De Clare took my hand as he spoke and led me to an empty hut that, I supposed, had been especially prepared for us. He stepped forward and took both hands in his, lowering his head to kiss each in turn. Continue reading The Marriage of Strongbow and Aoife: A Union Bathed in Blood.
“We can ill afford to have such men as enemies,” he said in a final effort at persuasion.
I could see the logic of Father’s assertion but it only added to the burden of responsibility that now lay upon my shoulders.” Continue reading His Stag Do was a Massacre: 24th August 1170 the Sacking of Waterford.
By 23rd August he deemed the conditions right to set sail, setting not only the course of his ships, but that of his subsequent career and the history of Ireland and her neighbour for centuries to come. Continue reading Setting Course for Ireland
By sending the Irish party there – it was, after all, on their route back to Ireland – he could kill two birds with one stone. There were men there who would welcome a foreign expedition. They could report back on the likelihood of such a venture achieving success. Continue reading Men With Grievances.
How often did either party wonder if tomorrow would be the day when everything changed? Continue reading A Summer of Nervously Waiting: Ireland in 1170.
Generally speaking, most Brits are not great flag-wavers – except on special occasions. Continue reading V.E. Day 75 years on.
I think fiction must feature settings that are taken from the author’s imagination, whereas historical fiction must, by its nature, be set in real places in order to lend authenticity. Continue reading Open Book Blog Hop, 20th April
The UK’s 68 million is but a tiny proportion of the total number of individuals, many doing the same as those former refugees from UK famines and epidemics, seeking a better life elsewhere. Continue reading Monday Musings – the Inevitability of Migration
everyone thinks they can do better than the current crop of politicians at all levels of government. . . It was not long before I [discovered] that it is not as simple as it seems from what you read in the papers. Continue reading Monday Memories – Finding a Middle Way
The pattern of local elections in that part of the country at that time was as follows: in Grimsby one third of the councillors stood down in each of three successive years, in Cleethorpes the whole council was re-elected every four years as was the whole of the county council. Cleethorpes elections took place midway between county elections, which occurred on the year without a Grimsby council election. In case that’s difficult to follow: County Council elections took place in 1981, 1985 and 1989. Cleethorpes Borough Council elections in 1983 and 1987, Grimsby Borough Council elections occurred in 1982, 1983 … Continue reading Monday Memories – Campaigning Begins
