Olympics and politics: Not Just a Game Anymore
On February 8th this year two events took place in London. In a crown court Harry Redknapp, manager of Tottenham...
18/05/2012
CULTURAL AND SOCIAL HISTORY
Tudors at play
Tudor England worked hard and played hard: “Sometimes their necks are broken, sometimes their backs, sometimes their legs, sometimes their...
10/04/2012
The mobster story
The “mob” –often called “the Mafia” –achieved mythic status in America thanks to movies, books, and the FBI. No expert...
06/03/2012
The executioner’s job in 18th and 19th century
Executioners were both heroes and villains. Those who carried out the death penalty on despicable crooks earned the support of...
14/01/2012
Has good King Wenceslas started it?
If you’re looking for something that explains the origins of Boxing Day, well, you’re not going to find it here....
26/12/2011
Food feasts in Ancient Rome
The festive consumption of food and drink was an important social ritual in the Roman world. Known in general terms...
17/12/2011
Crossroads burials – The resting place for suicides
Suicide used to be regarded as shocking and blasphemous, and a coroner’s verdict of “felo de se” – literally crime...
15/12/2011
Clan tartans are not an ancient Scottish tradition
While plaids are certainly an ancient Scottish tradition,the idea of clans having their own tartan is surprisingly modern. In 1829...
13/12/2011
Love and life in the court of King James IV of Scotland
James IV‘s love life was no secret to his people. Marion Boyd had borne him a son in 1493. Margaret...
11/12/2011
Wives and mothers in Tudor age
A Tudor marriage was usually a carefully orchestrated affair, be it for monarch or commoner – a business arrangement to...
01/12/2011