Peter Cooke – Author Glass in the 18th century The discovery of lead crystal galvanised the glass industry into a flurry of creativity as never before. This century, possibly more than any other, saw a bewildering proliferation of new styles, new techniques and above all decorative design of the highest order. The brilliance [...] Read more »
Glass – Everthing you need to know about it. by Peter Cooke
Peter Cooke- Author Glass What is it? The Principal ingredient is SILICA, which- occurs naturally in great abundance. The main varieties of silica are SAND, FLINT AND QUARTZ. When heated to a high enough temperature, they melt to form glass. When the first atomic bomb was exploded in the desert at the White Sands proving [...] Read more »
A to Z of the Elizabethan era
Peter Cooke – Author J is for: JEWELLERY Pearls were Queen Elizabeth’s favourite and she literally dripped with pearls. She had six or more long ropes of pearls and one containing twenty-five nutmeg sized ones, as well as many other smaller ropes that were attached to her elaborate gowns and head-ware. None of [...] Read more »
A to Z of Elizabethan times
I is for: INNS In the 16th century, Inns were often sited conveniently close to the markets in London. A visitor might want to leave his horse or coach at the Inn, before he made his way through the narrow streets on foot. These Inns were perhaps the equivalent of modern hotels, being substantial establishments [...] Read more »
A to Z of Elizabethan times
H is for Houses London houses were seldom made from stone, except the few grand houses belonging to wealthy individuals who had acquired the stone from, or converted one of the former monasteries. There was no natural source of stone in and around London, but there was its clay, that made excellent bricks, on-site, with [...] Read more »
A to Z of Elizabethan Times
G is for GLASS Until 1549 there was no significant glassmaking in England except for window-glass. Thinks started to change when a Lorraine glassmaker Carré arrived from Antwerp and set up furnaces in London and Surrey to make drinking glasses. Murano glass was supreme at that time and his own glass was poor when compared [...] Read more »
A – Z of Elizabethan Times
E is for: Elizabeth I When Elizabeth followed her half-sister Mary Tudor as Queen, the whole country rejoiced. They longed for peace and religious tolerance. Under Mary, a devout Catholic, over 300 people were burned at the stake for holding heretic views. The beautiful Princess Elizabeth was 25 when she came to the throne and [...] Read more »
A to Z OF ELIZABETHAN TIMES
D is for DANCING Elizabeth loved to dance and it was an essential part of any entertainment at court. She particularly loved the faster dances, the coranto, the galliard or particularly the lavolta, where the young men took off their cloaks and rapiers and danced in their doublets. Leaping, running and lifting their partners high [...] Read more »
The life and times of an Elizabethan country House
This was the second lecture in the above theme at Burton Agnes Hall, that wonderful example of an Elizabethan country house near Driffield. It’s very close to Bridlington and Scarborough and York. The next talk in the series will be on Wednesday 1st September 2010 in the library. If you’re in the area, why not [...] Read more »
A to Z of Elizabethan Times
C is for CECIL. Sir William Cecil, later Ist. Baron Burghley, was Princess Elizabeth’s adviser and helped to steer her through the fraught years when it seemed impossible she would survive. When Elizabeth became Queen, Cecil was appointed Secretary of State. Elizabeth, who had a penchant for giving nicknames to her advisers and members of [...] Read more »
