The Past brought to Life
September 3rd was Cromwell’s Lucky Day. This was because it was the date of two of his most famous victories. On September 3rd 1658 he refused to accept that he was dying because it was his lucky day. Unluckily, he was wrong. The Battle of Dunbar September 3rd 1650 After the execution of King Charles …
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Sunday 29th February 2021 The Walk creates a portrait of London in the early 16th Century. It has a particular emphasis on the life and times of Thomas Cromwell and Thomas More who feature in Wolf Hall, the novel by Hilary Mantel. Listen to the Tour Podcast (6 min 55) The Virtual Tour will start …
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Thomas More & Thomas Cromwell’s London – The City of Wolf Hall 14:30 Sat 25th Jan 2020 Liverpool Street Station The Walk creates a portrait of London in the early 16th Century, with particular emphasis on the life and times of Thomas Cromwell and Thomas More. More and Cromwell had much in common, despite being …
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First Reference to April Fools Day The first unambiguous British reference to April Fools Day is by diarist John Aubrey’s “Fooles holy day” in 1686 – although he might have been referring to Germany. ‘We observe it on ye first of April… And so it is kept in Germany everywhere.’ For more details read hoaxes.org. …
The day after the Equinox we look at the cardinal points of the compass: “chief, pivotal,” early 14c., from Latin cardinalis “principal, chief, essential,” (online etymological dictionary). The Importance of South On its annual cycle, the Sun is always on the move. At the Equinox the Sun now rises due East, and sets due West. …
Continue reading “The Wandering Cardinal Points & Digital Heritage March 21st”
John Evelyn is, with Pepys and Wren, one of the great figures of 17th Century London. Unlike Pepys, he was an avowed Royalist who hated Oliver Cromwell and all he stood for. He went into exile with his King and gives a great description of Paris (see below). Like Pepys, John Evelyn was a diarist …
Gemini should be almost overhead in the Northern Hemisphere, and can be picked out by its two brightest starts, Castor and Pollux. The constellation can be seen from September to May. But between September to November it is only visible in the morning before sunrise. It is best viewed from January to March. For evening …
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‘I am this morning, admitted a student at the Royal Academy; the figure which I drew for admittance was the torso. I‘m now comfortably settled in Cecil Street, Strand number 23. I shall begin painting as soon as I have the loan of a sweet little picture by Jacob Ruysdael to copy. Since I have …
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January 30th is the anniversary of the execution of King Charles I. Today, he was beheaded as a murderer and traitor. Or as a Royalist would see it, it is the anniversary of the Martyrdom of Charles I. Thousands came to see the execution, amongst them Samuel Pepys. They crowded around the scaffold outside a …
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Every year the English Civil War Society commemorates the execution of King Charles I, Martyr, on the last Sunday in January. Charles was executed on January 30th. Please look at my post about the execution here. This year, I went to the Parade for the second time, and include some photos below. The reenactors met …
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