Medieval aristocrats generally enjoyed hunting. They hunted using birds such as falcons to bring down prey as well as following the hounds to chase deer and boar. Tapestries and illustrations in medieval manuscript work testify to all of this. Also, in my own novels I include scenes with both kinds of hunt. For example, King Harold II is usually depicted … Read More
Dress To Impress
Whilst writing Tudor Sex and Sexuality I especially enjoyed researching provocative fashions for this era. The Tudors had strict fashion codes, including what colours and fabrics particular sections of society could not wear. The cod-piece was a fascinating aspect of this research. The Earl of Surrey, brooding and fashionable Young Renaissance men appear utterly gorgeous, jewelled and colourful in paintings … Read More
Elizabeth Cromwell and the Female Cloth Merchants of the Tudor Era
Elizabeth Cromwell and Female Cloth Merchants during the Early Tudor Era To celebrate the republication on Thursday 25th June of Mistress Cromwell, originally published as The Woman in the Shadows, I have written this article to explain the novel’s background. Mistress Cromwell is set in London during the first three decades of the Tudor Era. Some historians, including myself, … Read More
Paddy Leigh Fermor in Heidelberg
I have always admired the writing of Paddy Leigh Fermor. He lived in Kalamitsi a short distance from the village in the Mani where I base myself during the summer. I never did get to meet him but have twice visited the villa he designed himself and part constructed with the assistance of a Greek friend who was a local … Read More
Medieval English Gardens- The Paradise or Love Garden
Gardens and medieval estates are significant in my current work in progress. The Damask Rose is set during the later part of the magnificent thirteenth century. From the thirteenth century on, the medieval royal court was exceptionally interested in experimental gardening. The Tower of London and the Palace of Westminster possessed extensive gardens, orchards and vineyards. London was full of … Read More