Category Archives: customs and tradiitons

June ~ the Month of Love and Marriage: Fleet Prison Marriages of the 1700s

Marriage ceremonies associated with the Fleet Prison is London were many in the mid to late 1700s. It is estimated that in the 1740s over half of London’s marriage ceremonies took place in “marriage shops” surrounding the Fleet Prison. By … Continue reading

Posted in British history, buildings and structures, Church of England, customs and tradiitons, Georgian England, Georgian Era, marriage, marriage customs, marriage licenses, real life tales, Scotland | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Dukes: a Dime a Dozen… British Peerages

Those of us who write historical romances love our dukes. We create them left and right. I have two, which is not a large number when one considers I have 67 novels available: Brantley Fowler from A Touch of Velvet: … Continue reading

Posted in Anglo-Normans, Anglo-Saxons, British history, customs and tradiitons, Georgian England, Georgian Era, kings and queens, legacy, Living in the UK, peerage, titles of aristocracy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

School Terms During the Regency Era + PreOrder of “The Colonel’s Ungovernable Governess” + a Giveaway

The above is an example of the school terms found in one of author Suzi Love’s books, but I wished to share it as a marker of when the children during Jane Austen’s England would have returned to school, and … Continue reading

Posted in book release, books, British history, customs and tradiitons, eBooks, Georgian England, Georgian Era, giveaway, Great Britain, historical fiction, holidays, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, Pride and Prejudice, publishing, reading, reading habits, real life tales, Regency era, Regency romance, religion, research, terminology, Vagary, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

March 25, Lady Day – What are the Quarter Days in UK?

In the Western liturgical year, Lady Day is the traditional name in some English-speaking countries of the Feast of the Annunciation, which is celebrated on 25 March, and commemorates the visit of the archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary, during … Continue reading

Posted in Act of Parliament, British history, Church of England, customs and tradiitons, England, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, history, holidays, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, medieval, Pride and Prejudice, real life tales, religion, research | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on March 25, Lady Day – What are the Quarter Days in UK?

Sadie Hawkins’ Day, not a Leap Year Event, But Fun, Nevertheless

(Image from Sadie Hawkins’ cards at http://www.postcards.org) When I was a teen girl, I enjoyed the school-sponsored Sadie Hawkins’ dances. We didn’t exactly go for the girl asking the boy to the dance (like a date). But we did follow some … Continue reading

Posted in America, American History, Appalachia, Austen Authors, customs and tradiitons, dancing, film, giveaway, history, holidays, legends and myths, marriage, marriage customs, Pop Culture, romance, tradtions | Tagged , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

The Film Adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Persuasion” (1995) ~ Part II

                “Persuasion is a 1995 period drama film directed by Roger Michell and baed on Jane Austen’s 1817 novel of the same name. In her theatrical film debut, the British actress Amanda Root … Continue reading

Posted in Austen actors, British history, customs and tradiitons, England, family, film, film adaptations, historical fiction, history, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, marriage, Persuasion | Tagged , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

St. Agnes Eve, a Plot Point in “A Dance with Mr. Darcy” + Excerpt

A major turning point in my latest Austen-inspired vagary, A Dance with Mr. Darcy, comes when Lydia convinces Elizabeth to join in the St  Agnes Eve festivities.  But who was St Agnes? And why would we still celebrate her? Meredith Ringel … Continue reading

Posted in book excerpts, book release, books, customs and tradiitons, eBooks, historical fiction, history, Jane Austen, legends, legends and myths, medieval, Pride and Prejudice, publishing, research, Scotland, Vagary | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 37 Comments

Tidbits Regarding Some of Your Favorite Christmas Traditions

Below are some facts associated with Christmas, but are rarely mentioned in common conversation. Did you know… Sir Henry Cole was the first to send out a Christmas card. The year was 1843. Cole bemoaned the number of letters he … Continue reading

Posted in Christmas, customs and tradiitons, food and drink, history, holidays | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

“Deck the Hall” with Music and History

I recently attended the local Christmas Parade for our rural community. You can keep your Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, for there is nothing better than watching young children scrambling for candy thrown by the various floats. Young, shining face, full … Continue reading

Posted in British history, customs and tradiitons, history, medieval, music, Scotland, Wales | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Very “Real” Estate: Vicars’ Close, Wells, Somerset, England

The oldest purely residential street in England is known as Vicars’ Close, which is located in Wells, Somerset, England, and dates from the mid 14th Century.  Planned by Bishop Ralph of Shrewsbury, at one time it was 42 separate houses, … Continue reading

Posted in architecture, British history, buildings and structures, customs and tradiitons, England, Great Britain, history, medieval, research | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment