Blogs
Cecil Beaton: A photographer with an eye for character
Cecil Beaton stamped his sardonic personality across society’s magazine pages for decades. But it was how he spread his innovative style across a breadth of subject matter that proved he was more than ‘just’ an iconic fashion photographer. Born in Hampstead, in January, 1904, Beaton’s childhood was suffused with middle-classdom and he was encouraged to…
Read MoreChristian Dior
21st January is the anniversary of the birth of one of the most iconic names in fashion; Christian Dior. Even if you’re not a fashionista you will have heard his name connected to stylish clothing, perfume, and accessories. And not without good reason. For though in recent times the name has become fully entrenched as…
Read MoreLeaping Lords and Turkeys Walking
A guest blog from Barbara Lee Hesselgrave It is the season! Plum puddings and Christmas cake, holly and mistletoe, candles and caroling, an abundance of red and green, the sparkle of silver and gold–our seasonal festivities are upon us once again. All this eating, buying and drinking; our brief but highly sanctioned non-stop pursuit of…
Read MoreFrom Saint Nicholas to Santa… It’s been quite a journey
Children may well be asking if Father Christmas will be dressed in PPE this year, despite the fact that his work isn’t face-to-face. But the prospect of his visit is still a very much needed pick-me-up for parents and kids alike. And with the thought of that joy ahead, we wondered just how this whole…
Read MoreTurning to history to dig deep for resilience
30th November is the anniversary of the birth of Winston Churchill, a man whose modus operandi is still greatly esteemed by world leaders today. In the current circumstances of a raging pandemic, influential people across the globe have quoted him in many a speech and interview; such is the way his time on this planet…
Read MorePearls – The Prestige Never Dulls
When Queen Elizabeth sat for the artist who painted what became the renown Armada portrait series, she offered us a veritable treasure trove of information – a timeless commemoration of the Tudor Queen’s success in defeating the Spanish armada. Her hand on the globe, the imperial crown in the background, stiffly seated in a fantastically…
Read MoreAgincourt; hell hath no fury like an Englishman scorned?
The 25th of October this year is the 605th anniversary of the Battle of Agincourt; a battle that has developed almost mythical status, what with the various versions that abound. But putting discrepancies aside, it does have all the ingredients for a blockbuster storyline, doesn’t it? Young and ambitious king; in a foreign land; troop…
Read MoreElizabeth I, a monarch plagued by her gender
From the moment Elizabeth I was born on 7th September, 1533, her situation was a complex one. She was a girl for a start, and her father, Henry VIII, was after a boy. So much so, in fact, that he’d turned the religious world upside down to have his marriage to Catherine of Aragon (mother…
Read MoreThe Queen Mother – The Matriarch of a Nation’s Morale
It’s the 120th anniversary of the Queen Mother’s birth this month. We think of her as royal from that first day, really, and simply assume her world was always a regal one. And of course, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon was born into a titled family; her father being the 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kingshorne. But she…
Read MoreWhat does a title mean in this day and age?
It’s an interesting question, and one we take very seriously here at Manorial Counsel… and not just for the obvious reasons. You see, we didn’t actually get into researching titles in the first place for the love of seeing the word ‘Lord’ in front of a name. That is thrilling, of course, but what really…
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