I paid my first visit to Sixth Century Dark Ages Britain almost fifty years ago. It was Rosemary Sutcliff’s fault, since it was through the pages of A Sword at Sunset that my juvenile “King Arthur’s Round Table” image of the so-called Dark Ages first began to dissolve – the idea dawning that a more “realistic” portrayal of the period may be … [Read more...] about Sixth Century Britain – Who Stole Britain’s Sixth Century?
Jacobites – Ten Things You (Almost Certainly) Didn’t Know
A brief summary from the "Ten Things" talks I'd been doing in April 2016 to mark the 270th anniversary of the Battle of Culloden and the end of the Jacobites' 1745 Rebellion. These talks usually accompanied showing of Brian Blessed's film, Chasing The Deer. 1. The word “Jacobite” means “Supporter of James” James in Latin, of course, is … [Read more...] about Jacobites – Ten Things You (Almost Certainly) Didn’t Know
Sixth Century Britain – the Hill Fort Walks: Part Two
My journeys to check out the locations I’ve used as settings for The Song-Sayer’s Lament took me next to Anglesey, which features strongly in the novel. There are some remarkable archaeological sites on the island, all worth a visit, and including: Aberlleiniog Castle (Llangoed); or the burial chambers at Porth Trecastell, Bryn Celli Ddu and Din … [Read more...] about Sixth Century Britain – the Hill Fort Walks: Part Two
Jacobites – Manchester Jacobites
It’s not easy to walk around Manchester and picture the place as it might have looked in 1745 – but it’s not impossible either. And I’ve done this Manchester Jacobites walk now in a couple of different ways. The simple way is to stand in three different locations – the Victoria pedestrian bridge, the side of Marks & Spencer on the corner of … [Read more...] about Jacobites – Manchester Jacobites
Sixth Century Britain – the New Novel
Here's the cover... And here's the synopsis... In the Westerlands of those isles once named Britannia by the Empire and its vanished Legions, the brother of Ambros Skyhound is killed in a kinfolk-feud, which will ignite a vicious civil war. There are warlords who follow the new ways of the Christ-followers – those, too, who still defend their … [Read more...] about Sixth Century Britain – the New Novel