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What was New in 2017?
23 December 2017 Alexander, my nearly nineteen-year-old son, and I have had a long-running bet that he would not beat me in a race before the end of the year. Today at Parke parkrun, he succeeded in defeating me - by a good margin of twenty-three seconds. I'm very proud of him for the ambition, putting in the training, and then running a good race. It was sunny too, and all the family were there to see him do it. Sometimes losing can feel like victory.
19 December 2017 At the start of the year, I resolved to run fifty timed races: five half marathons and forty-five parkruns. I had an injury-plagued spring and summer and so did not find any of the longer runs easy - least of all the Torbay half marathon. After the fourth half marathon, however, I saw that there were very few options for the fifth that I could do. And on enquiry, they were all already booked up. So I had a choice. I could either fail or run a whole marathon. I chose the latter. I've never run 26.2 miles before. I did four long training runs - one of seventeen miles in late October, nineteen miles in early November, twenty-one miles in mid-November, and twenty-three miles at the start of the month. The latter two were hell. I had a real problem getting past twenty miles. But then came the big day, on Sunday, the Portsmouth Coastal Marathon. I ran the muddy first half in 1:54 and then faster on the way back (even though the return journey was both muddier and longer, for some reason). A total distance of 27.01 miles in 3:48:12. I came 152nd (out of 895). And the amazing thing was that the actual running was euphoric. No one overtook me for the last ten miles of the race. Everyone who overtook me after 13.1 miles I overtook back. I ran like it was all a wonderful dream. Today the results were posted online. So I can stop worrying that it really was just a dream and that in fact I came last.
16 December 2017 I had great fun this morning appearing as a guest on Danny Baker's BBC Radio 5 Live show. Danny has often expressed admiration for my Time Traveller's Guides, for which I am very grateful. The respect is mutual: Danny crops up in all sorts of unexpected places, from books and music to films and documentaries, and could probably write a chronicle of late-twentieth-century cultural change better than anyone else. His producer asked me to come to the studio as his guest this morning and I was thrilled to chat to the great man. As I left my desk, before leaving the house, I picked up my purse of Restoration coins from my desk in case he asked me a question about money - and Lo! He did. Hence this picture. That was the easy half of the weekend. Tomorrow I am running the Portsmouth Marathon. I've never run 26.2 miles before. Wish me luck.
8 December 2017 I have put my Christmas card doggerel for 2017 on the relevant page of my website. Also, one of the two missing Christmas poems turned up recently, the one for 1997, so I have added that to the list available here.
13 November 2017 One of my fifty New Year's Resolutions was to walk across the moor - from Tavistock to Moretonhampstead - with at least one of my children. Yesterday both my sons joined me. We walked up to Cudlipptown in relatively dry weather but then it started to get overcast. By the time we were out on the moor, the rain was horiztonal and hitting my neck like needles. Then the hail started. We ate lunch hiding in the lee of Lynch Tor. And then we embarked on the great slog. Heavens, it was tough going! From Lynch Tor to Fur Tor, then across to Black Hill. The ground was so wet and the tussocks of grass so massive that it was all we could do to keep up two miles per hour. Out there, there are no birds, no paths, no signs of life. No fences, no telegraph poles, no drystone walls - no sign of humanity at all. Few sheep are to be seen, no cattle or ponies. No archaeological remains of the tinners or of the Bronze Age people. It all looks stunningly untouched by man - like nowhere else in southern England. Thankfully we made it to Quintin's Man before dusk, so we could see our way along the River Teign to Fernworthy Forest and its relatively easy paths before nightfall. Then it was just a steady eight miles home along the lanes in the dark, via Chagford. In all, it was twenty-six miles, seven of which were really tough, and it took us eight-and-a-half hours. Very proud of my sons: Alexander, who was cheerful all the way despite falling over three times and covering himself in mud; and Oliver, who really did not enjoy the hard-going over the high moor one little bit but saw it through to the end. He is only fourteen - twenty-six miles is a long way at that age. And best of all, they both said they'll join me in another long walk next year.
