History Resolutions for 2021


My blogging was quite uneven last year with the COVID-19 lockdown and my mental health being quite fragile. Looking forward to 2021 I really want to blog more, and not just about the Tudors and Wars of the Roses – I also have interests in the English Regency, Jack the Ripper, and the British Monarchy.

Read below for my history resolutions for 2021!

1. Blog More on Different Topics

Although my blog is called TudorBlogger, and the Tudors are my first and abiding interest, I also have really started developing other interests over the last few years so I’d love to share some of my other historical passions like the English Regency period, Jack the Ripper, and the history of the British Monarchy. I also like looking at and visiting historical sites including castles and palaces. So keep an eye out for some new content on my blog!

2. Get Up to Date on my Review Copies from Lovely Publishers!

I have a bit of a backlog on my review copies pile which I’ve received from publishers over the last year or so. Because of my mental health issues in 2020 with the lockdown I haven’t felt able to give them my full attention and didn’t want to do half-arsed reviews of them, because they deserve better. So, you can look out for reviews of the following over the next few months!

  • John Ashdown-Hill – Elizabeth Widville: Lady Grey (Pen & Sword)
  • John Matusiak – A History of the Tudors in 100 Objects (History Press)
  • Phil Carradice – Following in the Footsteps of Henry Tudor (Pen & Sword)
  • John Matusiak – Martyrs of Henry VIII: Repression, Defiance, Sacrifice (History Press)
  • Matthew Lewis – Richard III: Loyalty Binds Me (Amberley Publishing)
  • Kirsten Claiden-Yardley – The Man Behind the Tudors: Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk (Pen & Sword)
  • Robert Stedall – Elizabeth I’s Secret Lover: Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester (Pen & Sword)
  • Amy Licence – 1520: The Field of the Cloth of Gold (Amberley Publishing)
  • Heather Darsie – Anna Duchess of Cleves: The King’s Beloved Sister (Amberley Publishing)
  • Paul Dryburgh – Royal Seals: Images of Power and Majesty (Pen & Sword)
  • Paul Kendall – Henry VIII in 100 Objects: The Tyrant King Who Had Six Wives (Pen & Sword)
  • Nathan Amin – Henry VIII and the Tudor Pretenders: Simnel, Warbeck and Warwick (Amberley Publishing)

I also have a fiction review coming of Saga Hillborn’s ‘Princess of Thorns’ based on the life of Cecily Plantagenet, sister to Elizabeth of York and daughter of Edward IV. There will also be a surprise guest post from Saga Hillborn to coincide with the release of the book in March 2021.

3. Historical Cross Stitch

I’ve currently got 2 historical cross stitch kits to work on – a Hampton Court mini cushion kit from Sheena Rogers Designs, which you might have seen me start if you follow me on Instagram (@tudorblogger). I also have a Kings and Queens of England cross stitch which I’m excited to start once I’ve done the Hampton Court one. Last year I completed a Henry VIII and his Six Wives cross stitch during the lockdown which has now been framed and is on my study wall. If you want to follow my progress on my cross stitches, updates will be posted to my Instagram.

4. Get Up to Date on my History Podcasts

I have quite a few history podcasts that I listen to, or want to listen to, but I’m really behind on listening to them, again a mental health issue. The following are the podcasts I want to catch up with!

  • You’re Dead to Me
  • Talking Tudors
  • The History of England
  • Hashtag History
  • British History: Royals, Rebels and Romantics
  • The Tudor History & Travel Show
  • Past Loves
  • Vulgar History
  • Queens
  • Historic Royal Palaces

What are your history resolutions for 2021?

Photo by Natalia Y on Unsplash

Things You Can Do While in Coronavirus Lockdown


People are having to find new things to do to keep themselves occupied while the world is in lockdown over the coronavirus pandemic. I’ve been a bit remiss on this blog recently through a combination of different things, but I have really been struggling to find things to keep me occupied – here is my list of some of the history-related things that are keeping me sane during this very difficult and unprecedented time.

  • Listening to history podcasts

There are a couple of really great history podcasts that I love, and I am getting my history fix from these, not all Tudor-related.

  1. Talking Tudors – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tudors/id1413504428

Natalie Grueninger talks with various people about different aspects of the Tudor period; there are currently 67 episodes covering everything from Anne Boleyn to Tudor Christmases, from Anne Clifford to the Golden Hinde.

2. Ten Minute Tudors – https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/10-minute-tudors-leanda-de-lisle/id1267848238

Leanda de Lisle discusses the Tudors and Stuarts in easily digestible 10-minute chunks from Henry VI to Charles I, the Gunpowder Plot to the role of royal consort. There are plenty of topics to find something of interest to everyone.

3. The History of England – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-history-of-england/id412308812

David Crowther podcasts from his shed, currently with 286 episodes covering a history of England from the Anglo-Saxons currently up to the accession of Elizabeth I, though further episodes are to come.

4. History Extra – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/history-extra-podcast/id256580326

This is a podcast linked to magazines like BBC History and History Revealed. It deals with historical topics from across time as well as different countries. If you’re going to find something to interest you, you’ll find it here.

Continue reading “Things You Can Do While in Coronavirus Lockdown”