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…
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…
SOUPY TWISTS: 7th Surprise Bit
SOUPY TWISTS! A BIT OF A SAGA: • 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • STOP PRESS! AUDIOBOOK IS NOW LIVE, LOVES! https://youtu.be/va38hl1qpcQ?si=m0iYpYMU7uC6CTzX Weeeeeeell for all the sakes of goodness, let me expound, expose and exposit. May I? I think it would be useful to backtrack somewhat. Can it truly…
Get It Right: Audiobook Perfectionism
Just a little housekeeping squib of an update from me in these somewhat seismic times of upheaval here in Writhlington BA3. On one positive note, those lovely people at Erudio have cancelled my student loan after 25 glorious years of never earning enough to pay back the few grand I begged back in 1999; at…
TALES OF BRITAIN: Summer 2024
... Or 'What Brother Bernard Did On His Holidays'. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usvjkVScFuc After the mixed fortunes of a couple of storytelling gigs early in the summer, in Ludlow and Midsomer Norton (there are fresh shows planned for Halloween! Keep an eye on our socials for details!), a nostalgic tour of North Wales beckoned… First we enjoyed two…
TALES OF BRITAIN: Spring 2024
Happy Current Rainy Season, all! Brother Bernard has not been exactly dormant throughout the year-plus of silence from the Tales of Britain blog, though he has been known to hibernate for a generation or three. It's true that the arrival of Nephew Neddy has slowed the output of fresh folktales, or legendary site visits*, but…
THE TRUE HISTORY OF THE BLACK ADDER STRIKES BACK!
The sound of hooves is coming back over the glen… Oh yes, the Blackadder 40th anniversary may be in evidence on Channel Davy Gold and suchlike, in the Royal Mail stamps and Sir Tony's new Cunningcast thing, but some of us have been building up to the 40th anniversary of the greatest sitcom in (and…
