Author: timepieceshistory
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The History Series: What Led to the Hundred Years War?
Introduction The Hundred Years War was a complex beast. The most basic timelines will show that it was contested by England and France between 1337 and 1453. The reality is that swathes of Europe became involved in the long dispute and, rather than being a singular war, it was actually a period of intermittent fighting,…
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The History Series: Medieval Monarch Monikers and Nasty Nicknames
Introduction If you read my blog about the Battle of Crecy, you’ll be familiar with Philip the Fair of France and King John the Blind of Bohemia. Both of these men faced Edward III, who may have been the victor on the battlefield but was no match for his adversaries when it comes to descriptive…
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The History Series: Queen Isabella of France
Introduction Isabella of France, Queen of England, was a deft political player who blew the whistle on one of the biggest scandals of the 14th century and was a key actor in the outbreak of the Hundred Years War. She invaded England with a mercenary army and overthrew (and possibly murdered) her husband, allowing her…
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The History Series: Edward III and the Battle of Crécy
Introduction Lasting from 1337 until 1453, England and France were the main protagonists during a series of conflicts we refer to as the Hundred Years War. The ‘war’ was significant in shaping the national character of both nations and its effects resonated all over medieval Europe. One of the most important encounters was the battle…
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Visit North East: George Stephenson’s ‘Billy’
The Killingworth Colliery The engineer George Stephenson went to work for Killingworth Colliery, owned by Lord Ravensworth, in 1812. The area had several pits, with Ravensworth’s the best known. The town, purpose-built in the 1960s, is to the north of Newcastle and sits on the site of the former village that Stephenson would have been…
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Visit North East: Stephenson Railway Museum
*DISCLAIMER: I intended to visit the Stephenson Railway Museum to take my own photographs & learn more. I will be updating this post after the Covid19 lockdown has ended* Introduction The final blog in our series on places to visit in the north east of England (and managed by the Tyne and Wear Archives and…
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Visit North East: Unit’s Standard
The Roman fort at Segedunum has an amazing collection of army uniforms and equipment, along with statues, busts and replica buildings. The legion’s standard display though, is particularly eye-catching, and I was interested to learn more about them. There isn’t a specific ‘Visit North East’ blog to accompany this post, as Segedunum was included in…
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Visit North East: Commanding Officer’s Quarters
Initially I was going to focus on one specific item from the commanding officer quarters – his desk – but there are so many amazing things on display that I thought I’d give an overview of the most luxurious part of the Arbeia barracks. There isn’t a specific ‘Visit North East’ blog to accompany…
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Visit North East: William Jobling’s Gibbet
*DISCLAIMER: I intended to visit the South Shields Museum to take my own photographs & learn more. I will be updating this post after the Covid19 lockdown has ended* The South Shields Museum has a piece of the gibbet used to execute murderer William Jobling in its collection, and a grisly recreation of what that…
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Visit North East: South Shields Museum
*DISCLAIMER: I intended to visit the South Shields Museum to take my own photographs & learn more. I will be updating this post after the Covid19 lockdown has ended* Introduction The South Shields Museum is a huge, beautiful, stone-fronted building with white plaster features on the windows. It sits right in the centre of the…