TweetIn my opinion, you can never have enough museums that focus on the criminal heritage of England. Gloucestershire is already fortunate, then, to have The Old Prison at Northleach (as regular readers will know, this is one of my favourite … Continue reading
TweetLast week, I visited the Met Police Heritage Centre in West Brompton, London, as part of the research for a magazine feature I’m writing at the moment. Apart from anything, it’s a fantastic place to visit if you’re in the … Continue reading
TweetThe early 19th century saw a series of debates regarding the future of the Bank of England and of Britain’s currency. In 1826, the Country Bankers Act restricted the issue of banknotes by commercial banks in England and Wales. It … Continue reading
Tweet Cotswold TV covered a recent open day at Northleach’s Old Prison, designed to help Friends of the Cotswolds, Cotswold District Council’s preferred bidder to take over the site, raise money for the cause. I had wanted to attend this … Continue reading
TweetA humorous tale from the crime reports of the Oxford Journal, which although it doesn’t involve a Cotswold native, does involve a Cotswold house of correction! This piece shows how our ancestors were often fined for misdemeanours – but if … Continue reading
TweetYou have to feel for the women who, in the days before the NHS, proper anaesthetics and pain relief, planned Caesarian deliveries and so on, had to go through childbirth. Even when giving birth to one child, the risks were … Continue reading
TweetIn this age of economic depression, recessions and financial crises (I know, I’m not being very cheerful, but then again, it IS Monday morning), it’s worth remembering that money troubles are nothing new. Our ancestors often struggled to keep themselves … Continue reading
TweetSome readers may know that my particular interest is in criminal history, and despite its tourist-pleasing scenery and cake shops, the Cotswolds abounds in remnants of its often dark past. The Northleach House of Correction is one of the best … Continue reading
TweetAn item from Jackson’s Oxford Journal of 8 November 1800 implies that some people in the early 19th century perhaps had too much time on their hands (and too much money): “A wager of 500 guineas was decided a few … Continue reading
TweetThe Rural Life Collection is housed behind the old Northleach Prison on the Fosseway, and is a hidden gem of a museum. It is an open-air exhibition of historic agricultural vehicles – waggons, carts and caravans – from Gloucestershire. The … Continue reading
