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Penny Hampson

Tewkesbury – The Town That Bought an Abbey

October 8th, 2019

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 […]

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A Quick Trip to Mechelen

September 7th, 2019

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 […]

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The British Royal Navy and the Peninsular Campaign

September 1st, 2019

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 […]

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Mary Nisbet, Countess of Elgin

August 13th, 2019

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 […]

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A Brief Tour of the Lines of Torres Vedras

July 15th, 2019

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 […]

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A Skirmish and Two Battles – All in One Day

June 28th, 2019

Last week was the start of a great adventure for me. I’d gritted my teeth and made the decision to fly to Lisbon. It wasn’t the destination that bothered me, but the method of travel — I confess, I’m a very nervous passenger. Anyway, I’m so glad I overcame my fears because I had a […]

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A Trip to Worcester: Art and Architecture

May 11th, 2019

The other day husband and I made our first visit to Worcester, a lovely, small cathedral city in the Midlands, skirted on its western side by the River Severn. The weather wasn’t great, but at least the rain wasn’t torrential. First stop, after finding a parking space, was the Tourist Information Centre on the High […]

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Austen, Heyer and Regency Romance

April 18th, 2019

No post today, but read my thoughts on Jane Austen on Tom Williams’ blog here

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Drawing the Past: Hugh Thomson, Illustrator

April 4th, 2019

I might have mentioned previously that one of my favourite illustrators for the works of Jane Austen is C. E. Brock (1870-1938). Several weeks ago, during my visit to Bath, I was fortunate to find an edition of Pride and Prejudice illustrated by Brock, and snapped it up. Happily, it did not cost a lot. […]

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