Category: Recommendations

  • Shakespeare’s First Folio: from London to the world -and Leeds! Lecture by Professor Emma Smith

    Shakespeare’s First Folio: from London to the world -and Leeds! Lecture by Professor Emma Smith

    Earlier this week I attended a brilliant lecture at the University of Leeds about Shakespeare’s First Folio, the first printed collection of his many works. 2023 marks marks the 400th anniversary of the publication of the first folio, so an apt time to learn more about it and how it arrived in Leeds’ Special Collections.…

  • A Tour of Hobbiton

    A Tour of Hobbiton

    “A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins. Nor is he early; he arrives precisely when he means to.” — Gandalf Film history is not something I usually delve into, but as a fan of The Lord of the Rings film trilogy it would be remiss not to write about my visit to Hobbiton! Hobbiton was…

  • Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War Exhibition

    Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War Exhibition

    The Gallipoli military campaign (April 1915–January 1916) was a brutal episode in the First World War that resulted in over 130,000 deaths across both sides of the conflict. The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) played a significant role in this campaign, and in 2015 the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa opened…

  • Vasa Museet

    Vasa Museet

    One of the best museums I have visited in recent years was the Vasa Museet in Stockholm, Sweden.  The museum is dedicated to the story of the Vasa, a royal warship that sunk less than 2000 metres into its maiden voyage in 1628. The museum is a large, impressive building, and it has to be,…

  • Recommendation | A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes

    “This was never the story of one woman, or two. It was the story of all of them…” Re-telling of Greek myths have had something of a renaissance in recent years, with highlights including the Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, Ariadne by Jennifer Saint and the Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker. Today…

  • The Cottingley Fairies: A Study in Deception Exhibition

    I first heard the story of the Cottingley Fairies when I was a kid and watched the movie Fairy Tale: A True Story, which came out in the late 1990s. I’ve always found it a fascinating story, and I’m not the only one, as the story has cropped up again and again in the media…

  • Beaumaris Castle

    Known as an unfinished masterpiece, Beaumaris Castle was the last castle built in Wales by King Edward I of England. Construction began in 1295, with Edward’s ‘master of the king’s works in Wales’ James of St George overseeing the project. James is intrinsically tied to Beaumaris Castle, and it is considered “Britain’s most perfect example…

  • Conwy Castle

    On our way to Anglesey, we decided to take a break in Conwy and see the famous castle. We hadn’t checked in advance whether it was open, and alas it wasn’t, so learn from us folks and check websites in advance! We had a second go at visiting later in the week and it was…

  • Caernarfon Castle

    Since watching Dan Jones’ Secret of Great British Castles, I’ve been wanting to visit Caernarfon Castle. Earlier this year I finally achieved my goal and stood at Caernarfon Castle! It was built by Edward I and alongside nearby Conwy, Beaumaris and Harlech castles is a World Heritage Site. For good reason too, as it is…

  • The Hidden Gardens of Anglesey

    On the island of Anglesey is a little slice of heaven – the Plas Cadnant Hidden Gardens. As we drove up the winding drive (having to be careful of the many sheep wandering about!) it became apparent we were visiting a secret hideaway off the beaten track. After purchasing our tickets at the information cabin,…

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