Our Aims

Our Club's aims are to:

Learn collaboratively about the history, heritage and archaeology of Norwich and Norfolk

Develop resources and activities that contribute to the wider community’s understanding of history and archaeology

Develop activities that enhance/maintain the wellbeing and emotional resilience of club members

Be actively inclusive – open, accessible and welcoming to all


Wednesday 23 December 2020

History of Christmas

Some of the following article may be familiar to some of you but hopefully you will enjoy a refresher.  It all started with the Midwinter Solstice thousands of years ago.  Did you know that masters served slaves during the Roman midwinter celebration but what was it called and what would they have eaten?  Christmas comes from the medieval Christ Mass but when was it first recorded?  How long did they celebrate for in medieval times?  And what was the Yule Log?  What were the Christmas Sugar Banquets?  It is widely known that Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s husband introduced Christmas trees and decorations to Britain but what Victorian tradition brought about Boxing Day?  To find out the answers to these questions and more information please select the following link:


History Quiz

I thought a history quiz may be enjoyable over the festive period so here are 57 questions from History Extra.  The questions are on page one and the answers can be found on page two of the following link:  



The Feast and Fast of Traditional Advent

Most of us enjoy the countdown to Christmas and opening the Advent windows but what are the origins of Advent?  Was it a countdown to a celebration or something completely different?  What were the early Advent boxes?  What did St Martin’s Day signify?  How was medieval stollen made?  What was wassailing?  To find out the answers to these questions and more related information, please select the following link:

Tuesday 22 December 2020

Heavens Above!

If it’s easy to overlook many things, it is perhaps just as easy to ‘under look’ many fine things that loom above us as we pass through an historic city like Norwich. A good example of this tendency is the wonderful fifteenth century vaulted ceiling to be found underneath the west tower of St John Maddermarket, central Norwich. 

This passageway was built to accomodate the religious processions that were a key part of the late medieval liturgy. The quality of this carved ceiling was undoubtedly financed by a wealthy donor - in this part of the city, most probably a merchant. No doubt their hope was that such an investment would facilitate their passage through the tortures of purgatory.

Sunday 20 December 2020

The Victorian Workhouse

Here is a related article about life in a workhouse.  So were workhouses the awful places described by Dickens?  The origins of the workhouse go back to the Black Death but why did individuals enter a workhouse?  The Poor Laws forced some husbands to sell their wives to reduce the cost to the authorities.  The Deepwade Union Workhouse was built in 1836 two years after the Poor Law Amendment Act but what change did this statute bring?  One of the tasks inmates were forced to do was “picking oakum” which involved unpicking a piece of rope into many corkscrew strands.  If you want to find the answers to these questions and more related information, then select the following link:

Deepwade Union Workhouse

I attended a Ramblers walk at Pulham Market last Thursday and the starting point was the Deepwade Union Workhouse on the A140 just before the Old Ram public house at Tivetshall.  I have driven past this building on numerous occasions and have always thought that it was an old workhouse, so here is an article on it’s history.  It was erected in 1836 but who built it?  Why was an attempt made to burn it down in 1844?  What was the ticket system?  It became a Public Assistance Institution in 1930 which was effectively a workhouse under local government control.  It’s purpose changed serval times after this date and if you want to find the answers to these questions and more related information, then select the following link:

History of Almhouses

Doughty’s Hospital was an Almshouse.  So what was an Almshouse?  Here is an article on the history of Almshouses.  How were they impacted by the dissolution of the monasteries?  How were these linked to craft guilds and Dick Whittington?  To find out the answers to these questions and more information please select the following link:


Doughty's Hospital

I attended a Magdelan Walks presentation on Norwich Social Housing on Saturday.  It was an interesting presentation and initially talked about the early hospitals; The Great Hospital of 1249 and Doughty’s Hospital of 1677.  I had never heard of Doughty’s Hospital so I thought a related article would be of interest.  It can be located on Golden Dog Lane, near the St. Crispin’s and Magdelan Street flyover.  Of course in the 17th century it wasn’t a hospital as we know it but more of a home for the poor.   So what was the Quid Pro Quo arrangement that enabled Willam Doughty to build the hospital?  Given that William Doughty was a Puritan, did he impose any religious restrictions or requirements as part of building the new hospital?  To find out the answers to these questions and more related information please select the following link:  

