Some Chaucer Factlets
Mar12

Some Chaucer Factlets

If you thought that Geoffrey Chaucer was only a middle English poet and writer then we have some Chaucerian faclets to show that he was this, and a lot more.

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Monks on Herm
Nov06

Monks on Herm

Christianity arrived in the Channel Islands during the 6th Century AD. It was brought largely by Welsh refugees escaping the tyranny of the Anglo Saxon invaders in their home areas. In this article we look at one of the smallest Channel Islands – Herm – and how monks came to the island

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Why Did the Normans have such Odd Haircuts?
Jul31

Why Did the Normans have such Odd Haircuts?

Maybe you didn’t even know they had “odd” haircuts – but even by today’s liberal standards they were decidedly “odd”. In this article we look at the (probable) reasons why.

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More than Just a Funny Word – The Meaning behind and Origin of Abracadabra
Feb07

More than Just a Funny Word – The Meaning behind and Origin of Abracadabra

You might be tempted to think that the word ‘Abracadabra’, beloved of magicians and children’s party entertainers, is just a silly made up word – but you’d be wrong. It’s a very real and very ancient word with some sinister connotations.

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The Guernsey Markets – Was it always in Town and What existed prior to the “New Market Building” ?
Jan31

The Guernsey Markets – Was it always in Town and What existed prior to the “New Market Building” ?

In recent years the Guernsey Market buildings have undergone something of a grand transformation from the covered markets it was originally built for in the 19th century. They are certainly one of Guernsey’s most iconic landmarks, but its history has not always been as obvious. So, what was here before then and were Guernsey’s Markets always here ?

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English Language History : What Caused the Great Vowel Shift?
Oct04

English Language History : What Caused the Great Vowel Shift?

English is arguably the single most important and influential language in today’s world. It does however contain many vagaries and annoying inconsistencies. One of which is the variations of how vowel combinations should be pronounced. For example, the ‘ea’ in ‘bread’ is pronounced the same as the ‘e’ in ‘bred,’ and not the same as the ‘ea’ in ‘break. This is down to “The Great Vowel Shift”

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The Origins of England’s Three Lions
Jun07

The Origins of England’s Three Lions

“It’s coming home, it’s coming home, it’s coming, Football’s coming home ” – So goes the ever popular 1996 “Three Lions” song. So when did the three lions symbol come to be used as England’s royal arms and therefore on the England team shirts ? The answers is somewhat surprising and reveals why in the past we might’ve been singing “three leopards on a shirt”

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Guernsey and Her Island Fiefs
Apr26

Guernsey and Her Island Fiefs

One of the most enduring effects of Guernsey’s association with Normandy is the system of fiefs in the island. The island’s link with the Crown is feudal, as the Queen is still Duchess of Normandy. In this article we look at how Guernsey’s fiefs came about and how they worked.

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Who Made the Bayeux Tapestry ?
Feb01

Who Made the Bayeux Tapestry ?

The Bayeux Tapestry tells one of the most famous stories in British history – that of the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, particularly the battle of Hastings, which took place on 14 October 1066. But who made the tapestry and how long did it take?

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How Far Back in Time Could an English Speaker Go and Still Understand the Language ?
Oct26

How Far Back in Time Could an English Speaker Go and Still Understand the Language ?

“How Far Back in Time Could an English Speaker Go and Still Understand the Language ?” In a Nutshell : it would be somewhere between 400 to 500 yrs ago. In order to justify this let’s compare how the speech of ‘English’ speakers sounded in Chaucer’s time, the late 14th Century, with that in the late 16th Century – at the time of Shakespeare.

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Are Old Windows Thicker at the Base Because Glass Flows Like Syrup ?
Sep18

Are Old Windows Thicker at the Base Because Glass Flows Like Syrup ?

This is one of those urban myths that refuses to die. The idea that glass is really a viscous liquid, so thick that it takes centuries for it to flow. But what is the truth ?

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Before Mechanised Transport How Far Could Someone Expect to Travel In a Single Day on Horseback or Stagecoach?
Jul20

Before Mechanised Transport How Far Could Someone Expect to Travel In a Single Day on Horseback or Stagecoach?

Before Mechanised Transport How Far Could Someone Expect to Travel In a Single Day on Horseback or Stagecoach?

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Why do we shake hands as a greeting?
Mar30

Why do we shake hands as a greeting?

The reason we shake hands has nothing to do with warmth or kindness and everything to do with mistrust. Just as we clink glasses so that if our companion has poisoned our drink he’ll get to drink some of his own poison (by virtue of contents slopping between glasses), we shake hands to check for concealed weapons.

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How Medieval People Used to Walk
Feb16

How Medieval People Used to Walk

I expect that you’ve heard of ‘Doing the Hussle’ or maybe even ‘Doing the funky Chicken’ (they’re dances by the way), but what about ‘Doing the Medieval Walk’? No ?
Well, it’s not a dance craze but a real historic thing.

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Christmas Traditions – The First Ever Nativity Play
Dec12

Christmas Traditions – The First Ever Nativity Play

Even in modern, secular Britain there is one tradition that still holds sway at Christmas – The Christmas Nativity Play. In this article we look at the 800 year old origin of this Christmas institution.

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