I don’t really know why we went to Clun. It was there, of course, which I suppose is some sort of a reason to go anywhere at least once. Was the name vaguely familiar? It has a ruined castle, anyway,…
A bit about Bede
A Bit About Britain often refers to ‘Bede’. It occurred to me the other day that some of my readers may not know who – or what – this means. Which, frankly, is fair enough. Thus, for the benefit of…
St Martin’s and Rupert Bear
The Venerable Bede tells us that, in 597 AD (1425 years ago in 2022), St Augustine landed on the Isle of Thanet, in Kent, with some forty companions. Their purpose was to spread the news of eternal joy in heaven…
The Hospital of St Cross
The Hospital of St Cross and Almshouse of Noble Poverty, to give the institution its full name, is almost nine centuries old and said to be England’s oldest charitable body. Never heard of it? Neither had I – until reading…
A visit to Whitby
Whitby, one of Yorkshire’s go-to seaside towns, conjures up so many images: the ruined abbey, dominating the skyline and old harbour, tales of Captain Cook, Dracula, the semi-precious Whitby Jet, days by the seaside – and, of course, fish ‘n’…
Britain’s High Days and Holidays – Smorgasbord Book Review
The lovely Sally Cronin has published a review of ‘A Bit About Britain’s High Days and Holidays’ on her Smorgasbord Blog Magazine. “This book is not only an entertaining and informative guide to the history of the high days and…
High Days and Holidays
Just published and available from Amazon – A Bit About Britain’s High Days and Holidays. High Days and Holidays are special occasions, celebrations, or commemorations. They occur throughout the year, some wanted, some not, some remembered more than others. In…
The Mousetrap
Among the many temporarily closures due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) was The Mousetrap. All of you luvvies out there, plus one or two others, will know that ‘The Mousetrap’ is a play. But it isn’t just any old performance; it…
Walking around Oxford
I’m not easily given to hyperbole; I’ve told you that a million times. But it is genuinely hard to think of a British town that can be quite so achingly beautiful as Oxford. Perhaps I should qualify that by saying…
A Christmas Carol – a ghost story of Christmas
“I have endeavoured in this Ghostly little book, to raise the Ghost of an Idea, which shall not put my readers out of humour with themselves, with each other, with the season, or with me. May it haunt their houses…
Coleridge’s Cottage
We went to see Coleridge’s Cottage because it was there. Apart from driving through Bridgwater it wasn’t a painful experience, though I can’t say it was particularly exciting either. However, it does have what the National Trust accurately describes as…
What does Gawthorpe Hall remind you of?
The first sight of Gawthorpe Hall may strike a chord with fans of Downton Abbey, the period soap-opera that follows the fortunes of the Crawley family and those that serve them. I’m sure those of the true Fellowes’ faith will…
Sally’s Cafe and Bookstore – New Book on the Shelves – A Bit about Britain’s History by Mike Biles — Smorgasbord Blog Magazine
Got a lovely mention on Sally’s Cafe and Bookstore at Smorgasbord Blog Magazine…
Hunting Hobbits in Lancashire
Middle Earth is in Lancashire; it’s official. Just as Beatrix Potter was inspired by the Lake District, Thomas Hardy by his native Dorset and AA Milne, in a manner of speaking, found Pooh in Ashdown Forest, so JRR Tolkien is…