Welcome to MY LIFE IN THE PAST!

and the story of my life so far

Hello! As I’ve recently had a bit of a surge in subscriptions (thank you!) I thought I’d introduce newcomers to what goes on round here.

Basically, it’s history, in its many and varied forms. Mainly British, largely social or cultural, and generally from the Tudors onwards.

Popular posts on MY LIFE IN THE PAST include the one about the mystery of the Princes in the Tower, and of the course the one with some life lessons from Queen Victoria about how to conquer your nerves when speaking in public.

Readers seemed to like hearing about my trips behind the scenes to the gigantic conservation project at Notre Dame Cathedral, and I was surprised by the positive response to the one about Queen Mary I’s stomach.

In my late teens, I studied Ancient History at college. This obviously necessitated recreating Cleopatra’s barge.

I’m a British historian, and it’s my privilege to travel the world researching new books and documentaries, and talking to people about history.

In the last month, I’ve taken a group of Jane-Austen-lovers round Bath, I’ve dived deeply into nineteenth-century literature for a thrilling TOP SECRET NEW PROJECT, and I’ve been carrying some exciting waterborne research on the river Thames to investigate nineteenth-century crime.

My PhD was in architectural history, and - why, thank you for asking! - the title of my thesis was ‘The Architectural Patronage of William Cavendish, First Duke of Newcastle, 1593-1676.’ I wrote it about the place where I worked in my twenties, the enchanting Bolsover Castle in Derbyshire, which is opened up to visitors by English Heritage.

Have you ever seen a more beautiful castle?

I then spent twenty years working as Chief Curator at the Historic Royal Palaces of London, based at Hampton Court Palace, but also working at Kensington Palace and the Tower of London.

Watch it, Worsley! You don’t want to fall off that roof down into the cloisters at Hampton Court Palace.

I’ve been writing about my experience there for a book that’s coming out next year. I had to cover royal history from the Norman Conquest right up to Diana, Princess of Wales.

I’m not adverse to the history of dress, or of dressing up. Partly because I’m a bit of a show-off, and partly because seeing historical clothing, so relatable and yet so weird, can sometimes suddenly open up a little window for us into the lost world of the past.

That’s sadly not my real hair.

So if you’re new here, you’re warmly welcomed, and I hope you’ll stick around and enjoy more adventures.

What period of history most interests you?