Voilet Aitken

Another formidable lady mentioned during the talk by Frank Meeres was Voilet Aitken.  She was the daughter of Canon Aitken of Norwich Cathedral.  What were her activities as a Suffragette and was she ever sent to prison?  Did she have to endure hunger strike and force-feeding?  To find out the answers to these questions and more information please select the following link:

Ethel Leach

I attended the talk by Frank Meeres called Ordinary Women, Extraordinary Lives on Thursday and learned about a number of Norfolk women who had fought for women’s rights.  One of these was Ethel Leach, so I thought a related article would be of interest.  When did she found the Great Yarmouth Women’s Suffrage Society and when was she elected to the Great Yarmouth School Board?  Did you know she became a councillor, an alderman and Great Yarmouth’s first female mayor?  To find out the answers to these questions and more information please select the following link:


Music for the Angels - St Edmund, Acle, and Ancient Secrets at St Gregory, Heckingham

These are a couple of articles written by Colin on the Ragged Ramblers Blog.  What did the angels bagpipes sound like at St Edmund, Acle?  What are the ancient secrets of St Gregory, Heckingham?  What was the story of John and Elizabeth Crowe’s daughters?  What is a palimpsest?  How are the members of the nearby Union Workhouse commemorated?  Why is there no rood screen?  Also, please take time to view the wonderfully carved Romanesque South doorway.  To find the answers to these questions and more information please select the following link, you will need to scroll down to find the St Gregory article:

The Norwich Hippodrome, St. Giles Street, Norwich

I wasn’t aware that there was a Norwich Hippodrome on St Giles Street.  It was located where the multi-storey car park is now.  So when was it built and who was the architect?  It was erected as an opera house and playhouse with a seating capacity of 1,836.  Who appeared there?  What happened to it in 1942?  And when was it closed?  To find the answers to these questions and more information please select the following links:

http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/NorwichTheatres.htm#hipp

https://historyofnorfolk.com/norwich/hippodrome-history/

Tuesday 17 November 2020

Anchored in Beer and Land - The Estate Plans of Bullard's Brewery

You may recall that I sent a link out recently of the forthcoming events by the Norwich Records Office.  This is one of their presentations focusing on Bullard’s and the Norfolk brewing industry.  Of course it was safer to drink beer than water in 19th century Norwich but how many brewers were there?  Why were some inns named “Arms”?  Who was Paul Pry?  Why were some inns named  “The Horse Shoe Inn”?  To find answers to these questions and find out more please select the following link and press play (you may also need to move the red bar to the start):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUduz6rc6mA

Thursday 12 November 2020

The National Day of Mourning (Volkstrauertag)

I have always wondered what Germany’s equivalent of Remembrance Day is?  How does Germany remember the the victims of war and tyranny?  What wartime song do they sing in Parliament?  They treat this as an occasion not only to mourn the dead but also to illustrate the tragedy of war and to speak out for peace.  To find out more, please select the following article:  


Ten Stories Of Wartime Sacrifice

Here are some stories of sacrifice for which we owe so much.  So who were the Canary Girls and what did they do?  What dangers did they face?  Who was the sixteen year old who won a VC at the Battle of Jutland?  Doctor Noel Chavasse was the only man to get the Victoria Cross and Bar in the First World War but how did he win it?  There is also a story about a Scottish missionary who looked after 400 girls who died in Auschwitz.  To obtain answers to these questions and to find out more, please select the following link: 



We Shall Keep the Faith by Moina Michael

I am always moved by the Remembrance Day Services as we honour the sacrifices made by our armed forces.  I do hope this continues for future generations.  Anyway, the first item is a lovely wartime poem:  

Oh! you who sleep in Flanders Fields,
Sleep sweet - to rise anew!
We caught the torch you threw
And holding high, we keep the Faith
With All who died.

