The Tradition of English Twelfth Cake

Although the tradition of making these cakes dates back to the medieval period, John Mollard's 1803 recipe seems to be the earliest printed recipe for an English Twelfth Cake. 

These decorated cakes were an important element in the celebrations for the feast of the Epiphany. They were at the height of their popularity when Mollard wrote his cookery book. 

It was the custom for each guest at a Twelfth Day entertainment at this time to take on the role of a particular character for the whole evening. This was achieved by choosing a card at random from a pack. These were illustrated with images of various comic characters. [continue reading]

Unusual Things To Do in London

What should you do once you’ve seen the classics? With Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and the London Eye under your belt, here are some of the more unusual things to do in London…

1) Unusually Wild: Roaming around Richmond Park

Of all the Royal Parks, Richmond Park is the biggest and arguably the best. Here you’ll find hordes of deer running wild, catch pro cyclists in training and even stumble on the home of the Royal Ballet School. It’s further from the centre than most, with even the London Underground not making it that far. Yet amidst these rolling hills and hefty oaks, there’s one spot where you can see all the way back to St Paul’s. Legend has it that this was where King Henry VIII brought Anne Boleyn on honeymoon – and also where he waited for the signal that told him of her death. Shiver…[continue reading]

#Regency Hairstyles and Their Accessories

As the Regency era progressed long hair became increasingly popular and full ringlets began to appear near the side of the face. Hair ornaments for balls included jewellery, bandeaux, turbans and wreaths of grapes and towards the latter end of the Regency era flowers, turbans and ostrich feathers were seen to adorn the hair.
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8 DIY Home Library Ideas You Have to See

Books are one of the best ways to expand your mind and learn new things. While a lot of people are now using e-Readers and carrying around thousands of books on one device, there are still those who love nothing more than cracking open a binding and smelling the pages of a new book. The only obstacle with loving the physical company of books is: where do you put them all? Books can take up quite a bit of space and trying to figure out what to do with them can be difficult. Therefore, we’ve collected our favorite DIY home library ideas from around the web to share with all you book worms out there. Take a look! [Continue Reading]

Ideas For #Regency Parties

Ideas for Regency Parites

The Regency theme lends itself to many gentile ideas for society pleasures:

• Regency Fancy Dress Party - if you have enough friends who like dressing up (or can be persuaded into doing so) then this is definitely the most fun idea. The Regency period was well known for it's grand balls and parties.
• Regency Tea Party: Take out your best China, use loose leaf tea and bake up some lovely afternoon treats. What could be more lady like?
• [Continue reading]

Lighting the House in the Regency Period..

Until the Victorian Era, candles, lanterns, and rush-lights served as the principal means of lighting the Georgian style home, and like every other aspect of Regency life, the use of these sources of light adhered to their own “hierarchy” of use.

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#Regency Era Slang--Eh Wot?

Oh la, there are few things on this fine planet so divine as Regency-era slang. This period in history was distinguished by men obsessed with good form, women obsessed with flitting their fans, and a leisure class obsessed with keeping itself amused.

Imagine a sizable group of wealthy, landed English people. Now, imagine all of the social events they had. Imagine the London season, and all the related balls, visits, assignations, and copious amounts of conversation.

These are optimal conditions for slang creation. Let's have a look at some of the Regency era's best hits, shall we? [Read more]