Dare Devils: Seventeenth Century Highwaymen by Deborah Swift Though legends of highwaymen are many, there is only one featuring a woman – Lady Katherine Fanshawe. Shadow on the Highway is the first instalment in her story, the real history which over the generations has become embroidered with myth, as have all the other highway stories. Lady Katherine was… Read on
Last Friday, the 1 August, we observed the 300th anniversary of the death of Queen Anne, the end of the Stuart dynasty and the beginning of the Georgian/Hanoverian period. 1714 was a major year in British and European history. In recent days, I have been pleasantly surprised at the number of people wanting to learn more about this… Read on
I’ve known Edna MacLoy for several years now and it is great pleasure to introduce her to you all today. I’m certain you will enjoy the post as much as I have. – A The Orange Way William III and the Glorious Revolution of 1688/1689 William of Orange, stadtholder of the Republic of the Seven United Provinces, landed… Read on
Yesterday on Hoydens and Firebrands, I submitted a short post about He Who Commissioned Castle Howard – Charles Howard, 3rd Earl of Carlisle. Following on from that post, which gives an overview about the life of the Charles Howard, I would like to share what I learned there this weekend and some photos from my visit, if I… Read on
I hope you all enjoyed our first selection for the 17th-Century Book Club, which was William Wycherley’s play, The Country Wife! This was the second time I read the play, and I wish I could have performed in it. I would like to apologise to you all for not having the forum up-and-running as I said I would, but… Read on
My Facebook friend, Francine Howarth invited me to partake in the fun of a blog/tag, which entails a questionnaire for a WIP (work in progress). The instigator of the on-going blog/tag is Debra Browne. Please have a look at the websites of my fellow invitees: Alison Stuart, Anna Belfrage. Questionnaire: 1) What is the name of your character? Is he/she fictional or… Read on
I bought a copy of The Serpent’s Kiss on my most recent trip to Blackpool on Tuesday. I remember watching it when I was a teenager back in 2002 (and in full Ewan McGregor crush phase). It is very similar to The Draughtsman’s Contract, which is not my favourite film because I found it too weird. This, however, is… Read on
On Friday I had the great honour of visiting the gorgeous, great Jacobean house, Aston Hall. What is Aston Hall, and why is it important? Well, let’s start off with the introduction from the official guide book, shall we? Aston Hall is a magnificent Grade I Listed Jacobean mansion sitting in a Grade II Listed Park…Constructed between 1618… Read on