Baconsthorpe Castle

I was recently walking from Bodham and came upon the wonderful Baconsthorpe Castle.  I have included an article on this in the past and it is well worth repeating.  I would normally recommend a visit to the castle but it looks like there is some building work going on at present.  You can park at the castle at a cost of £2 and explore this excellent fortified house.  The castle, moat and gardens are lovely on a summers day.  Anyway, who built and lived at the castle?  How did it become a Tudor wool factory? It’s a story of rags to riches and back to rags!  The answers and much more are in the following articles:

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/baconsthorpe-castle/history/

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/baconsthorpe-castle/history/tudor-wool-factory/

Norfolk Lunatic Asylum in 1882

Continuing on from the talk by Richard Johnson on Tuesday, here are a couple of articles.  The first article has some statistics and is a little dry but I would encourage you to flick through.  Of the patients that were admitted from 1850-1882, how many of these recovered?  The timetable section is worth a look as it outlines a typical weekly schedule for 1859.  The food facts section is also interesting - what did the inmates have to eat on Christmas Day?  How much weight did the majority of inmates put on by the time they were discharged?  To find out the answers to these questions and more information, please select the following link:  

https://restorationtrust.org.uk/2019/01/30/norfolk-lunatic-asylum-in-1882/

Here is an EDP article which describes the approach to postnatal depression during the Victorian era.  Why did psychiatrists think that women were more prone to lunacy than men?  There are also some case studies of the women that resided at the asylum (they are not for the faint hearted).  To find out more please select the following link:

https://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/lifestyle/heritage/where-was-the-mental-asylum-norwich-8408818

Death of Queen Elizabeth II

It was with great sadness that I learned of the death of our Queen on Thursday 8th September.  She was a great inspiration to myself and millions of others.  May you rest in peace your majesty.  I am honoured to have been alive during your reign.  God Save The King!

Royal Rebranding - What Will Happen to Stamps, Coins, Banknotes and Passports

With the passing of the Queen and the blanket coverage going on at present, I thought I would come at this from a slightly different angle.  So when will Charles’s head appear on coins and which way will he be facing?  When will we see the King’s head on stamps?  Will the royal cyphers be changed on post boxes?  What happens to the Royal Warrants that have been issued in the Queen’s name (Colmans has one)?  To find out the answers to these questions and more information, please select the following link:  

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-59596996

Origins of our National Anthem - God Save the King

Here is an interesting article about the origins of our National Anthem.  It appears to have evolved over time but I didn’t realise that it was popular as far back as the Jacobite Rebellion in 1745.  To find out more please select the following link:

https://www.historytoday.com/archive/history-matters/god-save-queen-history-national-anthem

Parson Woodforde

Here is another excellent article from the Norfolk Tales, Myths and More! website.  I was recently fortunate to have a meal at the Parson Woodforde pub in Weston Longville and a member of my family asked me who was Parson Woodforde.  I didn’t know so I thought an article would be interesting.  The reason why he is famous is because he is the author of The Diary of a Country Parson. This vivid account of parish life remained unpublished until the 20th century.  The value of the diary to the historian lies in the wealth of primary source material it provides, while the general reader can bring from it the authentic flavour of 18th-century English country life.  To find out more, please select the following link:  

https://norfolktalesmyths.com/2021/04/09/the-diaries-of-a-parson-woodforde/

If you would like to flick through the entire text of his dairy, then please select the following link:  

https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.227134/2015.227134.The-Diary_djvu.txt