Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Victorian Murder and Mayhem

We are in the middle of the Thames Valley History Festival - two weeks of talks mostly related to book that are historical in some way.  Tuesday night was Victorian Murder and Mayhem with three local fiction writers.   I wish we had this venue for the Nbpt festival - - it was so regal, with high ceilings and almost life sized paintings of kings and queens.  
It was clear that these women had really done their research.  They had loads of little Victorian tidbits of life in the mid 1800's.  Of course there was lots of general filth, lack of sanitation, disease, child prostitution, etc.  Rat baiting was particularly interesting (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat-baiting ). The Old Operating Theater (http://www.thegarret.org.uk) and the Margate Shell Grotto (http://shellgrotto.co.uk)  are now on the list of places we need to see in 2013.
Unfortunately book events don't make for very dramatic blog pictures.  There doesn't tend to be much action.  I'm going back again tonight with Louise for a talk on Mary Boleyn so maybe I can start a brawl or something to liven up the shots.

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