6 December: the Feast Day of Saint Nicholas

The feast day of Saint Nicholas is celebrated in many European countries on 6th December, but who was Saint Nicholas? And why is he associated with Christmas? Saint Nicholas was born around 280 A.D. in Patara, in what is now Turkey. He was from a wealthy family and his parents died young, bequeathing him their riches. He used his money to help the poor and … Continue reading 6 December: the Feast Day of Saint Nicholas

You’re all Welcome to Join HistorianRuby on a Trip to the Museum!

HistorianRuby invites you all to participate in a blog trip of your choice! You don’t like history? Really? You may be surprised at how many ways we can consume history – if you’re not sure, take a look at my post The Many Ways to Consume History. Did you stop to look at that statue that had a bird on its head? Did it make you … Continue reading You’re all Welcome to Join HistorianRuby on a Trip to the Museum!

‘What’s Featured?’ on HistorianRuby: a New Series

On the first of each month, or as near as, work and family commitments permitting, I will feature several of my posts thematically. I will also write a new themed post to coincide with the current chosen topic. For this I will be utilising the ‘featured content’ option on my WordPress theme – I use Canard. I’ve tried to find a new theme, (I get … Continue reading ‘What’s Featured?’ on HistorianRuby: a New Series

Your Thoughts Required: ‘Guest Posts’ on Blogs

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve wondered how I can keep up with the pace of writing articles for 2 – 3 posts a week. Including this post I have published 16 articles in April and I’ve two scheduled for May. I’ve increased my output a lot since I started blogging again back in October. I’ve really enjoyed increasing my frequency of posting and I’ve … Continue reading Your Thoughts Required: ‘Guest Posts’ on Blogs

A Blogging Experiment and a Domain Name

In the last six months my blog has grown gaining many new readers and (I assume) some of my original 40-odd followers are no longer blogging. Indeed, initially enthusiastic, after three months I failed to blog for fourteen whole months! But I had a couple of early posts that proved popular with internet searches and thus my blog was not exactly dormant (even though I … Continue reading A Blogging Experiment and a Domain Name

Sourcing History for Blogging: Research Without Leaving the House

What inspires me to write an article for my history blog? The answer could be anything. A phrase,  a book, watching a film, a TV programme, a memory or possibly a newspaper article. I work away from home a lot and so need resources that can inform when at home or staying in a hotel. Here I take a look at some of my blog … Continue reading Sourcing History for Blogging: Research Without Leaving the House

Sourcing History for Blogging: Six Months of History Trips

In June 2016 I started my history blog with a lot of enthusiasm, unfortunately by early August my enthusiasm fizzled out. I had planned to write about my visits to stately homes and other historic sites, but instead I edited a 2013 university paper on accused 19th century poisoner, Eliza Fenning, posted it to my blog and forgot about writing – except for one article … Continue reading Sourcing History for Blogging: Six Months of History Trips

My Six Most Popular Posts – And the Six Least Popular: My Conclusions Why . . .

Inspired by Floatinggold’s 2017 round up of her posts, that you can read here, I decided to share my most popular posts in terms of views and the reasons why I think they have performed better than others – and the least popular, as we all may learn something from my musings. Now I know I’m not an expert and while I can say I’ve … Continue reading My Six Most Popular Posts – And the Six Least Popular: My Conclusions Why . . .

You Asked for a Little Feedback: Here are my Writing Tips

I look forward to the new Community Pool posting each Monday and admit what turns me away faster than seeing a spider on my Facebook feed is poorly edited work. I have a short attention span and if I see something in the first two or three sentences that I want to correct, I give up. The Community Pool, from what I have seen, is … Continue reading You Asked for a Little Feedback: Here are my Writing Tips

To Find the ‘Write’ Word!

I like words.  I’ve been an avid reader since primary school and will often pick up a word not in my general vocabulary from reading or TV and then use it in a sentence.  It’s a personal challenge that I still employ today in the workplace.  I would come across words not part of my general lexicon during my undergraduate degree; for example, paradigm, abortifacient, … Continue reading To Find the ‘Write’ Word!

The Dilemma of a Rookie Blogger

What topic should my first blog post explore?  It’s quite a conundrum; do I introduce myself and my rationale for beginning a blog, or post something immediately to grab readers’ attentions?  I’ve decided to start with the former and hope the words will flow.  I studied history at Kingston University as a mature student, and gained a first-class degree, followed by a Master’s.   But do … Continue reading The Dilemma of a Rookie Blogger