Category Archives: real life tales

Rotten Row: How This Fashionable Place Earned Such an Unusual Name?

Posted on May 9, 2018 by

During the Regency Era one of the places to see and be seen was a broad stretch of track running along the south side of Hyde Park in London. It was known as Rotten Row, not a very enticing name … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Living in the Regency, real life tales, research, travel, vocabulary, word origins | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Cambridge Five: “We need people who could penetrate into the bourgeois institutions. Penetrate them for us!”

Posted on April 25, 2018 by

 If you are a great lover of all things British, as am I, you are likely familiar with the BBC2 mini-series, Cambridge Spies. It starred four of my personal favorites: Toby Stephens, Rupert Penry Jones, Tom Hollander, and Samuel West. … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, British history, film, history, military, political stance, real life tales, war, world history | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Scandal Abounds in Brocket Hall’s History

Posted on April 23, 2018 by

The official Brocket Hall website tells us, “Brocket Hall has one of the most intriguing of any of the great houses of Britain. Indeed the scent of scandal can be found in the fabric of the building back to its … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, buildings and structures, George IV, Georgian England, Georgian Era, peerage, real life tales, Victorian era, William IV | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Fleet Prison Marriages of the 1700s

Posted on April 18, 2018 by

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 , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

A Walk in Jane Austen’s Shoes, a Guest Post from Sophie Turner

Posted on April 13, 2018 by

This post originally appeared on Austen Authors on February 16, 2018. I thought you might enjoy the lovely images Ms. Turner shares.  My series on resort towns and my travels has thus far only tangentially touched on Jane Austen, but … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Georgian England, Guest Post, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, real life tales, Regency era, Regency personalities | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Very Real” Estate ~ Whitehaven, A Port City on England’s Western Coastline

Posted on April 11, 2018 by

Whitehaven is a Georgian town situated on the west coast of Cumbria. It was one of the first post-Renaissance planned towns in England. At the end of the 16th Century, Whitehaven consisted of less than a dozen thatched cottages. By … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, British history, buildings and structures, Living in the UK, real life tales | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Thomas Tompion, “The Father of English Clockmaking”

Posted on April 4, 2018 by

I have a dear friend who is really into antiques, and I must tell you that she is a wealth of knowledge — a tap I often go to for just that special touch in a story, but I will … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, inventions, real life tales, research, world history | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments