Step Into The Story

Robert May, born in 1590, published his one and only cook book at the age of 70. It covered all the decades of his life, drawing on the changing styles of cookery in the 17th century and encompassing new culinary fashions, including those of the Restoration Court and at the tables of the rich. Many dishes were cooked in pastry cases to protect the contents from the heat of the hearth or oven. These cases were not for eating. But as kitchens improved and cooks became more inventive the pastry cases were adapted to become not merely decorative but also to be edible. Sweet dishes were also cooked in pastry to protect the delicate custard or cheese-based fillings from the fire. As a change from yet more pastry, here is a non-pastry based dessert. Rose Cream 1 pint double cream 3 tablespoons rose water 2 tablespoons caster sugar 5 leaves of gelatine Soak the gelatine in water for 5 minutes until it turns into a jelly. Put the jelly into a linen bag and squeeze it out. Place the rose water i...

Since the reign of Queen Anne (1702-1714) there have apparently been 37 Acts of Parliament regulating hackney carriages which are still supposedly in force for taxis today. 1. It is illegal to hail a cab whilst it is in motion. You should wait at the "place appointed." The taxi rank should also provide a water trough for the horses to have a drink. 2.The cab driver is supposed to ask you if you have any "notifiable diseases such as smallpox or the plague." As carrying sufferers is illegal, he should refuse any who look infected because if you die on the journey he will be committing the offence of carrying a corpse. 3. The law requiring a taxi to carry a bale of straw on top to feed the horse was only repealed in 1976, as was the requirement to have a nosebag of oats on the side of the cab. The stricture to have "sufficient foodstuffs for the horse" was in modern times interpreted as having enough diesel or petrol. 4. A cabby who drives too slowly could be...

It's that time again and this week the academic crush is an oldie but a goodie - the archaeological treasure that is the Time Team! From Phil Harding's questionably stained hat to Mick's woolly jumpers, what's not to love? There are those purists who say that Time Team has debased the academic discipline of archaeology with their three day timescale and their made-for-TV historical soundbites but Time Team have made archaeology accessible and fun for millions of people and surely that can only be a Good Thing. But there is a problem. Where is Time Team? The series has been a staple of the Sunday teatime schedule for as many years as I can remember, brightening up those dark winter evenings as nothing else can. So this year when January started and Time Team failed to materialise I was like an addict without my fix. Where has Time Team gone? Any news will be very gratefully received.

Above the back door of my house I have a horseshoe fixed to the wall. I knew that this was a good luck symbol but until very recently I had no idea that it was also a throwback to our ancestors' desire to protect their property against witches, ghosts, fairies and demons. Apertures such as windows and doors symbolised ways of entry and therefore the place where a house was vulnerable to bad spirits, so offerings would often be placed near doorways or under the front step. Other impressive charms to ward off witches include the basket found behind the hearth of a house that contained a candlestick, a goblet, two shoes and various very dead chickens. Witches were also believed to attack a house via the hearth and chimney so witch bottles were often found in these places. We found a witch bottle in our 17th century cottage in Somerset. It was buried inside the inglenook fireplace and contained a dark sludgy liquid that was probably a mixture of urine and blood. Apparently witch bottle...

Today the BBC News revealed that the true site of the Battle of Bosworth, 1485, has been discovered and apparently it is about a mile to the south of where it was previously thought to be. But does this really matter? By which I mean of course it matters in a factual, pin-down-the-location sort of way, but in a less tangible sense does it really matter? I visited Bosworth Field many years ago when I lived in Leicestershire. Except, of course, I didn't, because I was visiting a site that was a mile away from the correct one. Yet for me the experience of being at "Bosworth," the site where one of my heroes, Richard III, had been killed was one of the most powerful emotional and imaginative engagements with history that I had ever had. How many of us have visited battlefields and visualised what must have happened there in all its horror and heroism? How many of us have felt the atmosphere of a site like Bosworth make an unforgettable impression on us? I remember going to...

Do not read on if you dislike profanity because this is the extravagantly named Bastard Hall in the lovely historical town of Much Wenlock in Shropshire. Bastard Hall is a fabulous 15th century house currently up for sale for half a million pounds. It has oak panelling in the drawing room, plenty of exposed beams, inglenook fireplaces and a 16th century priest's hole. The original Bastard Hall is thought to date from the 12th century and when it burned down the current house was built on the same spot. The name Bastard Hall derives from Richard le Bastard who owned the house in 1267 and was the attorney to Wenlock Priory. The property later belonged to William Bastard, presumably a descendent of Richard's. Maybe they were more down to earth about their antecedents (or their characters!) in those days because a quick look through our local telephone directory didn't reveal anyone rejoicing in the surname Bastard in 2010. Incidentally, whilst researching the history of Bast...

OK, so I'm a day late with my Valentine posting (so many chocolate hearts to munch my way through!) but I think you'll agree that this must be one of the most aptly named places to visit on the 14th February! It's Sweetheart Abbey in Dumfries, Scotland. Sweetheart Abbey, or Dulce Cor, as the monks referred to it, was founded in 1273 by Lady Devorgilla in memory of her husband John Balliol who had died in 1268. So devoted was she to her late spouse that she carried his embalmed heart around with her in an ivory and silver casket. After her death she was buried in the abbey church with her husband's heart buried beside her. Some might find this gruesome, others an enduring tribute to the power of love! There's more about Sweetheart Abbey on the Undiscovered Scotland site .