2 November 2017 Although I am keen to see every serious review of each of my books, in the hope that I can learn something from people's reactions and comments, occasionally one slips through the net. I didn't know until today that Professor Jonathan Good had reviewed my Fears of Henry IV in 2009 for the Sixteenth Century Journal. His positive comments put a smile on my face, even if it was eight years ago that he published them. I immediately updated the reviews page for the book. And then, seeing such positive comments there from five leading professors of history really put a smile on my face!
28 October 2017 One of my teenage nephews yesterday had a birthday - and asked if he could spend it doing archery. My brother and I found that Gordon from Dartmoor Archery was free, and so both families trotted off to Doccombe to shoot at life-size rubber models of wild animals and, in the case of some younger Mortimers, zombies emanating from the ground. Great fun was had by all. If you've never tried your hand at archery, and want to know if you could resist a zombie apocalypse armed only with a bow and arrows, I thoroughly recommend it. I might add that Gordon was an excellent and charismatic instructor.
21 October 2017 One of my fifty New Year's Resolutions was to hold three concerts in Moretonhampstead by artists with international reputations. Yesterday I was very proud to play host to the folk legend Martin Carthy, who performed in the church. Unfortunately it was a day beset by mishaps, not the least of which was Martin ending up at Newton Abbot Station while I waited for him at Exeter St David's Station. But the smiles on our faces show that all ended well.
18 October 2017 Somewhile ago - in 2013, I think - I drew up a list of five books on life in Tudor England and answered questions on them. I see a link to the resulting piece is newly in circulation. As I failed to include it on my list of online interviews first time around, I thought I'd draw attention to it. An interesting combination, I hope you'll agree.
17 October 2017 Due to a strange bit of serendipity, I was invited to two receptions in the same part of London on the same evening, yesterday, one after the other. The first was at the House of Lords (hence the picture of Westminster below), and the purpose was the launch of the Folio Society facsimile of the Bayeux Tapestry. It is an amazing reproduction, which you would expect from the Folio Society (especially at that hefty price). The second was the 30th birthday of my fiction publishers, Simon and Schuster, which was at the National Gallery. Guests were given a present of a free admission ticket to an exhibition there on the way out (Reflections: Van Eyck and the pre-Raphaelites), so I took advantage of that the following morning. And that night, I stayed in a room that from 1900 to 1913 was lived in by the novelist Henry James. I wish literary life was always so enjoyable, interesting and glamorous!
16 October 2017 I'd like to be able to tell you that the picture below is one of deep meditation and stoic acceptance of life's vicissitudes in the shape of a runner ascending a steep hill. But I won't lie. It was tough. The first nine miles were okay but then my lack of training over long distances really began to tell. This tenth mile was almost all an uphill battle, literally. So the look of concentration on my face is all about pain management. My finishing time was 1:44:47 - not great by any stretch of the imagination - but my finishing pace in the arena was under 5 mins per mile. I enjoyed that bit. Only one more half-marathon to go now before I've completed my New Year's Resolution of doing five in 2017, and only eight more parkruns to go in order to complete my target of 45 this year.
13 October 2017 I was asked to cut the ribbon on the official opening of the newly revamped Chagford library, which was a pleasure. I also gave a speech on the value of the written word down the centuries as perhaps the most crucial element of civilisation. What I was driving at was how the written word underpins everything from the administration of law to our long-term collective memory, the advancement of human rights, the development of sexual equality, political accountability and scientific collaboration. It was reported in the local paper as a talk on 'why libraries are important', which somewhat misses the point. But never mind.
