The summer is over – it is official. I have enjoyed the last few weeks immensely, especially with regard to reading history books, researching with freedom into various topics, in writing articles and uploading a short eBook on Ralph Wilford, as well as in visiting sites of historical interest. Now that September is upon us the return to a new academic year is here, and although I always miss being in the classroom and in the college environment I know that over the next few weeks I will enviously look back at August with the freedom I had to pursue passion projects.

During August I posted about my new (or perhaps a month later I should describe it as “newish”) eBook – Ralph Wilford: Henry VII’s Forgotten Pretender. It was great to go through the process of uploading a book via Kindle Direct Publishing, and now that it is complete I hope to use it with teaching/revision of the Tudors module. Furthermore, it has spurred me on to finish editing my more substantial book on the Blue Monkey pub (The Entire History of One English Pub). I hope to release this over the next few weeks.

I also had time to research and write an article about the execution of Cuthbert Mayne from the Elizabethan period. A very recent post outlines the reasons for this project, and again I hope to use it as use of wider reading for the A-level class.

Other posts included the continuation of the English Monarchs FA Cup, with a few heavyweight battles on show; these included Liz II taking on her father, as well as Henry I attempting an upset against Queen Victoria. I also posted about a potential new series of articles: Tudor What Ifs. I’m hoping to upload a few overviews of these virtual histories in the weeks ahead; I may first test them out in the classroom to see what the students make of them.

The final post to note related to the small chapel that is present and fully working at Butlin’s holiday park in Minehead. On reflection, this is the only post that related to the great outdoors, which is odd considering the various places/sites I’ve visited. Perhaps this is the kick that is needed to spend a bit of time posting about these places during September.