Black Friday? Cyber Monday? Wind back 2000 years to Ancient Rome

Campus Martius Rome, AD 300 (reconstruction)

Shopping is a national obsession in many countries and December is the peak of the frenzy. In a way, it’s a sign of the relative wealth of 21st century people, but in another it plays to the instincts of acquisition and, somewhere in the lizard brain, survival. […]

Roman dishwashing

Ancient Roman kitchen (Museum of London reconstruction) Author photo

When our dishwasher broke down, we ended up washing and rinsing by hand – glass, cutlery, crockery, kitchen casseroles, pots and pans – and it provoked thoughts about Roman kitchens and cleaning the dishes two thousand years ago.

Memories of camping washing-up in my […]

Historical stories of Exile - A secret revealed!

It’s no longer a secret!

In late summer, I wrote a story. I know, I’m always writing stories, but this one was written during a heatwave, in between Roman festivals and while I was knee deep in my new novel.

I was invited to take part in a collaborative project called Historical Stories of EXILE […]