9 October 2017 Where is this year going? It's just flying by. August was mostly spent in France, and that does seem like an age ago now, but six weeks have passed since then and what has happened? I celebrated my fiftieth birthday in style, with a lunch for twenty friends on the weekend before the birthday, a grand dinner on the day itself in London and a big party at home in Devon the following weekend. Many people were very generous in buying me expensive bottles of wine, champagne and port - they know me very well. One guest even went so far as to buy me a 1967 bottle of port, which is going to be savoured soon. Other than celebrating, I have been running some more, reading about Regency Britain for the next Time Traveller's Guide, forming a positive campaign focusing on the special qualities of the area where I live, which are threatened with insensitive development, and talking about my most recent novel and history book at such places as Appledore Book Festival and the BBC History Magazine History Festival at Winchester. It was a great pleasure at the former to be interviewed by my good friend Peter Villiers. And just as great a pleasure at Winchester to be able to give a tribute to my old history master, who came to see me. I began with the words: 'People often ask me why I became a historian - did I have a particularly impressive history master at school? And I always answer honestly, "No, I didn't become a historian because of a particularly impressive history master, but that doesn't mean I didn't have one. I would have become a historian anyway; I was already obsessed with the past before going to Eastbourne College, and I do believe that writers are born, not made. But at that school I had the very great fortune to be taught by Euan Clarke, and he made me a much better historian than I would otherwise have been. I will be forever in his debt."' Afterwards I spent most of the night chatting away with Euan and his wife Rachel over a bottle of port or two. Wonderful. So in keeping with all this celebration, here are two pictures: the one above of me at the lunch mentioned above and the one below of my wife and me in the hallway at Mearsdon towards the end of the final party.
20 July 2017 It is gratifying to see some readers state how much they've enjoyed my new books, both in messages to my agent and in online reviews. Here's my pick of the professional reviewers' published comments for The Outcasts of Time and The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain. Some of the amazon.co.uk purchasers' comments are uplifting too (although one miserable 1-star one, about Outcasts which suggests I should 'return to the day job', is certainly not). One reader wrote to me via my agent remarking on the religious experience of reading Outcasts, which was a pleasing antidote to the miserable reviewer. Reflecting on Outcasts, although I'm not religious in the traditional sense of the word, it occurred to me that my direction in life and my faith in the past are so intertwined as to be pretty much the same thing. So the past is a sort of religion for me - in that I take great solace from the awareness of being part of the immense tide of humanity over the centuries. I was also pleased to read a review of Restoration Britain a couple of days ago by Professor William Gibson, in History Today. It ended with the words: 'This is a compelling book and one of considerable erudition. Mortimer quotes from familiar sources like Pepys, Evelyn, Fiennes and Thoresby but he has also undertaken impressive research in more obscure archives and sources. For the general reader interested in the world of Wren and Newton this is the book that will provide the most richly colourful account of Britain in this period.' I can't really ask for more than that, can I?
10 July 2017 I had a very enjoyable weekend at the inaugural Wimpole History Festival, speaking about The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain. Very well organised by Cathy from the Cambridge Literary Festival and her partners at the National Trust. Great conversations, with fellow writers David Olusoga and Annie Gray, among many others. And my own event was a sell-out too, which made it most enjoyable.
26 June 2017 It's always nice to be noted in your local paper, especially when it is for something other than planning permission. For this week sees the end of the three-month extension of my third and final term of office as a Secretary of State appointee to Dartmoor National Park Authority. Twelve and a half of the last fourteen years have been spent discussing everything from local planning to arts policy, heritage issues and conservation of the natural world. Therefore, as I came down bleary-eyed to my computer this morning, I smiled to see the local paper mention my outgoing status, in an article on the reception of my new book. They could have added that it is partly set on Dartmoor. The reason for my bleary-eyedness was that yesterday I ran the Torbay Half-marathon, despite having done no training for it due to a femoral diaphysis stress fracture in my left leg. I injured myself in mid-April trying to run too far on hard surfaces and fractured a leg for the second time in eight months. Although not completely healed, I could not resist the challenge of seeing whether I could do the distance 'cold'. I did it - but very slowly, in 1:59:26. Almost twenty minutes slower than the same race last year. This morning I can feel the pain recurring too, so will be giving it a rest for a few days.