We cherish, too, the poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led;
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies,
But lends a lustre to the red
Of the flower that blooms above the dead
In Flanders Fields.

And now the Torch and Poppy Red
We wear in honor of our dead.
Fear not that ye have died for naught;
We'll teach the lesson that ye wrought
In Flanders Fields

Tuesday 3 November 2020

Lions At Colney Hall

Tony Harper has suggested this fascinating article.  Can you believe that lions were kept at Colney Hall.  Where did they come from and how did they get to Norfolk?  And did one go them really kill a member of the Barclay family?  To find out more please access the following link:

https://www.edp24.co.uk/features/barclay-colney-hall-1-5318789

Human Touches at St Andrew's, Frenze, South Norfolk

Colin has started writing on a blog called Ragged Ramblers, he writes under the moniker of ‘Munro Tweeder-Harris, Esq.’  He has written three articles recently and here is one of them.  It is about St Andrews Church at Frenze in South Norfolk.  This wonderful little church has an excellent Tudor brick porch with some medieval finger prints and some medieval graffiti.  If you would like to find out more then please select the following article and also take time to explore this wonderful blog:  

http://raggedramblers.blogspot.com/?m=0

Unfinished Business: The Fight for Women’s Rights in Norfolk

Rachel at the Heritage Centre has informed us that they have launched an online exhibition/blog in partnership with the British Library’s Living Knowledge Network called “Unfinished Business: The Fight for Women’s Rights in Norfolk.” This is to support the British Library’s exhibition which has opened today. The website can be accessed via this link:

https://unfinishedbusinessnorfolk.wordpress.com/.

They are also running a programme of online events, including talks by Frank Meeres and Gill Blanchard, which may be of interest to you.  These can be accessed via the following link: 

https://unfinishedbusinessnorfolk.wordpress.com/events/

History Behind Common Superstitions

On a related theme, here is an article on common superstitions that remain to this day.  So why did the Ancient Romans believe that breaking a mirror would bring bad luck?  Why is sneezing a risky activity?  The Egyptian umbrella was only used by the nobility and its shade was sacred.  In the 14th century, black cats were thought to be causing Black Death.  Why do you break the trinity when walking under a ladder?  To answer these questions and find out more please select the following article: 

https://www.insider.com/history-origin-people-superstitions-2018-4

10 things you didn’t know about Halloween!

It’s that time of year again!  So what is the history of Halloween - I always thought it came from America?  Does it have religious origins?  It appears they don’t carve pumpkins in Somerset, instead they carve mangel-wurzels but what do the children chant?  It looks like Trick or Treat came from America (I knew there was an America connection)!  So where did the supernatural and scary bits come from?  It was even once romantic.  To answer these questions and find out more please select the following article: 

https://www.historyextra.com/period/medieval/halloween-history-facts-pumpkins-ghosts/







Henry Walpole (1558 - 1595)

Here is another interesting article on the Walpole family.  The family name originates from the Norman conquest and was derived from the Old English words welle, meaning well, and pol, meaning pool, and refers to a pool formed by a well.  We all know about Robert Walpole the Prime Minister, but who was Henry Walpole? An English Jesuit martyr from Docking, Norfolk who was executed at York for refusing to take the Oath of Supremacy during Elizabeth I’s reign.  Yes - atrocities occurred during her reign!  Where did he become a follower of the Jesuits?  When was he beatified and canonised?  To answer these questions and find out more please select the following article:  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Walpole

