Tastes Of History
About History: Press-ganging
Impressment, colloquially known as ‘the press’ or the ‘press gang’, was a means by which European navies could forcibly compel men into...
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Tastes Of History
- May 29
Dispelling Some Myths: Wreckers and smugglers
Wrecking Wrecking is the practice of taking valuables from a shipwreck which has foundered or run aground close to shore. Wrecks were...
Tastes Of History
- Apr 23
Dispelling Some Myths: Upside down Union Flags
The Union Flag pictured hangs in an upper hall of a London school recently visited by Tastes Of History to deliver a “Knight and Castles”...
Tastes Of History
- Mar 1
About History: Named after a Battle
In an earlier article we explored the origin of the French dish Chicken à la Marengo which was named, according to a popular myth, after...
Tastes Of History
- Dec 17, 2023
On This Day: Io Saturnalia!
On This Day, December 17th, the ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia began. Held in honour of the deity Saturnus, as its name implies,...
Tastes Of History
- Nov 22, 2023
Dispelling Some Myths: Was yellow the colour of prostitution?
Over the years we have periodically encountered claims that prostitutes in the Roman Iron Age and then later in the Mediæval period wore...
Tastes Of History
- Oct 14, 2023
Dispelling Some Myths: Romans, Railways and NASA rockets
Yet another urban myth re-appeared on social media the other day, one which regularly does the rounds and has done so for many years...
Tastes Of History
- Oct 5, 2023
Dispelling Some Myths: Robin Hood
The legend Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw [1] originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featuring in popular...
Tastes Of History
- Aug 30, 2023
Horrible History: Social Status
What follows was inspired by the tweet on May 25th, 2022 by @HistoryFilmClub shown right. Like many who responded naming just one...
Tastes Of History
- Aug 2, 2023
Boudica: Rebel, Freedom Fighter, Feminist Icon
The Known Knowns Since at least the 16th century, Boudica, Queen of the Iceni, has retained a compelling hold on the British imagination...
Tastes Of History
- Jul 26, 2023
Dispelling Some Myths: Tintagel and King Arthur
A recent tweet described Tintagel Castle on the North coast of Cornwall as a ‘medieval fortification’, built in the 13th century, and...
Tastes Of History
- Jul 19, 2023
Dispelling Some Myths: Divorce by combat
It is highly unlikely that Mediæval divorce was ever settled by combat. Yet a handful of sources do mention judicial duels fought between...
Tastes Of History
- Jun 14, 2023
A Brief History of Food: Peacock
Birds have long been revered, feared and assumed to be capable of predicting weather, marriage partners, disaster and death. In ancient...
Tastes Of History
- May 31, 2023
Horrible History: 'Hollywood' Ninja
Introduction What follows was inspired by a @HistoryFilmClub tweet shown right. Like many who responded, naming just one historical...
Tastes Of History
- Dec 8, 2022
About History: The Who’s Who of Beefeaters
It seems nobody knows for certain why the King’s Body Guard of the Yeoman of the Guard are called ‘Beefeaters’. Over the years various...
Tastes Of History
- Nov 13, 2022
Dispelling Some Myths: 'Trench Art'
One of our favourite sources of entertainment and ideas for this Blog are derived from the BBC’s ‘Bargain Hunt’ television series. As...
Tastes Of History
- Nov 7, 2022
About History: the Scold’s Bridle
The ‘Scold’s Bridle’, sometimes known as ‘The Gossip’s Bridle’, was a punishment used officially and unofficially in England to...
Tastes Of History
- Jul 18, 2022
Pillory or Stocks?
The Hunt for Witches Respected historian, author and broadcaster, Dr Lucy Worsley OBE, had a new documentary series that first aired on...
Tastes Of History
- Jul 5, 2022
Dispelling Some Myths: A Short life
Average height One of the misconceptions about history is that people were shorter ‘back then’. Would it surprise you to know that the...
Tastes Of History
- May 27, 2022
Taking the pee: should you drink urine?
Urine has been used throughout history for many different uses. As a freely available product - everyone produces at least some each day...
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