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Courtly Beauty Secrets from the 17th Century

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Well this is not exactly a typical anti-ageing recipe, but in the 17th century, similarly strange, repellent and sometimes toxic substances were used in the name of beautification, as we soon found out...

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Wake up and smell the coffee ..

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On a Saturday afternoon, I am standing on the steps of St Michaels Church on Cornhill, near Bank  meeting other coffee and history lovers, ready to embark on a Coffee House Tour of the City...

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The Power of Perfumed Prose

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“This morning, Tegus welcomed me again with an arm clasp and cheek touch. I wasn't startled this time, and I breathed in at his neck. How can I describe the scent of his skin?

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The Language of the Fan

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There is a peacock-like quality about the folding fans which came into fashionable use, they unfurl to display their glory, to attract attention and to send a message – and what a mixture of messages...

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A Fantasmagoria of Windmakers

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The historical use and creation of Fans date back to ancient times, primarily in a functional capacity as a ‘wind-maker’, to provide shade and to swat and deflect insects (lovely!); imagine the...