Weird, Wonderful and Whacky – David Castleton writing about ‘Church Curiosities’

  Lurking in corners of churches and cathedrals are hidden curiosities waiting to surprise the unsuspecting visitor. David Castleton in his Church Curiosities – Strange Objects and Bizarre Legends (Shirebooks, 2021 <www.shirebooks.co.uk> takes his reader on a guided tour of some of the most unusual, quirky and sometimes mystifying items that he has discovered. As… Read more »

Mountain Climbers – Children Getting Active – Exeter Medical student creates an interactive physical fitness and well-being board game

What have the 1974 Revolution in Portugal and civil unrest in Zagreb in 1991 got to do with ‘Passion, Tragedy, and Revolution in the Age of Enlightenment’?

    The answer is the author Julieta Almeida Rodrigues and her debut novel Eleonora and Joseph. Her career and life have meant that she has lived, “through unique world events beginning with the ‘hot summer’ that followed the April 25, 1974 revolution in Portugal, when the country seemed ready to become the European Cuba…. Read more »

Downloadable Resource for Historical Fiction Writing – A practical guide and tool-kit, by Myfanwy Cook

The PDF for Historical Fiction Writing – A practical guide and tool-kit by Myfanwy Cook (Published in 2011 by Active Sprite Press) is available on the web page highlighted below. Apologies to anyone who has had difficult accessing this resource. Historical Fiction Writing – A practical guide and tool-kit – Downloadable Resource  

An ‘Independent Bookshop’ making history in historic Okehampton (Devon, UK)

Okehampton is a town brimful of historic delights including ‘haunted’ castle ruins, a well-maintained Edwardian shopping arcade.It has now added to its attractions an independent bookshop <www.dogberryandfinch.co.uk>. It is owned and run by Kate McCloskey, whose life-long love of books is informed by a background in academia, advertising and libraries. Perhaps it is less well-known… Read more »

Museum Facts. Your daily dose of history facts. One fact at a time – providing historical novelists with inspiring snippets of hidden history

All over the world there are small and unusual museums run by dedicated volunteers that highlight fascinating and often hidden details about history. One local example of an often overlooked site and cafe-style museum in Devon is RAF Harrowbeer, near Plymouth. It was built during the Second World War and is now popular picnic spot…. Read more »