On the Tudor Trail

Episode 226 – The North Berwick Witch Trials with Naomi Kelsey

Guest Bio Naomi Kelsey is the winner of two Northern Writers' Awards and of the HWA Dorothy Dunnett Competition 2021. Her fiction has been published in Mslexia magazine and shortlisted for several further awards including the Bridport Prize and the Bristol Prize. She lives in Newcastle with her husband, young children and their dog, and by day teaches English at a large secondary school. The Burnings is her first novel. Naomi's Tudor Takewaway Whitney … [Read More...]

Episode 225 – Tudor Wall Paintings with Dr Kathryn Davies

Guest Bio DR KATHRYN DAVIES, BA (Hons), MA, DPhil (Oxon), Dip TP, FSA, RTPI, IHBC Kathryn Davies is a heritage and planning consultant working principally in the public sector. She came across many wall paintings during the course of her work in Shropshire and of because the lack of information on this subject she started her research. She now works as a consultant on planning and historic environment issues. She is a visiting fellow at Kellogg College, Oxford and has lectured widely on … [Read More...]

Episode 224 – Heirs of Ambition: The Making of the Boleyns with Dr Claire Martin

Guest Bio Dr Claire Martin is a historian specialising in the history of London and the late Medieval period. She has worked on a number of London companies, including the Woolmen and the Girdlers and her PhD looked at London's medieval transport industry. She is currently working, on behalf of The Yorkist History Trust, to publish the executors' accounts and remarkably detailed probate inventories of the former House of Commons Speaker, Sir Thomas … [Read More...]

Episode 223 – Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn and the Marriage that Shook Europe with John Guy & Julia Fox

Guest Bios John Guy: Formerly provost and history professor at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, Renaissance historian John Guy is now a fellow in history at Clare College, University of Cambridge. He has written several books, including Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart, (upon which the 2018 Mary Queen of Scots starring Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie, was based). He appears regularly on the BBC’s flagship cultural programs. Julia Fox: Julia Fox is a teacher and … [Read More...]

Episode 222 – Food in Tudor England with Brigitte Webster

Guest Bio Brigitte Webster is a qualified teacher of home economics and history, making her the perfect ‘accomplished’ Tudor housewife in modern day Britain. As a competent and experienced cook with a deep passion for Tudor history she fully immersed herself in archaeological, experimental cookery which also motivated her to grow period vegetables, herbs and fruits to achieve the most authentic end results. In 2019 she and her husband bought a small Tudor manor that had escaped ruthless … [Read More...]

Episode 221 – The Battle of Flodden with Julian Humphrys

Guest Bio After graduating in history from Emmanuel College Cambridge, Julian Humphrys joined the staff of London's National Army Museum where he curated numerous exhibitions and was spokesperson to the media on all matters of British Army history. He moved on to organise English Heritage's programme of guided tours to historic sites and continues to lead battlefield walks for its members. Julian is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and is a trustee of the Battlefields Trust, the UK … [Read More...]

Episode 220 – The Life & Reign of Claude of France with Professor Kathleen Wilson-Chevalier

Guest Bio Kathleen Wilson-Chevalier is Art History Professor Emerita at The American University of Paris. Trained as a Fontainebleau specialist, she has published a catalogue on French Renaissance prints, edited books (Royaume de fémynie, with Eliane Viennot; Patronnes et mécènes en France à la Renaissance; Femmes et fonctions à la cour de France, with Caroline zum Kolk), and written articles on French women of rank and their artistic patronage. Her most recent publications examine … [Read More...]

A Weekend at the Tudor Court

Since launching the '365 Days' courses, I've received many messages from people asking if I'd consider hosting online events that require less of a time and financial commitment, and so your wish is my command! I'm delighted to introduce you to 'A Weekend at the Tudor Court', a 2-day online event exploring life at the Tudor court. Enjoy talks by 7 leading Tudor history experts all from the comfort of your home! Below is a list of lectures and presenters. Lecture 1 – The Perfect … [Read More...]

Episode 219 – Hampton Court Palace with Gareth Russell

Guest Bio Gareth Russell is a historian and broadcaster. He studied at Oxford and Queen's University, Belfast, where he specialised in the medieval and Tudor royal households. He is the author of several books, including the Catherine Howard biography, Young and Damned and Fair, and the bestselling Do Let's Have Another Drink, about the late Queen Mother. His next book is The Palace: From the Tudors to the Windsors, 500 Years of History at Hampton Court. Natalie Grueninger speaks with … [Read More...]

Episode 218 – William Somer: The King’s Fool with Dr Peter K. Andersson

Guest Bio Peter K. Andersson is a Senior Lecturer in History at Örebro University in Sweden. He is the author of Streetlife in Late-Victorian London and Silent History: Body Language and Nonverbal Identity, 1860-1914. His latest book ‘ Fool: In Search of Henry VIII’s Closest Man’ will be released on 19 September 2023. Article: On A Fool’s Errand: Writing A Biography of Will … [Read More...]

Episode 217 – Young Queens with Leah Redmond Chang

Guest Bio Leah Redmond Chang is a former associate professor of French literature and culture at the George Washington University. Her writing draws on her extensive experience as a researcher in the archives and in rare book libraries. Her previous books include Into Print: The Invention of Female Authorship in Early Modern France, which focused on women and book culture in the sixteenth century, and (with Katherine Kong) Portraits of the Queen Mother, about the many public faces of … [Read More...]

Episode 216 – Lavinia Fontana: Trailblazer, Rule Breaker with Dr Aoife Brady

Guest Bio Aoife Brady is Curator of Italian and Spanish art at the National Gallery of Ireland. A specialist in Bolognese painting, Brady holds a doctorate in the History of Art from Trinity College Dublin, and has held curatorial roles with The National Gallery, London, and the Paintings Department of The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles. Brady sits on the Old Masters vetting committee for TEFAF Maastricht. Her primary research interests relate to the study of painting techniques, … [Read More...]