Happy Holidays

Well.... I am off to sunny Holland for a week or so so the Blog will have to survive on it's own... let's face it it's used to it!
I have done the impossible and got the various family members their Christmas presents in one ... yes ONE, shopping trip and all that remains is to wrap them.
I hope that the new year brings me many more interestingbooks to read, many more authors to discover and sees the further development of my local history project (which seems to have hit a little slump at the moment).
I am now going to spend about 5 minutes deciding what, if any book I am taking on my holidays as I still have some gifts to wrap, laundry to put away, dishes to do and a suitcase to pack. the final push to get the house and myself Holiday ready is on!!!

Hurrah

I am pleased to announce that my little blog is now officially one year and three days old, or new, whichever way you want to look at it. It has been a real labour of love for me to maintain this blog and although perhaps not many people read it, it is a way for me to express myself and to let the world know what I like to read and what I like or dislike about the books I read. I did not start the blog to become "world famous in the Blogosphere" but just to have some fun and to be able to talk about one of the things very close to my heart... books.
Oh, and of course one of my best friends now calling me Bloggy instead of Cloggy is just the BEST!

I look forward to putting up many more book reviews and general musings as well (I promise not all will be book related).

Hip hip Hurray for my blog

Karin

Local knowledge

My local history investigation has stumbled to a slight halt as I struggle to find the time to keep ploughing through the books. However, this week should be a bit quieter and after I have Christmas party nr 2 on Friday I should be able to get back to them.

So, what interesting facts have I uncovered so far:

• There was a village called Milton in which there was a family called Keynes. Hence the name of Milton Keynes.
• Apparently at one point in time there were castles in Newport (Pagnell), Lavendon and Wolverton - no trace remains of these now although most likely the stones were used to build other buildings in the area.
• In 1619 a body was found in a church in Newport Pagnell for some reason the bones were filled with lead.
• During the height of the plague in in 1625 a total number of 113 people died in Stony Stratford. During a second outbreak in 1640 another 102 people died. In Newport Pagnell in 1666 there were 40 people who died of the plague in one day!
• In 1795 there was an earthquake in the area.
• Old Stratford used to be called Stony Stratford but it declined in importance and the name was passed on to its younger brother just across the river and that is why we now have Old Stratford and Stony Stratford.
• Both Wolverton and Calverton are mentioned in the Domesday book of 1086.

It is quite interesting to read all these things that happened in the past, I do love history anyway and reading about a place where you now live is very interesting.
One thing that is quite funny is that the book about the History of Newport Pagnell actually dates from 1842. The historic updates stops around that year but for me reading it in the present that still leaves quite a few years to cover! I'll have to see if I can fill in some of those blank years with another trip back to the library.