Tastes Of History
On This Day: Mary, Queen of Scots beheaded
February 8th, 1587: After 19 years of imprisonment, Mary Queen of Scots is beheaded at Fotheringhay Castle. Why? Fotheringhay Castle was...
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Tastes Of History
Feb 1, 2022
On This Day: 'Crusoe' rescued
February 1st, 1709: Alexander Selkirk, believed to be the inspiration for Daniel Defoe’s 1719 novel ‘Robinson Crusoe’, was rescued after...
Tastes Of History
Jan 29, 2022
On This Day: The VC introduced
January 29th, 1856: The Victoria Cross is introduced. In 1854, after 39 years of peace, Britain found itself fighting a major war against...
Tastes Of History
Jan 17, 2022
Ludi: ancient Mesopotamian games
The Royal Game of Ur, also known as the ‘Game of Twenty Squares’, is a two-player strategy race board game first played in ancient...
Tastes Of History
Jan 13, 2022
Being Anglo-Saxon
The BBC’s series ‘Digging for Britain’ has returned to screens this month. Hosted by Prof Alice Roberts (pictured), the programme...
Tastes Of History
Jan 12, 2022
On This Day: Agatha Christie's final chapter
January 12th, 1976: Crime writer Agatha Christie dies aged 85. In her posthumously published Autobiography, she briefly details her...
Tastes Of History
Jan 7, 2022
On This Day: Catherine of Aragon dies
January 7th, 1536: Catherine of Aragon, first of Henry VIII’s six wives, dies. It is said that Henry dressed all in yellow, with a white...
Tastes Of History
Jan 6, 2022
On This Day: Harold crowned King
January 6th, 1066: Harold Godwinson, formerly Earl of Wessex, is crowned king of England in Westminster Abbey. Harold was born in the...
Tastes Of History
Jan 3, 2022
Cleopatra Ptolemy VII
Cleopatra VII was the last ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty, ruling Egypt from 51 BC - 30 BC. She is celebrated for her beauty and her love...
Tastes Of History
Dec 31, 2021
On This Day: Catherine of Braganza and tea
December 31st, 1705: Catherine of Braganza, widow of Charles II whom she had married in 1662, died in Lisbon, Portugal. Most notably,...
Tastes Of History
Dec 30, 2021
On This Day: Yes, we have bananas
December 30th, 1945, a cold Sunday morning, saw the cargo ship Tilapa docked in Bristol. It was carrying the first bananas to be seen in...
Tastes Of History
Dec 28, 2021
Dispelling Some Myths: Woad
It is widely held, and oft repeated, that ancient Britons, and most especially the Picts, painted or tattooed their bodies with Woad. We...
Tastes Of History
Dec 27, 2021
On This Day: London's coffee houses closed
December 27th, 1675: A Royal Proclamation orders the closure of all coffee houses in London because they are seen as hotbeds of...
Tastes Of History
Dec 24, 2021
On This Day: The first air raid
December 24th, 1914: A German seaplane carried out the first air raid on British soil, dropping bombs on Dover. There were no casualties....
Tastes Of History
Dec 17, 2021
A Brief History of Food: Coffee
Origins Exactly how and when coffee was discovered is uncertain. A legend of its stimulating effects being identified in Ethiopia is...
Tastes Of History
Dec 17, 2021
On This Day: King excommunicated
December 17th, 1538: Henry VIII is excommunicated by Pope Paul III. Henry brought religious upheaval to England. When he became king,...
Tastes Of History
Dec 16, 2021
On This Day: Catherine of Aragon born
December 16th, 1485: Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of Henry VIII, was born in Alcala de Henares, Spain. Like all kings at the time...
Tastes Of History
Dec 15, 2021
Paranormal thinking?
Somehow we got talking about ghosts a couple of days ago. We were both reminded of working at Tutbury Castle in Staffordshire and how it...
Tastes Of History
Dec 14, 2021
Dispelling Some Myths: Sweeney Todd
Fact or Fiction? Despite some believing he was a real person, the murderous ‘Barber of Fleet Street’, Sweeney Todd, is in fact an...
Tastes Of History
Dec 7, 2021
Dispelling Some Myths: Would Mediaeval archers really shoot 12 arrows a minute?
‘Welsh & English longbowman used a single-piece longbow to deliver arrows that could penetrate contemporary plate armour and mail. The...
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