21 June 2017 The Japanese edition of The Time Traveller's Guide to Elizabethan England is published today.
16 June 2017 The audiobook of The Outcasts of Time, narrated by Barnaby Edwards, is published today. It is also available though amazon.co.uk's Audible service.
15 June 2017 The Outcasts of Time is published today.
12 June 2017 The last two days have seen me leap out of bed at 6:00am. This is not usual behaviour for me - especially on a Sunday. Yesterday my early start was for an early morning slot on Radio Two, from the BBC studio in Plymouth. Today was an interview with the charismatic Robert Elms for BBC Radio London, in the studio at Broadcasting House. Home now. And exhausted. Looking forward to publication day - Thursday.
9 June 2017 'This is a joyously gruesome journey through English history, told with gusto and erudition,' says Suzi Feay.
3 June 2017 Normally it's a nail-baiting time, the days before the first review of a new book comes out. This time, however, I missed all the angst, as The Times produced a very early review of The Outcasts of Time. I was not expecting it until next weekend, at the earliest. Only a brief couple of paragraphs by Antonia Senior but all very positive, concluding: 'Beautifully written and superbly executed.'
2 June 2017 Yesterday afternoon I was interviewed by Phil Rickman at the Hay festival. A bit of a palaver getting there, sprinting down a platform to cross to another one as I could see the train coming in, even though I'm not supposed to run anywhere at the moment. Now I have a painful knee to add to my stress fracture - I am falling apart, in my second flush of youth! But some lovely people there. One young lady from Taiwan had bought my Time Traveller's books in Chinese and wanted to read them in English - and so bought all three at Hay. Another charming woman from Switzerland similarly was a real fan, clutching several books. But my favourite line was a passing comment from someone who did not buy a book: 'I've never previously met an author who is as charming and engaging in person as on the page, but you are'. Wow! Please come to all my talks! Made up for failing to get supper before the long journey home. Copies of The Outcasts of Time were supposed to be available. The publishers sent a box by motorcycle courier - but they did not arrive by 3:30, the end of the talk. I hung on until 5:00, then went for a last wander around the festival, and as I was leaving at 5:30, one of the bookshop staff rushed up to me with a large box. I signed the copies there and then, so the first copies went on sale at Hay yesterday evening. Thanks to Ceri from The Bodley Head for taking the snap below of me looking very Svengali-like on the big screen.
25 May 2017 Lewis Lapham, editor and publisher of the influential American intellectual journal, Lapham's Quarterly, interviewed me for 'The World in Time' last year. There were some technical hitches but a recording of this half-hour discussion is now available via Soundcloud.
24 May 2017 My author's copy of The Outcasts of Time has just arrived. Here it is, sitting proudly in my library. Other news is that this afternoon I've signed the contracts for Tantor to bring out USA audiobooks of Henry IV the Righteous King and Henry V: the Warrior King of 1415. UK and Commonwealth audiobooks of these works will be produced in the not-too-distant future too. I've also just signed the contracts for Taiwan to publish Chinese-language editions of The Time Traveller's Guide to Elizabethan/Shakespeare's England and The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain. And the sun is shining. A good day.
23 May 2017 Simon and Schuster have produced some promotional videos for my novel, The Outcasts of Time, which is published on 15 June. See the links on the book's webpage - or just click on this Youtube link to hear me talking about the book.
22 May 2017 This evening I drove over to Bow Church, or Nymet Tracey, to talk about The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain. I do love the building, which is unashamedly unsymmetrical, with only one fifteenth-century aisle. The huge yew trees outside are amazing too. On the way home Sophie and I thought we'd drive a new route. 'That's a great sunset on our left,' said Sophie. 'On our left?' I answered, putting my foot on the brake. Anyway, we did eventually find our way home and so here is a picture of me speaking in Bow Church.
