You see, as well as researching, editing, introducing and performing history books, I do actually read a few for pleasure from time to time – particularly if written by someone I have personally spent quality time with, who I happened to like rather a lot. And extra-specially if they happen to be a global comedy God.…
Shakespeare’s MUSES OF FIRE
Enter, left, the latest, ball-bubblingly exciting instalment in what literally nobody is calling Jem Roberts' "OF" series, or perhaps "THINGS OF THINGS" – I find myself simmeringly proud to theatrically introduce… SHAKESPEARE'S MUSES OF FIRE. As with the genesis of Tales of Britain, it's transparently simple – when the need for such a book arose,…
TALES OF BRITAIN: Summer 2026
Gather ye round, all ye folktale-lovers, and hear the terribly interesting tale of your favourite comedy-historian-cum-folklorist's summer holidays! Okay, so there was no grand British tour on the scale of Wales 2024 or Scotland 2025, but we've squeezed a few new sites into our Saxon travels this year! We could easily also crowbar in our…
Bill Oddie: Meet SOME Heroes
What a Monday morning to receive this most dire of all unwanted news – Bill Oddie OBE, flown the nest at 85. Clown. Musician. Footlighter. Naturalist hero. Pun-slinger without parallel. Old-time Music Hall hater and adorer. Activist. Humanitarian. Clever bugger. Banaman's Crow sidekick. Scourge of the humbug, the selfish and the pretentious. Owner of the…
HISTORIES OF BRITAIN 3 and 4!
Well, you can read about the first two instalments of HISTORIES OF BRITAIN here and here… But, yes, it was mighty remiss of me not to have blogged for the release of HISTORIES OF BRITAIN III: THE ANGLO SAXON CHRONICLE several weeks ago – life never seems to let up, does it? Even while not…
MEN BEHAVING BADLY: It Does Me Good…
Old man at Barn. Nostalgia, I have always felt, must be a luxury: a sweet treat for those contented with their current lot, but a terrible vice to the discontented. Since embarking on my Histories of Britain ‘journey’ – and yes, the Anglo Saxon Chronicle is taking an age to appear on Audible, I’m almost…
TALES OF BRITAIN: Winter 2026
Your author in mufti, with the new edition of TOB, and the very knackered old copy which has travelled the world with me. Glorious tidings! Indeed, these are tidings I should have had for you ninety-seven yonks and an eon ago, but the fact remains that TALES OF BRITAIN IS BACK IN PRINT – and…
HISTORIES OF BRITAIN 2!
Well, what a merry Christmas this now shall be for you all! At the ten-and-a-halfth-hour, Audible has finally announced the arrival of the FIRST EVER audiobook recording of the entirety of Geoffrey of Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain – a totally insane epic tissue of fantasies written by a Norman monk 900 years…
MACBETH*: Something wicked for Hallowe’en/Samhain!
We went all the way up to Northern Scotland for our holiday, and all we got to show for it was this tour of the sites of the real-life Macbethad mac Findláech! https://youtu.be/BfS9Yd0HjV4 HAPPY HALLOWE'EN! OR SAMHAIN IF YOU PREFER!*Hot potato, Oxon stalls, Puck will make amends!
TALES OF BRITAIN: Summer 2025
Happy encroachment of the season of mists and mellow fruitiness to all! Something wicked this way comes… Firstly, I can't pretend that this year's Edinburgh Fringe outing for Tales of Britain was a huge success – choosing a LGBT+-friendly venue was important to us, but it was a bit of a shock to realise that…
