English Archers
An Italian cleric, Dominic Mancini, visited England in 1482-3. What impressed him during his visit were the archers. “Their bows and arrows are thicker and longer than those used by…
Remembering The Titanic
It was 11.40 pm , on April 14, 1912, when the warning call came from the crow’s nest of the Titanic. Immediately, the liner swung to port – but not…
The Suffragettes attack London
The have been a few attacks on the Houses of Parliament, this one was one of the less threatening. Helen Atkinson describes how the pre-war suffragettes took their cause to…
Dinner Parties and The Brothers Egbert
Not all the hosts of Edwardian parties belonged to the ‘haut ton’. What matter, if they had money to burn? There was never a lack of ‘convives.’ In ‘The Melodies…
Cnut the Great
Cnut the Great (c. 985 or 995 – 12 November 1035), also known as Canute, was a king of Denmark, England, Norway and parts of Sweden. Though after the death of his heirs within a decade of…
Charles Rolls Tragic Accident
The early aviators – or aeronauts, as they were called – certainly took their lives in their hands, The Bournemouth meeting of 1910 was marred by the death of one…
The Advent of the Aeroplane
In his wonderful book, ‘Before the lamps went out’, Wingfield Stratford describes the early days of aviation from his unique view point. Charles Rolls “In 1908, the long expected advent…
Queen Mary and German Goods
This nice little story was inserted into the Eastbourne Gazette on 18th November 1914.It captures the early mood of the nation just a few months after the war had begun.…
The Death of William Rufus
William II (1056 – 2 August 1100), the third son of William I of England, was King of England from 1087 until 1100. William is commonly known as William Rufus, perhaps because of his red-faced appearance. …
The Gallipoli Landing
Today 25th April 2012 is the 97th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings. In the excellent book “Over There” with the Australians by R. Hugh Knyvett, there is a fantastic description of…