Continuing the theme of my previous blogs on historical research for my current novel, I discovered that 1852 was a quite a significant year. Did you know that Arthur Wellesley (né Wesley) was twice Prime Minister of England and…
Lifestyle
I’d reached the point in my current WIP that required a bit of historical background. As usual, I became distracted and ended up running down rabbit holes checking out details that may or may not end up in the…
19 September 2023: Celebrating 130 years of women’s suffrage in New Zealand
Women today have much to be grateful for, thanks to the endeavours of women like Kate Sheppard who led the New Zealand Suffrage movement, and Amey Daldy, a major character in Lucy, book 3 of The Art of Secrets…
Do you use social media? How often and for what purpose? I’d love to know. I’m a Facebook user but after I was hacked last year, I’ve lost confidence and haven’t used it as much. Now I’m questioning what…
Now is not the time to take our rights and our democracy for granted
Kate Sheppard would be turning in her grave if she’d been listening to some of the chatter I’ve heard recently. And so would Lucy, (from The Art of Secrets series) the fervent young suffragist who, alongside thousands of other…
Leapfrogging through the cane fields – Brisbane to Cairns #3
Our progression north was bringing us closer to an exciting point where travel, genealogy and storytelling collided. Along the way, we made a brief stop at Rockhampton, visiting their botanical gardens and zoo and took in the views from…
The first week disappeared in a flash. Despite a day of grey skies and an afternoon of rain, that was the last. We were not to see rain again for fifteen days. A record! It took us a couple…
After a washed-out summer of floods and cyclones and what felt like a year of solid rain in Auckland, we fled to Australia seeking blue skies and warmer temperatures. We weren’t disappointed – mostly. In a large, rental motorhome…
The weird names of Victorian occupations
In my previous blogs I’ve mostly talked about the women. They are the stalwarts of the time: staunch, loyal and committed. But let’s talk about some of the occupations their menfolk undertook to feed the household. Do you know…
Time to remember those remarkable Victorian women …
This week, let me introduce you to Harriet. Every time I follow the life story of Victorian women I am amazed at their stamina and adaptability. Only seven years younger than Queen Victoria, Harriet knew little about the reign…