READING HISTORY

By Professor Matthew Worley It was only two drummers, but it sounded like twelve. My pop music epiphany came on 16th October 1980: Adam and the Ants performed ‘Dog Eat Dog‘ on Top of the Pops, which you can watch… Continue reading

By Dr Natalie Thomlinson “More than owt else here that symbolises pride, it’s this bloody band!” [Image credit: bpcraddock from Pixabay.] To give you a flavour of the music from Brassed Off watch the William Tell Overture from the film here.… Continue reading

By Dr Elizabeth Matthew On a summer’s day in 1189 a group of men rode swiftly to the quayside at Dieppe after a long journey from the Loire valley, two hundred and forty miles to the south. Keen to cross… Continue reading

By Professor Emily West The festive season provides a time and space for dancing (badly or otherwise), along with socializing, eating, drinking and celebrating. As befits a Christian celebration it also grants time for religious worship and quiet reflection. One… Continue reading

Tales of Turning Milk into Wine and Festive Phlegm! By Amie Bolissian McRae [Image credit: The Milkmaid, Lucas van Leyden (Netherlandish, Leiden, ca. 1493-1533 Leiden), 1510. Image from metmuseum.org.] What would 17th century festivities have been without milk, cream, cheese,… Continue reading

By Professor Kate Williams Seven swans a swimming – well, with giving this, our ‘true love’ was really buying us something rather expensive. Swans have always been luxury goods, a medieval Gucci handbag, if you will. In the medieval period,… Continue reading

By Professor Anne Lawrence-Mathers As this is the History blog, today presents an opportunity to celebrate the Six Great Geese of History (as chosen by us).  They will be presented – obviously – in chronological order. First up is Aesop’s… Continue reading

By Dr James P. Bowen In 2018, Dr James P. Bowen of Leeds Trinity University was awarded the Poultry Club of Great Britain Research Fellowship at the University of Reading’s Museum of English Rural Life. ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’… Continue reading

By Professor Joel Felix To a French historian the three French hens of the 12 Days of Christmas inevitably recalls the story of King Henri IV and the poule au pot (chicken in the pot) which was popularized by Voltaire… Continue reading