Category: Historical research
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Back to work
So I took Boxing Day off as well as Christmas Day, and went back to work yesterday by reading Robert Hutchinson’s biography of Thomas Cromwell. I can’t say I was impressed, not least because I came across three of my pet hate ‘must have’s (that is, “s/he must have thought/been/looked etc”) by the bottom of…
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Back to writing
Yesterday, rather unexpectedly, I sat down and started writing again. I was overcome with an urge to sest my thoughts down on paper (well, computer screen) as I read the first publication in a ballad flyting from 1540. I wrote down what I thought about it, how I interpreted it and the background to is…
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The Four Seasons – Medieval and Earlier Manuscripts
On mornings when I wonder why I do this (and frankly, this was one of them), it’s things like this that remind me. Simply beautiful. The Four Seasons – Medieval and Earlier Manuscripts.
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London here I come!
I’ve spent quite a bit of time in the last couple of weeks planning my trip to London. I’ve made arrangements to go to the British Library, the Society of Antiquaries and the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library, and although I’m a bit nervous (I’ve never done anything like this before), I’m also very excited. This…
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Back to Work
On Tuesday morning, the children started their new school, so I went back to work in earnest, trying out my new study (a great success, but more on that another time). I spent Tuesday reading a couple of books that I needed to take back to the library, and on Wednesday we had another meeting…
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Society for Renaissance Studies Conference
I’ve just spent three days at the Society for Renaissance Studies Conference in Manchester, and very stimulating it was too. It was nice to meet some new people and hear about their work, and a few people I’ve spoken to have been interested in my work and offered to keep in touch. There were some…
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Writing again!
Since my Spanish exam on Tuesday, I’ve been able to get back to a bit of writing (and a lot of reading again). I’m supposed to have come up with 2000 words by the end of the month, towards which I contributed 300 or so on Friday. I’ve already got 1000 so it’s getting there. …
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7233 words
An interesting sort of week. I have been trying to polish up my work, which is due in next Wednesday, but it’s impossible to switch off from the analysis. It keeps expanding instead of being cut! I keep finding bits that need more explanation, so more explanation goes in, or another hour or two or…
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I think it’s taking over my life….
…which I suppose is not really surprising! I’ve had a really good day, but I know I can’t carry on now, because it’s too late to start on another section that could drag on into the night. I’ve written 4800 words of my chapter on images of Mary, and although doubtless some of them need…
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Ballads and Marigolds
This week I’ve been looking at the ballads written about Mary and Philip, and their background. So I’m looking into the authors and printers, and the culture of balladry in the early modern period. I’m really finding it very interesting, not least because of my background in music and my particular interest in the folk…
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