Historian of the Social and Domestic Life of Britain

I am a free lance historian working with museums, theatre, television and educational establishments. I offer advice services, lectures and practical workshops and also engage in some television presenting such as "The Victorian Farm" and "Tales from the Green Valley"

I work in an absolutely fascinating world doing things that I enjoy and meeting great people whilst I do so. As a social historian I work with a whole range of people, institutions and museums such as The Weald and Downland, The Globe Theatre, Shakespeare's Birthplace Trust and the Victoria and Albert Museum helping them to explore and interpret the past.

My particular interest is the domestic. How we lived our daily lives, the practical nitty gritty, and why we did it that way. These seemingly little things change the world. Our day to day routines have a huge cumulative effect on the environment, our shopping habits can sway the world's patterns of trade, how we organise and run our family life sets the political tone of nations. We matter. Us, the little people, women, children and even men. How our ancestors solved the problems of everyday life made the world what it is today.

Experimental History

Being involved in something in a physical, practical way makes you think in a very different way. I find it the most wonderful discipline. First you read as much stuff as you can, digging through libraries and archives. You check out the secondary sources and enjoy swimming in the original material . Next you go and do it. Not just once, but really do it and get fairly good at it. Ideas and problems begin to pop into your head. Ummm, you think, I am not sure about this and you head back to the books but now when you read the very same stuff that you thought you had understood before you begin to see something different emerging and you hurry back to the experiment to try out your new thoughts.

A couple of years ago for example I was involved with a television project called 'Tales from the Green Valley' and that revolutionised my thoughts on early gardening history. It got me thinking, the more I did the more I realised we were doing it wrong. When the series finished I plunged myself into the books to try and answer all the niggling doubts which the actual practical experience raised. Whole new questions needed to be asked, let alone answered. This is the best bit about history. New ideas buzzing in your head, new connections being made.