Blog by Intriguing History

This site Intriguing History, started as a project with Maps, post-its and good old fashioned Pins in those Maps, coloured pens and attempts to timeline and connect historic events, themes, people over time.

The Blog part - takes snippets we find, might have share on Instagram and connects relates back to the core content we share on this site.  The project goes forwards in 'fits and starts' as we fit around life , family and of course work.

On the Blog we are currently interested in how we can take images, play on patterns in history, mathematics, science, digital engineering and of course DNA to find a few more connections, have a play with photography, images and Instagram and a few quotes and texts here and there. Take it as the lighter side of life, not intense history stuff but a bit of fun along the way...

 

The Drolatic Dreams of Pantagruel.

By HLB | February 21, 2019

The Drolatic Dreams of Pantagruel. Whilst searching through Medieval books and manuscripts for images of ‘witches’ and their symbols this book from 1565 emerged from the archives. It is an absurd collection of characters bound into a single volume, images only, except for a preface by the man who published it in 1565. The images are woodcuts, there are 120 in total and each deserves pause for thought and conjecture. The publisher, a Frenchman called Richard Breton was a bookbinder, book illustrator and Protestant in the court of Catherine de Medici. He worked with a colleague, himself an artist, called Francois Desprez. He had previously published the work of Francois Rabelais, a satirist and lover of the grotesque of the early C16th who wrote a tale of two giants, Gargantua and of Pantagruel. Desprez had collaborated with Rabelais in the production of this work. Twelve years after the death of Rabelais in 1553, the publisher Breton produced a volume of grotesques, ‘The Drolatic Dreams of Pantagruel’. The word drolatic meaning humorous or funny. Breton in his introduction, hints that the work is by Rabelais himself but is now thought to be the work of Breton’s partner Francois Desprez. What of the images themselves? They are grotesque and clearly meant to adhere to the time when the emergence of satire, of masked carnival and other seedy and disturbed behaviours were imagined and actuated in the growing European populations of the C16th. They are a mixture of man and animals, of imps…

Manchester or Mamucium celebrating Chinese New Year 2019 – the Year of the Pig

By Amanda Moore INW | February 11, 2019

North/South Divide what does Manchester Mamuciam later latinised to Mancunian have to teach us all across history Brigantes, Roman Era, the Industrial and Media Revolutions Post Brit Pop what can we learn?

history of weather

History of Weather Timeline

By HLB | February 3, 2019

As Winter settles in and we find ourselves shivering in our centrally heated homes, wearing our snug ultra light super insulated ski wear and dash from home to the warmth of our cars and heated seats we would do well to spare a thought for our ancestors as they struggled to cope with some pretty atrocious winters in the past. In fact it seems incredible that any of them survived to old age at all given the harshness of some of the weather they endured. A cursory look at the history of weather reveals much. In modern times in the UK, bad weather is mainly a bit of a nuisance, the trains don’t run, the airports are fog bound, the ferry can’t sail for a few hours and so on but by and large we are protected from the worst of it, most of us can find shelter and food until the worst is over. The lives of our ancestors however were dependent upon what the weather was doing. On a day to day basis keeping warm could take up a lot of time, finding firewood, keeping fires alight. Common people had few rights to fuel to keep fires alight, wood and turf belonged to the lords and barons although in 1297, the forest charters and the Magna Carta were consolidated into the ​”Confirmation of Charters”.  This gave free men protection to use the forest for basic needs by permitting foraging by pigs (pannage), collection of firewood (estover), grazing of…

Anglo Saxon

An Anglo Saxon afternoon

By HLB | January 28, 2019

Anglo Saxon on an afternoon stroll around Corhampton Church Hampshire UK.

Blackpool a hidden gem

By Amanda Moore INW | January 26, 2019

Blackpool a couple of years ago after New Years Eve at the Ballroom. What a fantastic feature and way to start that new year. Just a test of the blog as we reshape the future for this Intriguing Project. Hang in there, a new look and much more is on it’s way. We just took a radical view and thought time for a new paint job on this site! Have a great weekend and watch out for more from that trip from Blackpool and Lytham St Anne.

Honoured guests Tower of London Chelsea Pensioners and their Beefeater guide

WW1 Remembrance Poetry Art and Hope

By Amanda Moore INW | November 13, 2016

The Digital Archives of WW1 Poetry needs little introduction. Worthy of a reflective browse and full of deeply moving artefacts. When souls in the extremes of horrific wars raise themselves to such heights, in spite of all they face, it feels like the least we can do is to take inspiration from their art and take it forward with us today. Remembrance seems as important and poignant now as ever. Whilst the generations that endured these ironically called ‘Great Wars’ are no longer with us, hearing the children from a WW1 project at last nights Royal Albert Hall Remembrance commemoration it is as relevant now as ever surely that we continue to observe this annual moment. The children last night reflected the rich tapestry of modern Britain, independent of race, religion, education or wealth. The recent Reith BBC lectures on identity for me were full of hope, teaching us that we adapt, adopt and Evolve culture. We need not be bound by birthrights or the illusion of identity as a fixed inheritance that emanates from our DNA. It is ours to do what we wish with. Sometimes we need not be bound by our history but liberated by it. The depth of the art left by these poets has been rooted in my reading since early school days. Like the children featured last night, it has provided me a glimpse of insight and inspiration not just at this time of year. I heard from My brother this week that his…

Yamaki 390 year old tree a Hiroshima survivor

Hiroshima an English Perspective

By Amanda Moore INW | August 6, 2015

Hiroshima an English Perspective on 70th Commemoration in the spirit of hope, resilience and reconciliation with thanks to a unique 390 year old Bonsai Tree, a blog post with references and links commemorating this the 70th anniversary of these dark days but with hope for the future and thanks to Master Yamaki.

Old Books

Historic Gold in Old Books

By HLB | June 8, 2015

A chance find in a charity book store, led to the unexpected discovery of a collection of books that belonged to the late Colin Sorenson. All sorts of books on London containing a few historical golden nuggets.

VE Day 1945 King George VI Speech

By Amanda Moore INW | May 11, 2015

VE Day 1945 King George VI Speech an inspired reading at this week’s service in Westminster Abbey commemorating the end of WW2 in Europe VE Day on 8th May. Did you hear the The King’s Speech, how much does a national act of commemoration provide a timely reminder of the need to give back and participate and not just leave it all to the political class?

Oxford Womens Winners make the desperate dash and win

Oxford Blues win Historic 1st Equal Terms Boat Race

By Amanda Moore INW | April 11, 2015

Historic double win, it looks like for the Oxford Women and Men, final results to follow.Women are the winners either way, the first Women’ race on the same course, same day and equal terms. More to follow.