Category Archives: Uncategorized

At school we had four houses, Harry Potter style, but our school called them “halls”. Each one was named after a local estate. There was Hadspen, Montacute, Longleat and Stourhead. (I won’t tell you which ones were their Hogwarts counterparts.) I was in the prep school and was in Water, the blue coloured house (originallyContinue reading “Is It Worth A Visit…? Montacute House and Gardens”

I’ve always loved a ghost story. Ever since I was a girl I’ve loved sitting with my friends in a dark room sharing our scariest tales. Ghost stories have an ability to totally capture the imagination, and what can be truly unsettling is the possibility that it could be real. There are plenty of storiesContinue reading “Ghost Stories: Halloween Special”

Last Saturday we went to my cousin’s 50th birthday party in Oxfordshire (Happy Birthday, Sophie!) and we decided to spend the whole weekend there. My brother and his wife have two children and my nephew is the same age as Rory – literally, he is two days older – so Henry and I took theContinue reading ““Is It Worth a Visit?”: Blenheim Palace”

It is London History Day, which means Gilbert Tours has created a Top 10 List of what we think are the most Interesting Events in London History! From tyrannical kings, to the suffragettes, from blazing fires to ice cold winters – this list has it all. So to start our countdown to the number oneContinue reading “London History Day: Gilbert Tours’s Top 10”

It’s the 14th of February and around the world singles, couples and throuples alike are celebrating Valentine’s Day in one way or another – even if that means ignoring it entirely! So today I would like to delve into the history of this day of love and explore the origins of the name and date.Continue reading “Valentine’s Day 2021”

It has been a long time since my last blog post, so for those of you who are signed up to the mailing list I thank you for your continued support, and to those of you who have just joined then welcome! As we all know, 2020 was a very trying year, but I amContinue reading “History for Lockdown: An Oxford Special”

Eltham Palace is a short drive from where I live and I am so lucky to have such a wonderful place so near. The palace is now so beautifully Art Deco that it is easy to forget that its history goes back to 1300. Given to Edward II in 1305, Eltham Palace was used asContinue reading “Eltham Palace”

ve decided to do some a little different for this blog entry. I’ve been focussing on different areas of London, and will continue to do so, but I thought it would be fun to do some digging and find out what is still technically illegal and what ancient laws still exist today. Did you know,Continue reading “London Laws for Lockdown Laughs”

Hello everyone, and thank you for being patient since my last post. I have been working hard gathering information and sorting it all out so that I can get the best bits to you! It has also been a big month so far, my nephew and my son both turned one (yes, my brother andContinue reading “History for Lockdown: Lewisham & Blackheath”