In episode 6 we meet Oswald the first truly "Great" king of Northumbria. What does he do, I hear you ask? Only set the foundations for 1500 of British political structure, that's all. And become the template for Aragorn, the hero of Lord of the Rings. And some other stuff... Continue reading

The other day I was browsing the internet and I stumbled upon the below maps. As well as being interesting in their own right, I thought they did a really good job of highlighting the change in fortunes of Bernicia and the other Germanic Kingdoms from 500AD to around 575.... Continue reading

As Douglas Adams nearly said, "I love deadlines, the love the whooshing sound they make as they fly past..." With apologies for the tardiness, Episode 5 is below. A lot happens in Episode 5. Listen and learn: Why it's best not to exile anybody; Why you should always take advice... Continue reading

In episode four we really get going and begin to meet real people who did actual things. In particular we focus on King Athelfrith, the first King of Northumbria and, arguably, England's first real historical figure. We also learn: Where nearly every “fantasy figure cliché”comes from; Who the “Serpent of... Continue reading

Hello, and apologies for the delay in posting episode three. Lesson: never help somebody else move house... Anyway, in episode three we start to reach recorded history, which is a relief. We also introduce: Ida, and the formation (or repackaging) of the Kingdom of Bernicia Rivers and what they were... Continue reading

Fans of episode one will be delighted to know that episode two is below. Episode two is, I promise(!), the last one which attempts to cover hundreds of years in twenty or so minutes. It is also the last one without identifiable characters. On the other hand it does have... Continue reading

So, I’ve put a lot of effort into this post as it is my first episode. I’m still not thrilled about it and I have lots to learn about editing, but in the spirit of sharing my drafts I make episode one available here… This is my first ever go... Continue reading

Episode 1 starts before the Roman conquest of Britain, takes in the story of Cartimundia the (probably) earliest recorded resident of Northumbria (also, she is really interesting in her own right) and looks at what exactly Roman occupation meant north of the Humber. Clue: it’s not all togas, wine and... Continue reading

The phrase “Northumbria” is usually attributed to Bede (the ‘Venerable’ to his friends). For Bede the phrase carried ethnic as well as geographic meaning; the Northanhymbri “who dwell north of the Humber” were a different people to those Germanic settlers south of the Humber; to modern ears obsessed with ethnic... Continue reading

When I was at school I wasn’t taught much history. The Romans came and then the Romans left. Then, all of a sudden, it was 1066, Normans, Battle of Hastings and motte and bailey castles. The North of England was “harried” soon afterwards, but what that was or why it... Continue reading