As the new season at Ashdown House approaches I'm reminded of all the reasons why I enjoy working there. One of the main ones is that I always learn fascinating historical facts from our visitors. We get such a huge variety of people through the doors; history buffs, people with a connection to the Craven family, people whose ancestors worked at the house, and experts who have come to see the portrait collection or who are knowledgeable about 17th century architecture, or gardens or both or many other things. Here are three of the most interesting things that I have learned from Ashdown visitors: 1. That the rather idiosyncratic carved wooden heads on which the antlers are mounted were the accepted way to display hunting trophies in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. The science of taxidermy had not progressed to the stage of allowing the preservation of the entire stag's head so the antlers were removed, a wooden stag's head was carved and painted and the antlers we...

On my bookshelf at the moment: Wolf Hall, by Hilary Mantel, a big fat riot of a Tudor tapestry with a fascinating anti-hero in Thomas Cromwell. I want to LIVE in this book. Plus I'm learning such a lot as a writer from reading it. Bought: Destitute Yet Defiant by Sarah Morgan . Now, Sarah is one of my all time favourite authors and this book is superb. It grabbed me from the start and didn't let me go. I'm a total sucker for protector stories and I love this one! Moon Craving by Lucy Monroe . My order is in for this book! A sexy stay-up-all-night read, according to Romantic Times. I can't wait! So that's what I'm reading. What are you reading?

Today's historical hot spot is the Rufus Stone, deep in the heart of the New Forest in Hampshire. I had the pleasure of a week's holiday in the New Forest last month and it was absolutely wonderful; peaceful, relaxing, the perfect place to unwind and read lots of good books. We visited the Rufus Stone on a frosty morning when no one else was about. The forest has a very strong, historic atmosphere, and never more so than when standing on the spot where one of the least likeable of English kings was killed hundreds of years ago. According to the New Forest website, it was in this very place ( allegedly , but let's not spoil the story by quibbling over location) in 1100AD that William Rufus, son of William the Conqueror, was killed by an arrow whilst on a hunting expedition. No one like William II very much. Apparently he was given the nickname Rufus because he had red hair and a ruddy complexion but he also had a vile temper and treated people very badly. On August 2nd 1100 ...

It was a tricky choice for academic crush of the week this week as there are a couple of great history programmes on the BBC at the moment whose presenters were very much in the running. Eventually I decided to go for Dan Snow for his performance in Empire of the Seas: How The Navy Forged the Modern World on BBC 2. Kudos to the BBC for taking a different approach with this programme. There is no denying that the Beeb make wonderful history programmes but some of them are a bit samey . Looking at the history of Britain through the development of the Navy was a new perspective. Not only can Dan handle a boat with impressive skill but he managed to imbue the series with a patriotic fervour that was inspiring without being jingoistic. He didn't gloss over the failures and the losses either. And if some of the claims for the influence of the Royal Navy made me raise my eyebrows a little (I particularly liked the suggestion that the Navy was almost single-handedly responsible for the r...

This week's recipe is courtesy of the National Trust. It's a warming winter casserole and it dates from the 14th century. It serves 4, but sadly not 4 peasants because the ingredients would have been too expensive for them to buy. The recipe comes from the cooks of King Richard II who recorded their recipes on a parchment called The Forme of Cury, Cury being Old English for the word cooking. Casseroled Pigeon with Herbs and Spices Ingredients : 4 pigeons, 12 large cloves of garlic, 4 teaspoons of chopped fresh thyme, 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley, Salt and freshly milled black pepper, dripping for frying, half a pint of chicken stock, the juice of half a lemon, a large pinch of ground ginger, a pinch of saffron strands, half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon, fresh herbs to garnish. Method: Go to your dovecote and fetch fresh pigeons. Go to your walled garden to cut fresh herbs. Stuff the pigeons with three garlic cloves, one teaspoon of thyme and half a teaspoon of parsle...

Yes, today is the day of the paperback launch of Loves Me Loves Me Not ! This "big fat gold book" as Katie Fforde called it, is the Romantic Novelists' Association's 50th anniversary anthology and is packed with short love stories to suit all tastes from Regency to chick lit. Described by Good Housekeeping magazine as "an uplifting anthology of love stories from Britain's leading romance writers," Loves Me Loves Me Not is an indulgent treat and I am very honoured to have a story in the collection. There's a copy up for grabs in my website contest too!

You might have noticed that the blog has been taking a break. Or you might not! A Passion For History is now reborn, with a slightly different focus for a new decade. There will be items of historical and writing interest (I won't say trivia but that's what I really mean), historical recipes -pigeon pie, anyone? - places, people and quotations. There will be some book news from me, links to other historical blogs and my current personal favourite feature, Academic Crush of the Week. Come to think of it, this might be a shortlived feature. Having worked around academics for 15 years, I can say that crush material was thin on the ground. We'll see. Here's a quick round up of what's been keeping me away from the blog: I've just sent in book 2 of my new six part series Scandalous Women of the Ton. The first trilogy kicks off in October 2010 with Whisper of Scandal. The current manuscript, One Wicked Sin will be out in November 2010 and Mistress By Midnight wil...