It’s been a busy year and I’m only slightly over half way through it. Preparing the Tudor Kings and Princes to Rule was published at the beginning of the year but since then I’ve submitted the Little History of Nottinghamshire and an A-Z of Colchester. I worked on them across 2024 and 2025. All that remains is for me to check my footnotes for Preparing Stuart Kings and Princesses to Rule and submit it by the beginning of September. You can perhaps see why I’ve gone quiet on the History Jar front for a while.

However, I have a new planner; my bookcase is being tidied up before it finally collapses; and I have a new project to get my teeth into. The Right Little Madam, who isn’t so little these days, has an essay which requires her to compare a work of historical fiction with a non fiction text set in the same time period. She asked me if I could think of any books….oh dear…it was perhaps a question that needed rephrasing. In any event, she’s gone away happy with two books and some suggested additional reading/listening including Hilary Mantel’s 2017 Reith Lectures which are available via I-player.

Meanwhile, we will begin with the Norman Conquest and William’s wife, Matilda tomorrow and then progress from there. I met Joanna Barnden who writes as Joanna Courtney when she came to give a talk at a nearby village, so I will be looking at The Conquerors Queen. It will be good to get back into a routine. Thank you for your patience.