20 May 2017 This is my first weekend this year without running, due to the stress fracture in my left leg. But rather than stay in bed, I got up and drove down to Bovey Tracey to do a stint as a volunteer marshal at Parke parkrun. It gave me a new perspective of the whole event. I usually finish in about 23 or 24 minutes, and as the slowest runners are about 50 minutes, I think of myself as being more or less in the middle of the event. But of course, when you watch, nothing happens until the leader is in sight. So if he's running 19 minutes and mere mortals of my fitness are four or five minutes behind him, in the whole great sweep of runners, people like me don't appear to be so far back - only a few minutes into a half hour of people passing. In the afternoon I drove down to Torquay Museum to do a talk on The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain. This was a fund raiser for this excellent institution, which holds (amongst other rare artefacts) the oldest human remains yet found in Great Britain, fron Kent's Cavern. It is also home to the Laycock Collection: a substantial and important collection of objects illustrative of everyday life in the 17th-19th centuries, which used to be housed at Laycock's house in Moretonhampstead (where I now live). This is me signing a copy of my book for Keith Yelland in the bookshop. (Can't believe I left without buying a furry woolly mammoth...)
15 May 2017 Last weekend I went to Ludlow to attend the conference of the Mortimer History Society, which was an entertaining occasion. I took advantage of being away from home to do the Ludlow parkrun in Mortimer Forest and the Hereford half-marathon. Unfortunately I had very little sleep prior to both races (about two hours each night) and so was not exactly bouncy. I also have a leg injury. The physiotherapist came yesterday and told me I have a 'femoral diaphysis stress fracture' and should not be running at all. Given that, and the fact that every step is painful right now, I was pleased to complete the Hereford Half on Sunday, even if it was in my slowest ever time. Mind you, the physiotherapist told me many other things about the way I move that make me wish I'd spoken to him years ago. Every runner should get expert advice BEFORE getting injured. In the meantime, I am writing pieces for the publication of my novel The Outcasts of Time, which comes out in just under a month. I'm also attending my last meetings of Dartmoor National Park Authority, which I leave at the end of June, reading for my book on Regency Britain, and doing publicity events for The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain. The next ones are in Torquay on Saturday afternoon and Nymet Tracey on Monday evening.
7 May 2017 Yesterday I had the pleasure of speaking to the Local Studies Day at the University of Plymouth. It was an interesting event. Unfortunately although I tend not to use images - and did not use a presentation on this occasion - the organisers chose to keep the backdrop image on screen. This meant that most of the audience could not see my face throughout the talk. Instead they were treated to a sort of Hammer Horror presentation, in which I was seen in silhouette and my shadow loomed large behind me, like that of a silent killer on the loose. Oh well. At least no one was bored.
5 May 2017 One of my favorite museums in the UK asked me to give a talk on my latest book. It took place last night. The event sold out and I had great fun talking in the amazing Gridshell building about life in Britain in the late seventeenth century. I particularly like the picture below, in which the tree's boughs follow the shape of the building... I was also fortunate enough to nip along and photograph the museum's new reconstruction of an Anglo-Saxon hall house, which I had not previously seen.
4 May 2017 On Tuesday the violinist Peter Sheppard Skaerved came to Moretonhampstead at my invitation, to play a candlelit concert in the church. The theme was to explore the virtuoso violin down the centuries, from the earliest music written for the solo instrument in about 1610 to the modern day. Peter played pieces from as early as 1580 and composed as recently as two weeks ago. Indeed, it perhaps set a record for the greatest difference in age of two premieres played at the same concert: the oldest premiere performance was a previously unknown score by a nun writing in Carinthia around 1670. There were so many highlights - old pieces by Purcell, Bach, Telemann and that anonymous nun; and stunning new ones such as 'Song' by Michael Alec Rose, and 'Alone' by Peter Sculthorpe. As the light started to dim, so that the only illumination was the two candelabra burning on either side of him, the experience of listening and watching in that ancient space was spellbinding. I am never going to forget it. And here are the two of us in my garden the following morning. On Wednesday, after I had driven Peter and his wife back to the train station in Exeter, I drove home in the sunshine listening to Radio Three. It was time for my Essential Classics programme, the episdoe in which I talk about the post-Black Death years. My first choice was Bone Jesu Dulcis Cunctis - a lament for the dead written for the Poor Clares (Franciscan nuns) in the fifteenth century. But I had never heard a proper recording, only live performances that I had organised myself. Radio Three kindly commissioned one specially from Hazel Askew and Victoria Couper - and the result was stunning. I stopped the car, and just sat there, looking across Dartmoor, listening to this music that had so inspired me since childhood. The second voice sings the tune that later became 'O Come, O Come Emmanuel'. In case you are interested, episodes are available to listen to again on the BBC website for 28 days.