Mannington Hall

I was out walking with the Ramblers last Thursday at Mannington Hall near Corpusty on the Holt Road and I wondered what its history was.  It is a lovely 15th century moated house built in iron stained flint.  William Lumnor built it in 1460 but where did the oaks come from (clue: from a very influential Norfolk family of the time)?  It is the current home of the Walpole family but when did it become a Walpole home?  How many varieties of roses are in its gardens?  What scandal was the 4th Earl of Orford involved in?  To answer these questions and find out more please select the following articles:  

https://lady.co.uk/mannington-hall

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mannington_Hall

Ketteringham Hall

I visited Ketteringham Hall for the first time on Sunday - oh what a lovely place!  There is also an Orangery there that has some lovely home made cakes and pastries.  We didn’t eat there but we have made a note to go back.  There is a lovely view if you sit outside.  This gave me the idea for a related article on the history of Ketteringham Hall.  The best article I could find was by Britain but Car - so not the normal historical source!  Did you know it is reputed to be the home of Lady Jane Grey - the nine day queen?  What was it’s military purpose during WWII?  And what is it’s connection to Lotus cars?  To answer these questions and learn more, please select the following article:

https://www.britainbycar.co.uk/ketteringham/339-ketteringham-hall

Earl Grey Tea

My wife loves Early Grey Tea.  Long gone are the days when only the rich drank it.  I thought a related article would be of interest.  Where did it come from?  As is often the case, there are a number of theories.  Who was Earl Grey?  How was Bergamot oil used to flavour the tea?  To answer these questions and learn more, please select the following article:

https://tea101.teabox.com/earl-grey-tea/

Africans in Tudor and Stuart England

Here is another related article.  Since I saw the last Mary Queen of Scots film which had Adrian Lester playing one of Queen Elizabeth’s advisers, I have always wondered whether there were prominent black people in Tudor society and it appears there were.  It all started with Catherine of Aragon and her entourage which included Moors from her native country.  One such black person became a freeman of the City of York but who was he?  Over 300,000 poor souls were transported across the Atlantic in bondage mainly by the Spanish and Portuguese but of course some by Francis Drake, so did many of these find their way into Tudor society?  There is evidence that Francis Drake held one such captive in such high regard that he named a fort after him.  To answer these questions and learn more, please select the following article: 

https://www.tudorsociety.com/africans-in-tudor-and-stuart-england-by-conor-byrne/


John Blanke

I thought the following would be of interest after seeing his name mentioned under a Black Lives Matter article.  John was a trumpeter for Henry VIII and he petitioned Henry for a pay rise -  brave man!  It is also apparent that John is a free man not a slave and probably a Christian.  He also knew his value to the King which prompted this bold move.  How much of a pay rise did he require?  What were his reasons?  Was he successful?  What did the King buy him as a wedding gift?  To answer these questions and learn more, please select the following article: 


Norfolk Record Office - News and Events October 2020

Colin has asked me to circulate the up coming news and events from the Norfolk Record Office, please see the below email.

https://norfolkrecordofficeblog.org/events/



Norfolk Village Signs

I recently saw a book on village signs and I thought that a related article would be of interest.  I don’t normally like including Wikipedia as a source but this was the best article I could find about the background to village signs.  I didn’t realise that it all started in Norfolk with Edward VII - something else we are indebted to him (remember he brought the Victorians to Norfolk and helped to establish resorts such as Hunstanton and Cromer).  To find out more please read the following article:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Village_sign

This is another interesting website where you can select the village sign and view the lovely 
photographs.  Some of these provide details of the type of sign, wooden/metal and the depicted images.  To find out more please select the following link and explore the village signs by selecting one at a time:


This is an EDP article that outlines 10 things you never knew about Norfolk village signs.  Which village sign depicts what is believed to be the oldest valentine message?  Where will you find the newest village sign?  And who was Harry Carter?  To find out more please read the following article:

The Gin Craze

The effects of the consumption of gin on the inner city population of London during the 18th century has been compared to the impact of crack cocaine on the American inner city ghettos.  It was the arrival of William of Orange to the English throne in 1689 that drove the popularity of jenever (clear, botanically rich, malted grain-based spirit) in England and turned gin from being a medicine to a fashionable drink.  It resulted in Eight Gin Acts!  Did these Acts achieve their objective?  Who were the professional informers?  What was the shocking case of Judith Defour?  To find out more please read the following article:

https://www.diffordsguide.com/g/1108/gin/history-of-gin-1728-1794

The Window Tax

We have been discussing methods of taxation in one of my U3A History Groups, so I thought a related article may be of interest.  Introduced in 1696 this tax was intended to tax the rich more and the poor less - but did it achieve it?  How did inhabitants try to avoid paying the tax?  What was the impact on public health? And what constituted a window?  To find out more please read the following article:

https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/transformingsociety/towncountry/towns/tyne-and-wear-case-study/about-the-group/housing/window-tax/

Life A Hundred Years Ago - Would You Fancy It?

