History

The ghost of Madam Pigott.

How the stereotypical gothic image of a circle of people communing with the afterlife came about. 

The history of and daily life in lunatic asylums.

"O true apothecary, Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die." Poisons and potions in my latest research. 

The inspiration for my free historical novella, The Last Flight of the Ladybird.

The Victorian Governess, by Katherine Hughes, gives a straight forward account of what life was really like for those women who floated uneasily on the border between servant and lady.

On Hallowe'en 2019, my partner and I made our way across the Shropshire countryside to Acton Scott. Not far from the Long Mynd and the Stiperstones, Acton Scott really does feel a million miles from the hustle of everyday life. In the dark, it's a perfectly spooky setting!

Slums, stately homes, and nursery rhymes: inspiration for my third novel.

I have just finished The Victorian House by Judith Flanders. After writing five books set in the Victorian period, I felt my research needed topping up. Well, I couldn’t have started with a better book.

Step back in time and explore the Victorian Brodick Castle on the Isle of Arran.