1 May 2017 The five episodes I recorded for the BBC Three series, Essential Classics, have started to be broadcast. The first, discussing the Reformation, went out today. Tomorrow (Tuesday 2nd) will look at the early medieval period; Wednesday will deal with the post-Black Death years; Thursday with the Renaissance; and Friday with two pieces of music that have inspired my writing. Episodes are available to listen to again for 28 days.
30 April 2017 The Rosetta Books edition of my What isn't history? Selected articles and speeches on writing history and historical fiction is now available for download. In due course there will be a print edition but at present it is only available as an ebook.
4 April 2017 Great fun today going up to London to record an appearance on 'Essential Classics'. Normally this programme sees a celebrity interviewed about his or her favourite classical music. Today, the producers decided to do something different, and to ask me to be the guest. The idea was that I would talk about the Reformation. Brilliant - but I decided it would be even better if I could turn the whole week into an exploration of history and music, to show how music can itself be historical evidence for appreciating the past and, at the same time, history can inform our appreciation of the music. I talked about early and late medieval music, Renaissance and inspirational classics. We were able to hold have a premiere recording of a piece of medieval music that otherwise is not available (which is ironic, considering you already know it, albeit in a different form). I came away wishing I could work more with radio. It really is the best broadcasting medium for history. Perhaps one day. My five episodes of Essential Classics will be broadcast on Radio Three on 1-5 May.
2 April 2017 On Friday I felt very privileged because the great guitarist and songwriter Martin Simpson came to Moretonhampstead to be my guest. I'd met Martin three years earlier at the Elizabethan Session, and had long hoped I could entice him to Moreton. I contacted his manager, a deal was struck, and he came to play in the church here - and the evening was simply fantastic. He played by the light of my candelabra to a full house (or full church) of two hundred people. Afterwards, a fair bit of wine was consumed in my dining room as we chatted late into the night. Next day, after breakfast, we had a snap taken before he headed off to his next concert. A memorable night, for all those who were lucky enough to be there.
31 March 2017 I understand that, due to last weekend's very positive reviews of The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain, copies will be released early. Branches of Waterstones and independent bookshops don't have to wait for next Thursday but can start selling them as soon as they receive them; deliveries have been brought forward so they should be on the shelves today. Amazon is taking pre-publication orders of the book at a knock-down price of just £13.
28 March 2017 There are still places to hear my talk to launch The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain at Devon Heritage Centre, Exeter, on the afternoon of Monday 3 April. Phone Stuart Tyler on 01392 384253 to book a place. Books will be available for sale and I'll happily sign copies. In addition, I'll be doing a one-off bookshop talk about the new Time Traveller's Guide in London on Tuesday 4 April at 6:30pm at the Waterstones in Hampstead. No reservation necessary.
26 March 2017 Great to read two very positive reviews of the new Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain in this weekend's newspapers - Andrew Taylor writing in The Times and Andrew Holgate in The Sunday Times.
14 March 2017 Regular readers might have picked up on the fact that I have resolved to run fifty races in this year I turn fifty: forty-five parkruns and five half marathons. The idea is that I write about each one. (For the introduction, see this page.) Two days ago I took part in the Bath Half Marathon - the first competitive long run I've done for five months and the first since stopping running to allow a hip injury to heal. If you click on the image of pain below, you'll read part of my description of the run - and find out why it hurt so much.
