El Cid leads his army against the Moors in Spain
On this day in 1094 Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (known as El Cid), occupied the town of Valencia. When much of Spain was under Moorish influence, El Cid (The Nobleman) won many battles to drive... Read More
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Classic Commonplace book
Flowers Commonplace book
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On This Day
with audio
King Richard II, winner at fourteen, died alone at thirty-three
On this day in 1381 King Richard II of England met the leaders of the Peasants’ revolt outside London. It was the bravest and most notable thing that he did during his reign. He was... Read More
William Butler Yeats, poet of passion and joy
On this day in 1865 Irish poet William Butler Yeats was born. In 1923 he received the Nobel Prize for literature. Much of his best work came in his last years, including this epitaph written... Read More
Poetry Blog
The New PCL Commonplace Book Has Arrived
The original book – Poetry Changes Lives – was inspired by the author’s commonplace book – that he was given at school. He has used... Read More
Poetry Therapy for the Inner Child
When Paul Gauguin painted his famous masterpiece ‘D’où Venons Nous / Que Sommes Nous / Où Allons Nous’ (Where Do We Come From, What... Read More
William Dalrymple, Historian, Presenter and Chronicler of Djinns, Jains and Jesus (and so much more)
The genial yet commanding figure of William Dalrymple has been a regular feature of the wonderfully unique Beyond Borders International Festival at Traquair House, Innerleithen... Read More