Category Archives: science

Jodrell Bank Observatory, England’s First “Proper” Space Observatory

With all the recent news stories on UFOs and aliens, I thought it might be interesting to explore one of the early observatories. — that of Jodrell Bank. The observatory was originally called the Jodrell Bank Experimental Station. It is … Continue reading

Posted in British history, buildings and structures, exploration, history, inventions, real life tales, science | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Jodrell Bank Observatory, England’s First “Proper” Space Observatory

History of The Odiham Agricultural Society and the Release of “Mr. Darcy’s Bet”

Britain’s first veterinary college has its roots in Hampshire’s Odiham Agricultural Society, formed on 16 May 1783 for the purpose of encouraging local development of industry and agriculture. Livestock breeding and management was very important to this group. The activities … Continue reading

Posted in book excerpts, book release, British history, Church of England, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, history, Jane Austen, Living in the UK, medieval, Pride and Prejudice, publishing, real life tales, science, Vagary, Wales, world history, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

How Did Smith Brothers Cough Drops Get Its Name?

William (Trade) and Andrew (Mark) were the sons of James Smith, who moved his family from St. Armand, Quebec, to Poughkeepsie, New York in 1847. A carpenter by trade, Smith meant to open a restaurant, Smith’s Dining Saloon, in his … Continue reading

Posted in American History, business, medicine, science | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Jane Austen’s Problematic Health, a Guest Post from Kyra Kramer

This post originally appeared on Austen Authors in December 2017. Predicting the due date of a pregnancy is a matter of guesswork, even in these modern times. Babies are notorious for following their own schedule rather than the convenience of … Continue reading

Posted in British history, family, food, food and drink, Georgian England, Guest Post, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, medicine, real life tales, Regency personalities, research, science | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Jane Austen’s Problematic Health, a Guest Post from Kyra Kramer

A Fascinating Flight into the Unknown, a Guest Post from Heather King

A Fascinating Flight into the Unknown ~ Hot-Air Balloons When I start a new novel or even a blog post, I am prone to falling down research rabbit holes in the pursuit of historical fact. With my most recent release, … Continue reading

Posted in book release, books, exploration, Guest Post, historical fiction, history, reading, reading habits, real life tales, research, romance, science | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on A Fascinating Flight into the Unknown, a Guest Post from Heather King

Victorian Personality: William Hulton, Industrial Strategist or Hard Task Master?

William Hulton (23 October 1787 – 5 April 1864) was an English landowner and magistrate who lived at Hulton Park, in the historic county of Lancashire, England. Hulton was the son of William Hulton and Jane (née Brooke). He was … Continue reading

Posted in British history, Great Britain, Living in the UK, political stance, real life tales, science, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Victorian Personality: William Hulton, Industrial Strategist or Hard Task Master?

Do You Remember When? America Entered the Space Race…

There was a time when we Americans clung to our TV sets to watch our first astronauts accomplish what we thought no man could. I recall standing in my yard and staring up into the October (1957) sky to look … Continue reading

Posted in Do You Remember?, science, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Victorian Astronomer, Francis Baily

Francis Baily (28 April 1774 – 30 August 1844) was an English astronomer, most famous for his observations of ‘Baily’s beads’ during an eclipse of the Sun. Life Baily was born at Newbury in Berkshire in 1774 to Richard Baily. … Continue reading

Posted in British history, Great Britain, Living in the UK, real life tales, science, Victorian era | Tagged , , | 2 Comments