Will the Real Big Ben Please Step Forward?

Great Clock of Westminster by vgm8383, CC BY-NC 2.0 One of the most famous landmarks in the world, and certainly in the London metropolis, is the clock bell tower commonly referred to as Big Ben. At 315-feet (96 metres), this iconic tower is the largest four-faced clock tower in the world. What many people don’t know is that Big Ben is not the real name of the clock tower. Officially, this clock tower is the…

Regency London Living, the boot scraper

Georgian, Regency, and Victorian England conjure images of  unparalleled sumptuous by-gone eras. Through such romantic lens, it is easy to forget the every day, un-elegance of living in the horse and carriage days, when cleanliness was not so easy to maintain as it is in modern Western living. Before automobiles, asphalt, and street sweepers, trodding the streets and roadways got one dirty—especially one’s shoes. To protect a home from the mud and other undesirable matter…

London Townhouse, the Mews

As any proper Regency lady or gentleman would tell you, the quintessential London home of the upper classes was the townhouse. Each home, attached at both sides to its neighbors, were as unique as its owners. Built in central London, these exclusive dwellings provided easy access to many beautiful city parks, as well as being within walking distance of shopping and all the iconic Regency areas such as Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Gunther’s Tea House, and…

Regency England through the Eyes of Romance Author Donna Hatch

As many of you know, I recently spent three weeks in England. I walked all over a part of London known as Mayfair, studied buildings and architecture, and visited parks and locations of historical interest during the Georgian and Regency Era. I have such a better idea of Regency Mayfair, and how my characters would live, work, play, and travel. I also visited a bit more modern sites such as Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and…