A Letter from May 1940
A letter my grandfather, Ronald Jack Meddings, wrote to his family from Norway May 1940.
Alexander Meddings
Based in Rome, Alexander Meddings is a published historian, writer and tour guide. After completing his Roman History MPhil at Oxford University, he moved to Italy to pursue his passion at the source.
A Letter from Quetta, India, May 1941
A letter my grandfather, Ronald Jack Meddings, wrote to his family in May 1941 during his posting in India.
A Letter from India, October 1941
A letter from my grandfather to his family, written in 1941 while serving in India.
A Christmas Letter from India, 1941
A Christmas Letter from my grandfather to his family, written in 1941 while serving in India.
Victorian Christmas Traditions: the Good, the Bad & the Batsh*t Mad
I’m going to take a punt in saying that whatever you know about Victorian Christmas traditions probably comes from Charles Dickens’s 1843 novel “A Christmas Carol” (or, if you’re a 90s kid like me, from the rather less bleak adaptation…
Caligula’s Palace on the Esquiline Hill
The scale of the site pays testament to the the emperor's excesses. As well as identifying a large, luxurious villa and multi-levelled gardens, archaeologists discovered the remains of various animal fauna (including ostriches, deer and even a bear) suggesting this is where Caligula kept his own personal menagerie. But what's most exciting about the discovery is that we most probably have an ancient author who describes it. And I think this ancient author depicts Caligula in a realistic light, as an irascible pampered prince more concerned with his interior decor than the plights of his people.
The Legendary Afterlife of Alexander the Great
Many of us are familiar with Alexander's historical exploits, but few have heard of his legend. As an intrepid adventurer, moralistic journeyman, and messenger of god.
A Tall Order – The Bizarre Story of the Potsdam Giants
Dark and handsome, we don’t know, but King Frederick William I certainly liked his men tall. He was a sucker for uniform too, once confessing that “the most beautiful girl or woman in the world would be a matter of…
Who Was Bloody Mary? The Face Behind the Legend
Who exactly do scare-seekers expect to come face-to-face with when they summon the spirit of Bloody Mary? Read on to find out!
London’s Hidden History
With over 2,000 years of continuous settlement, London is bursting with history. Beneath the very streets you walk, and within the walls of the buildings that line them, are countless stories of the city's dark and violent past. You have just to scratch beneath the surface to find them.
