Our interests are primarily British ancient and medieval, Stonehenge, Wessex, new archelogical digs but we're quite undiscriminating when it comes to British history and UK tourism, so we ’ll pretty much blather about anything that catches our eyes. We also intend to make a note of all the topically relevant books read, and a list of all the topically relevant books sitting in a pile glaring at us.
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LEADING experts on Stonehenge will be gathering in Salisbury to debate the monument’s purpose next weekend. The event, called Solving Stonehenge, is part of Salisbury & South Wiltshire Museum’s 150th anniversary conference on October 2 and 3, 2010 The main speakers will be Professor Tim Darvill, Professor Mike Parker Pearson, Mike Pitts and Julian Richards. [...]
Lacock named as European hotspot by TripAdvisor website A Wiltshire village has been named as Europe’s top up-and-coming destination by a tourism website. TripAdvisor UK says interest in Lacock, near Chippenham, has increased more than any other European hotspot over the past 12 months. A spokesperson for the website, which offers holiday and hotel reviews, [...]
Not since 1996, when England hosted the European Championships, has the country held a major sporting event. In 2012 that is set to change as London becomes the venue for the Olympic Games. Having hosted the Summer Olympics twice previously – in 1908 and 1948 – the English capital certainly has history with the event, [...]
Crop circles were revealed as a hoax almost 20 years ago, so why do so many people still flock to Wiltshire, convinced of their extraterrestrial powers? Wiltshire’s a beautiful county and it’s an idyllic Friday evening at the Barge Inn, Honeystreet. Boats are moored on the canal that runs past the pub, there’s a White [...]
Today is Wednesday, September 16th, the 265th day of 2010. There are 100 days left in the year. Highlights in history on this date: 1499 – Turks ravage Vicenza in Italy. 1550 – Holy Roman Empire fleet captures vessel Port of Africa at Mehedia in Tunis, naval headquarters of Turkish corsair Dragut. 1609 – The [...]
THESE beautiful Bronze Age gold bracelets are the highlights of finds at the site of a new road. The bracelets, nearly 3,000 years old, were spotted lying on top of a pile of earth dug up from a trench. Archaeologists are digging on the site of the planned road near Ramsgate, Kent, before builders move [...]
Pope Benedict will soon be arriving in the UK. I am surprised at the lack of tacky Papal souvenirs for sale on the streets of Britain. Past Papal visits in other countries have produced such wonders as this Pope Soap on Rope So in the spirit of his arrival, I offer you simple instructions on [...]
When Pope John Paul II arrived in 1982, he famously kissed the ground and declared: “Today, for the first time in history, a Bishop of Rome sets foot on English soil. This fair land, once a distant outpost of the pagan world, has become, through the preaching of the Gospel, a beloved and gifted portion [...]
They were crammed together and buried side by side, stripped of all clothing and personal possessions. Force of circumstance determined this most impersonal and undignified resting place. For the men buried in mass graves at a ruined York church were the soldiers of Oliver Cromwell’s Parliamentary army. Skeleton army: The remains found in York, one [...]
If you are heading northwards into Shakespeare country independantly, choose the route the Bard himself would have travelled. Stratford-upon-Avon from Chipping Norton through chocolate box Olde England When Shakespeare made his way from London to the family home in Stratford-upon-Avon, it is safe to assume he did not shove his quills in the boot of [...]
