The Harsh Reality of Life As A Climbing Boy
Join me on The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog today, where I’m taking a look at the harsh reality of life as a climbing boy (Warning! It’s not for the faint-hearted)
Tewkesbury – The Town That Bought an Abbey
Last week saw me on my travels again, this time to the historic Cotswold town of Tewkesbury, which lies at the confluence of the rivers Severn and Avon. It was the scene of a decisive battle in 1471, when the House of York defeated the House of Lancaster in the Battle of the Roses. But […]
Work and Play in Falmouth
Last week I enjoyed a short break in one of my favourite places — Falmouth, Cornwall. Why do I love Falmouth? Lots of reasons, not least the wonderful feeling I get of being somewhere on the edge of an adventure. Falmouth was after all the jumping off point for many people travelling to different parts […]
A Quick Trip to Mechelen
Just a short post today. Earlier this week I visited Mechelen, a city close to Brussels in the Belgian region of Flanders. Mechelen has also been known as Mechlin (English) and Malines (French). It was just a flying visit as, having set off reasonably early on Tuesday morning to drive there via Eurotunnel, we didn’t […]
The British Royal Navy and the Peninsular Campaign
A major contributing factor to Wellington’s success in his Peninsular Campaign was the role played by the British Royal Navy. The British economy at the time of the Napoleonic Wars was based on trade, insurance, and financial services. Portugal, and access to its colony of Brazil, was crucial to Britain’s commercial interests. British woollen goods […]
Mary Nisbet, Countess of Elgin
This post first appeared on the English Historical Fiction Authors blogspot I expect most people will have heard of the Elgin Marbles and the controversy surrounding them. The focus of their story has always been Thomas Bruce, the 7th Earl of Elgin and 11th Earl of Kincardine, and whether he acquired the marbles illegally. But […]
A Taste of Lisbon and Sintra
I thought I’d share with you a little bit more about my recent trip to Lisbon.Apart from the one day tour we’d booked months previously with the British Historical Society of Portugal, husband and I didn’t have any set plans. However, enticed by our hotel receptionist, we signed up for another guided tour, this one […]
Falmouth and the Packet Ships
Researching for my next book, I’ve discovered a lot about the Falmouth Packet Service, and thought I’d share it with you here. The ‘King’s Post’ had been an established entity for some years, set up to carry mail such as State letters and dispatches both on inland routes and internationally to and from Great Britain. […]
A Brief Tour of the Lines of Torres Vedras
After a packed morning visiting the sites of the first two battles of Wellington’s Peninsular campaign (read about that here), we headed off in the afternoon with our excellent guide Mark Crathorne, to discover some of the forts that make up the Lines of Torres Vedras. Wellington, or Wellesley, as he then was, always thinking […]