This is an interesting article from the EDP.  It outlines the fashions, foodstuffs, entertainments of the day.  How much would a Cadillac car cost you?  Which King visited Norwich?  How much could you buy a brick built villa for in Ipswich?  And there were still hangings taking place in Norwich.  To find out more please read the following article:  

https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/history-norfolk-and-suffolk-in-the-1920s-1-6445511


The Captain's Parks

The following is an interesting article from the excellent Colonel Unthanks Norwich website.  It is about Captain Arnold Edward Sandys-Winsch who built five parks throughout Norwich during the 1920s and 1930s.  But what parks did he build and in what architectural style?  He also planted 20,000 trees throughout  Norwich which we all enjoy today and probably take for granted.  What manpower was used to build these parks?  There is also a 1950s cafe menu included in the article which is also worth a look and is very much different to the menus we see today! Please select the following link to find out more:  

https://colonelunthanksnorwich.com/2019/07/05/the-captains-parks/

Tuesday 8 September 2020

Norfolk Record Office - Autumn Online Events Programme

These kick off with Frank Meeres presenting on Richard Caister, “The Good Vicar” on Wednesday Sept 23rd.  Future events include; Bullards Brewery, the grand tour and Norwich and the plague, these can be accessed via the following link:

https://norfolkrecordofficeblog.org/history-talks/






Margaret Elizabeth Fountaine

Margaret is another person I didn’t know anything about.  She was famous for being a lepidopterist and an adventurer which is a unique mix.  But what is a lepidopterist?  Where did she travel to?  What did she collect and where is her collection held now?  She travelled the world on horse back at great risk to herself but who was her guide and companion for 27 years?  She is also famous for the diary she kept between 1878–1939 and for her carefully drawn sketchbooks of larvae and pupae, many previously un-described, which are held in the Natural History Museum.  To find out more please select the following links, in the second link you will also find a short film about her: 

https://peoplepill.com/people/margaret-fountaine/

https://norfolkwomeninhistory.com/1851-1899/margaret-fountaine/

Tuesday 1 September 2020

Coronavirus Pandemic Pictures

You may recall that in April I included a request from the Heritage Centre for History Groups to start collecting information and photographs relating to the Coronavirus Pandemic.  These records would display how we responded and lived through the crisis to future generations.  A member of our group, David Woods, has taken some excellent photos of the crisis and I have included some of them below.  









Maharaja Duleep Singh

There is a statue of Maharaja Duleep Singh on Butten Island in Thetford.  I have never heard of him, so who is he?  Why is there a Sikh statue in Thetford?  He was the last Sikh ruler, removed by the British and exiled to Britain in 1854.  Where did he live on the Norfolk/Suffolk border?  Which member of the royal family was he a firm favourite of?  What was the Koh-i-Noor diamond and where does it reside today?  Sikh pilgrims visit the statue every year.  To find out more please select the following links:  

https://www.thetfordandbrandontimes.co.uk/news/festival-mark-maharaja-duleep-singh-death-thetford-elveden-1-5660400

https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/15257/lot/385/

New Buckenham Castle

I came across this castle a couple of years ago when walking with the Ramblers.  The remains are quite impressive including the keep and the circular moat.  It is well worth a visit.  The castle was built in 1176 by William d’Albini, a Norman Baron and supporter of William The Conqueror.  D’Albini also built Castle Rising and he built a new town to service his new castle but what was it called and how did this town become wealthy?  To find out more, please access the following link:

