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GABRIELLE BY CHANEL – Elizabeth Fremantle ponders on the ugly side of beauty
The other day a promoted Tweet landed in my Twitter feed. These unasked-for, supposedly targeted, advertisements are usually little more than an annoyance but this one drew my attention. 'For Gabrielle...
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‘Algernon and Ernest’s Excellent Adventure’ by Lesley Downer
In October 1866 a young man called Algernon Mitford arrived in Japan. ‘I found myself in a world younger by six centuries than that which I had left behind,’ he recalled. Like the eponymous heroes of...
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A Brief Lighthouse History
by Marie-Louise JensenWithin a short stretch of coast on the very northern tip of Jutland, there are three lighthouses. Two are decommissioned, the third is still active. They are a remarkable glimpse...
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Marianne North - plant painter!
My last few posts have been about plant hunters. This is not unconnected with the fact that I have a children's book about plant hunters coming out at the end of the month - it's called Jack Fortune...
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A TIME OF FIGS by Dianne Hofmeyr.
Penny Dolan says: I came across Dianne Hofmeyr's beautiful post on another blog and immediately wanted to share her words, thoughts and images with everyone here, so thank you very much, Dianne, for...
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Why Historians are Hoarders by Sarah Gristwood
Blame it on too many women’s mags, but I started sorting out the other day. Not before time - the piles of papers had reached the point where we burrowed between them like tunnellng moles. But that...
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What does ‘Roman’ mean to you? by Alison Morton
Signifer, National Roman Legion Museum, CarleonTraditionally, Rome was founded in 753 BC. It grew into one of the largest empires in the ancient world with roughly 20% of the world’s population and an...
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WICKHAM: NOT JUST “A PRETTY TOWNLET”
In recent History Girls posts, I have written several times about the history of the Meon Valley. The motivation for my posts is simply that this area of Hampshire, as well as being where I live, is...
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How to win a short story competition by Imogen Robertson
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Lincoln in The Bardo by Catherine Hokin
"Mary Lincoln's health had never been good and the loss of young Willie ended her life as a functional wife and mother.""A Mother's Trial: Mary Lincoln and the Civil War" by Jayne Coster"Where was her...
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STAND UP, WOMEN (AND MEN) MAKE YOUR CHOICE by Leslie Wilson
Here I am, with my dog, on the remnants of what was known as RAF Greenham Common, though, in common with many other nuclear weapons bases in the UK, it was actually the US airforce who lived on the...
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MY RESEARCH BOOKS by Elizabeth Chadwick
A brief blog this month as by the time you read this, I shall be in South Wales taking a partial break but also researching locations for my latest work in progress, The Irish Princess.I am sure...
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Lamb House, Rye by Miranda Miller
On a recent visit to Rye I was very excited to visit this beautiful early eighteenth century house. Henry James is one of my favourite novelists and he lived in Lamb House for most of the year from...
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A visit to Marseille and its stunning MuCEM, by Carol Drinkwater
Museum and FortAlthough I live but an hour's drive from Marseille, France's principle Mediterranean port and second largest city, I do not...
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Queen Alexandra and her Brownie camera by Janie Hampton
Lord & Lady Landsdowne and Lady de Grey take tea with theEarl of Pembroke at Wilton House, Wiltshire.One of my favourite jumble sale books is Queen Alexandra’s Christmas Gift Book, Photographs from...
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A Historical Mystery by Lynne Benton
In December 1926 a news item shook the country: WHERE IS AGATHA? Agatha Christie, the famous crime writer, had disappeared one night in mysterious circumstances. She left her car and her coat at a...
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History is written by the winners by Sally Nicholls
Our September guest is Sally Nicholls. She was born in Stockton, just after midnight, in a thunderstorm. Her novels for children and young adults include Ways to Live Forever and An Island of Our Own...
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September Competition
To win a copy of Sally Nicholls' Things a Bright Girl can do, answer the following question in the Comments section below.Then send a copy of your answer to maryhoffman@maryhoffman.co.uk so that I have...
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St Michael and his Mounts
Last month I was in Cornwall, in the romantically-named Marazion, right opposite St. Michael's Mount. We visited it twice (not for the first time), once by walking the causeway and once by boat.And a...
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A conference! Australia and historical fiction, by Gillian Polack
My special event for September was the Historical Novel Society of Australasia’s conference. Every two years it happens and every two years it’s very special. I had to skip the evening events, because...
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