Summertime Reflections
In this newsletter
Hello
Latest blog post
History tid-bits
All Things Tudor
Hello
It’s been a bit longer between my last newsletter and this one than I had anticipated, but apparently all the Brits wake up in the summer once we get a bit of heat in us, and I’ve been very busy! There’s been lots going on, but I’ve had a bit of time to work on the blog and have curated a whole new load of Facebook posts and even had time to write a couple of blog posts for the website which will be going up in September, so do keep an eye out.
Latest Blog Post
Okay, it was quite a while ago now that I got you all to vote on the poll for my next blog post, but I finally got around to writing it and getting it up on the website. It was a great kick to at last write this post that I have been wanting to write for years - all about Mansa Musa, a medieval African king who is, in all likelihood, the richest person who has ever lived. Whilst going on Hajj to Mecca, he managed to tank the economy of Cairo for years with his gold! If you haven’t read it yet, here is your poke to do so…
History Tid-Bits
I always like to put a few bits of interesting pieces of history or news pieces I’ve come across in these newsletters. It feels a bit like the “History in the News” series I used to do on my blog (and which maybe I’ll bring back some day when I have time). Probably the biggest news item from recent weeks in the history world is the news that the British Museum has sacked a member of staff who appears to have been involved in the theft of items from their collections over many of years. Some of these items were allegedly sold on eBay. Due to the nature of this huge revelation, details have been very tight, and it is not clear what exactly was stolen, how many items, and many other details, although the items are said to date from between the 15th and 19th centuries. You can read more on the BBC here and in lots of other news outlets, as we wait for more details.
If we’re talking about stolen artefacts, then a Tweet (post? X?) from Kate McCaffrey of Hever Castle that I saw earlier today is very timely. Hever Castle are launching fresh appeals to find some Tudor miniature portraits which were stolen from the castle in broad daylight back in 2003. Whilst two of the portraits were recovered at the time, and the thief found and sentenced, the portraits of Thomas Cromwell and Mary, Queen of Scots, as well as a lock of Mary’s hair were never found. These are incredibly important historical artefacts, and it would be fantastic if they could be found.
All Things Tudor
I wanted to end today’s newsletter with a brief piece about Deb Hunter of the All Things Tudor blog and podcast. Deb Hunter sadly died last month after a long battle with cancer. I had the privilege of speaking on her podcast about my books, and she was a wonderful woman. She was so passionate about history, and although Deb only started the network very recently, she rocketed to success and left a huge mark on the world of Tudor history. Her loss was truly a loss to the online history community. Her husband, Paul, is maintaining the websites and groups she set up, so please do go and listen to her podcasts, read her magazines and books, and continue learning about the wonderful history she wanted to share with everybody.
As always, thank you for reading, and until next time.
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