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'Christmas - Ritual and Remembrance' by A L Berridge
We used to have my grandparents over for Christmas Day. I didn’t realize my grandfather was nearly blind or that his deafness dated from the Somme, and can only remember the frustration of watching...
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Seasonal Drinking by Imogen Robertson
My Dad making sure Christmas goes smoothly.I’m glad to say that my family tend to get on very well, particularly at Christmas. After considering this for some years, I’ve decided it’s because we start...
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A Book of Beasts by Kate Lord Brown
Choosing a book for a reading at the newly opened Doha Children's Library, it was hard to select from the well-loved, (read: torn, chewed, scribbled on), selection on our shelves. I narrowed it down to...
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POSTCARDS FROM EDWARDIAN ANTRIM, by Leslie Wilson
When my mother-in-law was clearing out her house, prior to going into sheltered housing, she said to my husband and me, who were there for a visit: 'Fetch that out from the wardrobe. That's Mammy's...
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IF IT'S CHRISTMAS IT MUST BE CHINON... the festive season itinerary for Henry II
Medieval kings, especially Angevin ones were a busy, peripatetic bunch. If they stayed in the same place more than a week it was a miracle. The task of government in the Angevin period was a hands on...
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A MYSTERY HISTORY CRACKER from Eleanor Updale
MERRY CHRISTMAS!Here we are again. It's the History Girls' third Christmas, and if you are stuck for something to read, you could do worse than to work your way backwards through the hundreds of posts...
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A BEAN FEAST FIT FOR A KING… FEVES – Dianne Hofmeyr
If you buy a cake on 6th of January, chew carefully, you might find a porcelain charm in your mouth. I’m jumping ahead to the 6th to the feast of Epiphany when the arrival of the three kings, la fete...
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Someday I'll Fly Away . . . . by Louisa Young
Plans changing . . . requirements shifting . . . online flight-change situation . . . £35 - no that's £35 per flight . . . yes per person . . . arrival time . . . onward journey . . . baggage . . ....
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'Joyeux Noel', by Clare Mulley
Earlier this month I was invited to contribute to a three-hour festive marathon; Channel 5’s ‘Greatest Ever Christmas Movies’ special, which was shown on Christmas Eve. As I went in to the studios,...
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Authority and Authenticity by Elizabeth Wein
Photo: David HoOur December guest is Elizabeth Wein and we are thrilled to welcome her to the blog. Elizabeth's Code Name Verity, shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal, was hard-hitting and unusual,...
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My Mysterious Mayan Shell - Katherine Langrish
Here's one for our Cabinet of Curiosities. I would be very glad to know what this is.Well, in a sense I know what it is. It's part of a very large shell, engraved with Mayan figures and glyphs. I...
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Open to UK residents only - sorry!To win one of five copies of Elizabeth Wein's Rose Under Fire, please answer the following question in the Comments section below:What's the most convincing historical...
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A big fanfare by Mary Hoffman
This is a really big day on the History Girls blog, so I hope you are not too hungover to focus! I can now announce with great excitement that we have produced our first ever publication. Daughters of...
View ArticleNormal service will be resumed tomorrow
Lucy Inglis, the History Girl whose post should go up today, is without reliable Internet access because of storms. Bear with us and you will be able to read Lucy's post next month.ThanksMary Hoffman
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Christmas songs - like 'em or loathe 'em? by Eve Edwards
Now the New Year has arrived and we are packing away the tinsel and glitter, I wanted to ask if you have a favourite or a hated Christmas song? If so, I'd like to hear about it because something...
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A Teenager at Work in 1960 by Ann Turnbull
I had just turned seventeen when I started work in London in 1960.I'd spent the past four years at technical school on a commercial course. This involved shorthand and typing, general studies and...
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January: a Whistle Stop Tour - Joan Lennon
It's January, when many of us heave a sigh of relief that the (relentlessly) festive season has passed again, more or less successfully, and we can subside, stroll or leap (depending on mood) back into...
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Popular History Posts - Katherine Roberts
Just think what I could have done with a blog...My thoughts on blogging range from "what a great way to reach readers all over the world!" to "complete waste of time" depending on my current mood and...
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THAT WOMAN by Anne Sebba. A review by Adèle Geras
What do you know about the Duchess of Windsor? Probably you think you know quite a lot. Certainly the story of the King's Abdication in 1936 has been the subject of so many tv and movie variants that...
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'Fantastic New Diet - Deep-fried Brawn!' by Karen Maitland
You always know Christmas is over and the New Year has arrived, because the annual ritual is announced – the latest initiative from the government to make us all lose weight and eat healthily. Will our...
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