9 March 2017 My prep school, Bickley Park School, which I attended from 1975 to 1980, is coming up to its centenary next year. This has led to a renewed interest in contacting old boys from the school. When I received an email from one of the current teachers, Marcus Cash, I rather cheekily asked him if the old honours board was still up in the dining room. I used to look up at that huge board ('huge' as it seemed to me at the time), in awe of all the names of the boys who had won scholarships to their next schools from Bickley Park. My particular reason for asking was that, when I myself sat the scholarship exam for Eastbourne College in 1981, I had already left Bickley Park and therefore I had never seen my name printed in gold up there. Very kindly Marcus sent me a picture of my moment of glory - which I enjoyed seeing at last, albeit thirty-six years after the event.
8 March 2017 I'm tentatively thinking of writing a book about the meaning of running. A draft of the start of the introduction is available by clicking on the picture below. In case you're wondering, yes, I have had running shirts made which show the cover of my new novel on the back and The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain on the front. I'll be wearing them at every parkrun and half-marathon I do for the next six months. If you see a 6-ft tall chap with my book on his chest or back, come and say hello.
7 March 2017 It's arrived! Here is a finished copy, received this morning, looking proper handsome alongside its brothers.
6 March 2017 Yesterday Richard and Jay came to my house and filmed me reading from The Outcasts of Time in my library. The book does not come out until 15 June but some advance reader copies have been distributed. The first reader to comment has hugely enjoyed it - see her review on Goodreads here. After the recordings, we headed out to film on the moor, at Scorhill, a stone circle that is crucial to the story, and at Exeter Cathedral. Scorhill saw us soaked to the skin and frozen in a very sharp hailstorm, with 30-40mph winds blowing ice into our faces. Exeter Cathedral - another main 'character' in the novel - was more clement. Richard took a picture of me at Scorhill just before the hail hit (below). I've started putting together some webpages for the novel, including a section on the writing of the book.
28 February 2017 I have put up details of how to book a place for the launch of my new book at Devon Heritage Centre on 3 April 2017. Go to the events page of this website and use either the telephone number there or the email to reach Mr Stuart Tyler, who is in charge of the bookings for this event. Every day I am tweeting a fact from the book on the official Time Traveller's Guides twitter feed. To see the first eight weeks' of messages, go to the TimeTravGuide twitter page.
14 February 2017 I have not updated this page yet all year. Sorry. Been Busy. But by way of making amends, here is a photograph of the bound proofs of my two next books. I have to say, there is something extremely satisfying about having the proofs of TWO forthcoming books in your hands. One, The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain is non-fiction, due for publication on the 6 April; the other, The Outcasts of Time is a novel about two medieval brothers who travel forwards in time, which will appear on 15 June. What else is news? I think I'd better make a list:
My son beats me in a race
The Portsmouth Coastal Marathon
Guest on Danny Baker's Radio show
Christmas Poem
Walk across Dartmoor
The Fears of Henry IV
Archery
Martin Carthy
Five Books
House of Lords
The Great West Run
Opening Chagford Library and Archive
Time passing
Reviews
Wimpole History Festival
Bleary-eyed...
Japanese edition
Audiobook
Publication Day!
Radio
The Guardian review of The Outcasts of Time
First published review of The Outcasts of Time
Hay-on-Wye Festival
Interview about Millennium
New book here, new audiobooks on the way
Trailer for The Outcasts of Time
Bow Church
Talking, not running
Recent events
Plymouth Local Studies Day
The Weald and Downland Museum, Singleton, West Sussex
A week of music
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Essential Classics
What isn't history?
Essential Classics
Martin Simpson
Early sales
Events
Reviews
Bath Half Marathon
Belated pride
Running
The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain
The Outcasts of Time
The launch of The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain
Update on news
What was new in other years
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2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
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2008