Medieval Miracles, Medicine and Miscellany
Back in November, during the drinks reception ahead of our annual Stenton Lecture, I got chatting to our social media maven, Chessie Baldwin. Talk turned to History’s blog and what we’d be doing as our Christmas series this year …
Last year I shared three December entries from my great-grandfather’s War Time Signal Log on the Reading History blog.[*] Having come to a bit of a creative block with my writing this afternoon, I thought I would take a break from medieval medicine and return to the pages of Arthur John Pidgeon’s Log to see [...]
by Dr Ruth Salter 836 years ago, on a day much like this (possibly), Henry II was crowned at Westminster Abbey. His predecessor (and uncle), Stephen, had died just under two months earlier, much of his reign having been taken up by ‘The Anarchy’ – a civil war of succession following the death of Henry [...]
There are many indulgent foods that are synonymous with Christmas today, but two of the key ones must surely be chocolate and alcohol. True, the turkey and its trimmings are Christmas classics, but it’s those festive extras – the champagne at breakfast, and the mid-morning opening of the chocolate selection box… all of which will [...]
Feasting at King Arthur’s court. British Library MS. Royal 20 D.iv, f. 1r It was Christmas at Camelot, and there was the king with his leading lords and all his best soldiers, the famous company of the whole Round Table – celebrating in style: not a care in the world. Again and again strong men [...]
Ruth J. Salter 