https://www.britainexpress.com/counties/norfolk/castles/new-buckenham-castle.htm

Narborough Bone Mill

I must admit I didn’t know what a Bone Mill was, so here is an interesting article about Narborough Bone Mill.  Where did they obtain the bone from and what was it used for?  They even imported human bone but where from?  The smell must have been gruesome which is why the mill was located in a very isolated position.  To find out more, please access the following link, also take time too explore this website that also has a huge amount of information on Norfolk windmills, watermills and steam pumps:

http://www.norfolkmills.co.uk/Watermills/narborough-bone-mill.html

John Vigar Forthcoming Talks

Colin has asked me to share the following link of John’s forthcoming talks.  John is a popular architectural historian with over 40 years experience teaching, lecturing and guiding specialist groups.  John`s specialist subject is ecclesiology – the study of church architecture and associated topics.  There are several talks about Norfolk Churches coming up which may be of interest to you:

https://www.eventbrite.com/o/john-vigar-30784745250


VJ Day

On Saturday, it was 75 years since the Japanese surrender and the end of the Second World War.  It is wonderful that we commemorate these occasions and long may it continue!  The following link has 11 photos depicting some of the celebrations.  You can feel the release of the anguish of six years of war in the smiles!  Please select the following link:  


Alice L'estrange

Another interesting article from this website is on somebody else I know nothing about:  Alice L’estrange.  It was very hard to be a famous woman in the 17th century but this lady managed several estates during the English Civil War whilst her husband and sons were away fighting.  

https://norfolkwomeninhistory.com/1500-1699/alice-lestrange/


Amelia Opie

An interesting website worth exploring is:  norfolkwomeninhistory.  There are lots of names which I know nothing about.  One of those is Amelia Opie.  We all know of Opie Street but who was Amelia Opie and what was she famous for?  Did you know she was a quaker and why did she give up writing fictional novels?  The answers and much more are in the following article: 

https://norfolkwomeninhistory.com/1751-1799/amelia-opie/

Wednesday 19 August 2020

History of Ice Cream

I had my first Mr Whippy of the summer at Ranworth on Sunday which prompted this article.  Did you know it all started with the Ancient Greeks? Salt was used to freeze dairy products.  When was the first ice cream recipe in England?  The answers and much more are in the following article: 

https://www.historytoday.com/archive/historians-cookbook/we-all-scream-ice-cream


Thursday 6 August 2020

Broadland Memories

This is a related article that provides the history of boating on the Broads up to 1900.  When did boating for pleasure start on the Broads?  What was a “lateener” yacht?  What led to Wroxham becoming known as the “Capitol of the Broads”?  When was a wherry first used for pleasure trips?  There were far less trees because the wherry men had cut them down.  Small steam launches and larger passenger steamers began to be built and became a common site on the Broads.  What was John Loynes famous for?  And when were ladies expected to rise so that they didn’t see any men bathing?  To learn more please select the following link:

Tuesday 28 July 2020

The Case of Silas Chapman - 7th July 1856

Colin recently became aware of this bigamy case and thought it would be of interest to the group.  Here is the Old Bailey article:

https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse.jsp?id=t18560707-675&div=t18560707-675&terms=Norwich#highlight

Edward Boardman

George Skipper’s great rival was Edward Boardman.  His major works in Norwich include the refurbishment of the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, converting Norwich Castle into a museum, building the notable Royal Hotel and the mortuary chapel in the city's Rosary Cemetery.  But did you know that he became Mayor of Norwich and he built How Hill House and lived in the How Hill Estate?  Find out more by selecting the following article and view more of his buildings in the Gallery section and a list of his buildings in the Works section:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Boardman

