinue reading “A Man We Owe Our Freedom To”
Skillman & Sons: The Tool Shop Opposite the Woolwich Ferry – and Traditional Britain Reborn
The London postal service once had to deliver a letter from India addressed as follows: “The tool shop opposite the Woolwich Ferry London” It arrived safely at its destination: A.D. Skillman & Sons, 108 Woolwich High Street, London SE18. Skillman and Sons of Woolwich (founded by my grandfather Alfred Daniel in 1900) was a bywordContinue reading “Skillman & Sons: The Tool Shop Opposite the Woolwich Ferry – and Traditional Britain Reborn”
Musings From a Saxon Sanctuary – A Lesson of History: Success or Failure Turns on Quirks of Fate
Hidden in the heart of rural Warwickshire is a Saxon Sanctuary I only recently discovered. It’s in St Peter’s Church at Wootton Wawen, situated between Henley-in-Arden and Stratford-upon-Avon. In the Lady Chapel, an exhibition tells the story of Wagen’s woodland village in the Forest of Arden. Wagen was a Saxon lord who owned the landContinue reading “Musings From a Saxon Sanctuary – A Lesson of History: Success or Failure Turns on Quirks of Fate”
Offerings to the Water Spirit
“If there is magic on the planet it is contained in the water” (Loren Eiseley – American anthropologist, philosopher & natural science writer). I’m led to reflect on this every time I come upon a pool of water in a public place – whether that be the pool in the Princess of Wales Conservatory at Kew,Continue reading “Offerings to the Water Spirit”
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