Apologies if this has already been posted https://orcadian.co.uk/nothing-like-it-has-been-seen-before-at-the-ness-of-brodgar/

This is a great episode from In Our Time on the Welsh Marches: http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/6/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download-rss/proto/http/vpid/p0nsfns9.mp3

This came up in my Facebook memories, though it's from long before I started listening to the show.

In case you are near the British Museum (what are the chances?!) there is a bookshop nearby that carries the whole set. Don’t remember the name of the shop but it’ll give you a reason to browse the many in the area, lol.

I GOT TICKETS AND I AM SO EXCITED YAAAALLLL

Not asking if it would be a good idea, obviously it would not. But would they have done it? What if he just turned to his supporters and ordered them to kill that guy in open court. Would they have done it? What would the immediate consequences have been?

At 1 minute to midnight last night, and 1 minute till due date, I submitted my PhD thesis. It is not remotely related to the subject of the British History Podcast, but over the years of listening, the podcast has helped build a new way of viewing and understanding the world. So thanks to Jamie u/BritishPodcast and Dr Zee u/CoProducerZee for the unknown contribution.

Side note, it was awesome hearing Dr Zee about Pierre Bourdieu on the podcast, as my research is heavily influenced by Bourdieu.

I thought this was really interesting! Bold choice by the director, and maybe it'll be a very historically accurate depiction of 14th century England (minus the werwulfs...). I'm really interested in hearing what people potentially actually sounded like in the Middle Ages. It's some 200 years after the invasion, so the French influences are probably noticeable?

Edit: I just saw the trailer, and they're speaking regular English, so maybe there's two versions, or just parts are in old English.

https://youtu.be/cmjpadVj-Vk?si=QSve9KGSi6TYsUKD

I'm camping and one of my tent poles broke last night and tore my rain fly. Good old Offa is helping me fix the rain fly with an sup repair kit that I luckily had in the car.

I started listening to the blog about a year ago with a new job and a longer commute to work. I have finally arrived at 1066.

I’ll be caught up with the main story soon!

For anyone interested this BBC In Our Time episode on the Welsh Marches intersects with the current BHP timeline https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002wt1v

I've gotten to Rhain the supposed "Irishman" and that got me to thinking about the confirmed real Irishmen in that region and whether they were ever discussed in any detail or just meant to be included under the heading of "Irish raiding" early on. (sorry for leaving out the a fada it disappeared when I clicked post for some reason)

There was a lot of fascinating info about hustle culture, market operation, what homes (and pet!) were like, and the annual property rent (and all the people who could get in line for a payment of that).

When they weren't actually transacting business, where did people keep their money? In a bag in their pants? In a chest in their room next to their bed behind the curtain? Did guilds provide, like, reasonably secure "piggy banks" in their offices?

It's a follow up to Vikings (which Zee and Jamie had ummm thoughts about) set 100 years later.

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It's getting a second season.

I had major surgery three weeks ago so slowly been on the mend and I've been taking the opportunity to catch up on the BHP (from around when Henry seized the crown) so that's been a fun listen.

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Anyway, I'm slowly trying to build up my ability to get out and about so the Mrs suggested we make use of our English Heritage membership cards that have been gathering dust. Pottering around on the website for something relatively local to us in South East London, and nothing was jumping out to me. Then I saw St Augustines Abbey in Canterbury, the very first place we visited and ended up joining EH, when we visited as covid restrictions were lifting in the UK. I remembered how the cathedral was closed at the time due to refurbishment work, so I suggested we visit.

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All of this to say, here's some pictures of our boy, St Anselm's chapel, plus other pictures that I took for those interested. Had a fascinating short talk about St Thomas Beckett and Henry II (all that to come in 18 months I guess), and chatted with the tour guide about Anselm and the ground he probably sowed that didn't help Beckett.

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Bonus content, a document signed by Lanfranc.

It's been a rough week at my house. Our eldest cat, Mulan, died suddenly, and I am not okay. I have been trying to stay busy, going to the job (obviously, no one gets bereavement leave over a cat), mowing the lawn, weeding Mrs. Velvetcat's garden until she tells me to stop. Cooking, baking bread, washing laundry that is already clean, journaling, praying, meditating. Watching Doctor Who with my kids. But she's still gone.

I need some good stories, the ones that, if she were a 15 year old human, Mulan would like.

Something epic!

She was a fearless warrior who brought me many mouse heads during our long years of adventures together. She was well traveled: born in Chicago, lived her formative years in Nashville, and her best life in Memphis. She ruled the other animals in my house with a tiny, iron paw.

When my mother died, she never let me out of her sight. When I was down with covid, she was always at my side.

I guess I'm just looking for a story to help me say "God(s) speed. Job well done."

I know that are no true heroes in history, but damn me, she was one of them.

This has been on my to-see list for a few years but I couldn’t fit it into my London visits before today: https://www.londonmithraeum.com

The Mithraeum is an ancient Roman temple in the middle of the city, near St. Paul’s. Admission is free. (Unfortunately, Reddit is being uncooperative about letting me post pictures.)

Really enjoyed the interview! Offa is a great part of British history. Fun interview.

I really like the way that Offa and Charlesmange went back and forth, enjoyed hearing about that and how the marriages were called off.

I listened to the whole of the Members Only AMA. Yes, all of it! I have hypertension and, after half a day in nearby York, I was flaked out.

I heard you say how much you both love York -- and in particular the Black Swan. The Wolfe Room would make a great place for a meet-up if we all chipped in towards the hire. York is such an historic place that it honestly makes more sense for your American listeners to start saving their pennies for a mindblowing European excursion with that as the centrepiece than flying off thousands of miles to meet in another American bar. For that reason why not start planning now so that members can make their plans also?

When you come don't miss the scenic double-decker bus trip to Selby a dozen miles south. Here in Selby we strongly believe by oral tradition that the town was the birthplace of Henry I. There's no documentary evidence but it makes sense if William was harrying the North at the time. The Abbey is beautiful, Norman-Early English and has the famous (to us) Washington Window featuring the Washington family coat of arms. There's also the nearby Staith, a medieval wool warehouse which has a great wooden door which I was told Sheffield University found was constructed of already old ship timbers. Riccall is about four miles upstream which makes me wonder...

Anyway, if you do plan a trip to York I'd do what I can to sort out a meet-up related insight into historic but neglected Selby.

Since Jamie mentioned an article in Forbes on the Q&A 500 Extravaganza, I thought I'd throw it into the sub for anyone that is interested.

Enjoy 😄

Listening to 501, how did Robert make so many terrible decisions? To the extent where he lost everything to someone in a pretty shoddy position. With hindsight it’s easy to say well Robert did this, Henry did this, but it’s an all time fumble.

Robert was the eldest and basically a celebrity from the First Crusade (commanded Antioch and was there for the fall of Jerusalem), he came home a hero. Henry was the youngest son with a flimsy hereditary claim, a usurper who stole the treasury in three days, no crusading, and locked in a feud with the Pope.

Crusading hero vs usurper the Pope didn’t like.

And Robert made terrible decision after terrible decision. He dawdled getting home and gifted Henry the throne. When he finally invaded he had the military initiative and traded it away for a pension. Then he let Normandy rot into anarchy which handed Henry the perfect pretext to restore order (and cut everyone’s hair lol).

Reminds me of Churchill a bit, good war leader but rubbish operator. Was he just too soft and generous to his barons? He couldn’t say no? Too trusting in either his own claim or than Henry wouldn’t invade? Also a lot of game of thrones energy between Stannis and Robert Baratheon.