George Skipper

I didn’t realise that he had designed so many buildings in Norwich; it is well known he designed the Royal Arcade but did you realise that he designed the Norfolk and Norwich Savings Bank (now Barclays Bank) in Red Lion St, the Norwich and London Accident Assurance Association (now the St Giles House Hotel in St Giles’ St) and his most expensive and sumptuous project, Surrey House for Norwich Union Life Insurance Society.  His trademarks were turrets and cupolas.  One of his great admirers was Poet Laureate John Betjeman.  Please select the following link to learn more:

https://colonelunthanksnorwich.com/2017/02/15/the-flamboyant-mr-skipper/

Wednesday 22 July 2020

Medieval Summer Picnic

There were picnics in medieval times often followed by a great feast all washed down with some mead and/or a flagon of wine!  What was maslin?  What cakes did they have and how were they seasoned?  They even ate sweet pastries containing fruit and a hint of liquorice and cloves. What was verjuice?  To find out more please select the following article written by author Carol McGrath:




Unlocking The Archive - Discover Historic Books

Colin has sent the below link below to share with you.  This site will enable you to discover how historic books were made, the ideas they contained and who owned them many centuries ago.  The introductory film is steered towards children but don’t be misled by this because there is plenty for adults to learn from this site. 

Select Choose a Library to Unlock and then select one of the three libraries, and the books within those libraries.  Just select and have fun exploring the books available. 


Seven Artworks Of The Battle Of Britain

Here are some paintings of the battle depicting the trails in the sky and portraits of pilots.  My favourite is An Aerial Battle which provides the stark contrast between everyday Britain and the battle raging overhead.

https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/7-artworks-of-the-battle-of-britain

Ten Inspiring Stories of the Battle Of Britain

In this article you will learn of the real life stories of those that lived and fought in the battle.  It includes the wonderful story of how three women of the Women’s Auxiliary Airforce (WAAF) won Military Medals.  Note they were awarded military medals and not airforce medals.  There is also the story of how Pilot Officer Bill Millington saved a village and other wonderful stories of bravery during the battle.

Please note you can click on See Object Record to obtain more information on the artefact.

https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/10-inspiring-stories-of-bravery-during-the-battle-of-britain

Eight Things You Need to Know About The Battle Of Britain

This is an interesting article of the key points of the battle for those that are not familiar with this.  In particular the article outlines the wonderful air defence network Britain had.  Radar would act as the early detection of enemy aircraft formations, information on incoming raids was passed to Fighter Command Headquarters and once the direction of the raid was clearly established, the information was sent to the relevant Fighter Group’s headquarters and from there it was sent to the Sector Stations, which would ‘scramble’ fighters into action.  The operations rooms also directed other elements of the defence network, including anti-aircraft guns, searchlights and barrage balloons. 

We can get it right sometimes!

Please note you can click on See Object Record to obtain more information on the artefact.



History Of NHS In Charts

This BBC article supplements the above with some informative charts.  It covers the number of persons employed - it is the 5th largest employer in the world!  It covers budget, prescription charges and number of beds - did you know that that number of beds has decreased since 1948? Other interesting topics include; life expectancy, infant mortality and vaccination.   Please select the following link to learn more:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-44560590

History of the National Health Service (NHS)

This is an interesting article that plots the history from the Second World War.  It outlines the original structure, the demand, expansion and improvements.  As you have probably guessed, the demand exceeded all expectations.  Nye Bevan was given the task of implementing the NHS and he faced many challenges including some opposition to it.  Please select the following link to learn more:

Thursday 2 July 2020

Six Things You Didn’t Know About Edward VI

I discovered this whilst surfing around the History Press site and I would recommend this site as there are lots of nuggets of information.  We all know that Edward was the boy King at the time of Kett's Rebellion but what else do we know about him.  I didn’t know that he was betrothed to Mary Queen of Scots.  Please select the following link to find out more:

https://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/articles/six-things-you-probably-didn-t-know-about-edward-vi/

Thursday 23 April 2020

Pictures of the Duke of Norfolk's Palace

There doesn’t appear to be many pictures of the Duke of Norfolk’s Palace, however, Peter James has located the following on Facebook:






Tuesday 7 April 2020

Local Sculpture Quiz


History Club Sculpture Quiz

Here’s a little quiz  for you all.

18 photos of sculptures in Norwich and Norfolk. Can you name who or what they are and their location?

Some are simple, some are more demanding. Have a go anyway. I'll email, or post results on Facebook next week.

Good luck
Mike Hudson