I did not know much about George Orwell, but what I did assume about him, I assumed incorrectly. Being the well known writer of Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four, I thought he would have lived a comfortable life as an author. But I couldn't have been further from the truth! Down and Out in Paris and London is in fact his memoir of his time living through poverty in London and Paris in the 1930s.

Orwell's account of his own poverty, in itself, is not one of tragedy or desperation. Yes, he lives on little to no money from one day to the next, and is in near constant search for employment, but he is only troubled by poverty for a matter of months. At most a year (the timescale is a bit uncertain). However, during his time in Paris and London, he learns a lot about what it was really like to be poor, and casts his own views about why poverty happens and how the burden can be lightened.

Being a history student, I feel like I have a firm grasp upon what life was like at particular points in time. But I had no idea of the scale of poverty in Europe during the 1930s. It was quite frankly shocking. It is clear that the government and the majority of the population had no real desire to ease poverty; the measures they put in place to do this were wholly inadequate and degrading in nearly all cases. Accommodating tramps in prison like cell blocks overnight, and landlords charging eight-pence for a small coffin bed in a cramped, dirty, loud and crowded conditions seemed like the appropriate response to these dire circumstances.

Drawing from his own experience, Orwell suggests his own set of social reforms that could
potentially ease the burden on the poor. From a socialist perspective he argues for self sufficient farms to replace tramp 'workhouses' and better conditions in overnight rooms. Both such simple and easily implementable ideas if it weren't for the ignorance of the government.

This should be on the top of the reading list for anyone who wants to discover the real history of the 1930's. Whilst great changes were taking place, it is important to remember that not everyone enjoyed the inter-war period.

War and Peace finished on Sunday. 99% of the British population is still getting over it. So sorry if this post brings back any repressed memories... Whilst watching the show, I became mesmerized by the beautiful costumes. Everything was as it should have been back in the early 1800's. The uniforms were very accurate representations of both French and Russian uniforms.  The big earrings, the chunky necklaces, the opulent evening gowns and the understated day dresses of the Russian women transported us into another world. Here are some of the costumes that truly caught my eye. 

Natasha and Andrei's ball costumes truly showcased the opulence of Russian aristocratic life.

Napoleon's uniform was a complete replica of his famous portraits

Helene's wedding dress was totally over the top beautiful, but showcased the wealth of the Russian aristocracy perfectly.

The origins of the milkmaid braid were explored on Princess Marya.

The show shed light on the simple nature of Russian day wear. There are so many more photos and costumes I would love to share with you all, but if I did this post would contain about 50 pictures. I thought I'd stop here before I got carried away!  The BBC blogger Caroline McCourt has written an article all about the Russian fashion represented in War and Peace, and ways in which we can translate it into our modern style today. Its a really great read, full of interesting ideas and tips.  http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/tv/entries/4ac5a723-5c93-4ea2-aec1-3bf0a57a035d  All photo credit goes to the BBC; they have a beautiful photo collection over at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p039wcdk/galleries Side note: Who likes the new look? I've spent ages trawling through online templates, looking for something that caught my eye! Let me know what you think!  Beth x

I am a child of You Tube. Well not literally, but I spent an awful lot of my time during GCSEs and A Levels watching internet personalities. I can confidently say that You Tube was my Netflix. I still love watching some channels now, despite being more wise to the business and promotional aspects of You Tube. From accusations that Zoella ghost-wrote her first novel, to arguments that these young internet personalities are simply too young to write revealing and worthwhile autobiographies, it is clear that there has been a lot of controversy surrounding You Tubers and their growing collection of books. But some books really are great reads. I wanted to share with you my top three.

1. Binge by Tyler Oakley



Tyler Oakley has always made me laugh. On more than one occasion he has made me cry with laughter. But prior to this book he was a little bit of an enigma. I knew he was gay, lived in LA and did a lot of charity work with the Trevor Project. After reading this book I really felt like I knew more about him and understood his personality and videos better. I have to say, this is not a book for children, despite bookstore advertising! There is quite a bit of adult humor that perhaps you wouldn't even be comfortable with your Nan reading... For me, Tyler's readiness to tell his most embarrassing stories, and also some of his most personal struggles was really inspiring. Surely if he can publish them in a book, we should all be able to make peace with our own by ourselves? I would really recommend this read if you want to laugh, a lot, gain a greater appreciation for life, and most importantly learn what Michelle Obama smells like!

2. Grace's Guide: The Art of Pretending to Be a Grown Up by Grace Helbig

21st century entertainment all revolves around experiencing a spectacle. Whether this be watching a TV drama, attending concerts, plays and shows, or simply visiting an attraction, we all look towards entertainment to experience something out of the ordinary. The people of Georgian and Victorian societies were no different, as they turned to the freak show instead for entertainment.

The eighteenth and nineteenth century freak show was a major form of entertainment for all walks of life. People who branded themselves as 'giants', 'midgets', 'monsters', 'animal lookalikes', (to name but a few) all marketed and exhibited themselves for money on the European freak show circuit. Whilst we would acknowledge most of the 'freaks' today as simply people with medical conditions, previously 'freaks' were something to be viewed, enjoyed and debated about.

Much like we buy souvenirs in order to preserve the memories of events and experiences we have lived through, visitors to freak shows would also want a reminder to take home with them at the end of the performance. This is where the carte de visites come in. Much like our modern day postcards, carte de visites were professional photographs taken of the performer in question. They usually had a description of the 'freak' somewhere on the card.

Whilst studying the Victorian 'freak show' in depth as part of my second year studies, I came across a couple of carte de visites that really caught my eye:

Julia Pastrana

Julia Pastrana was exhibited by her manager Theodore Lent in the mid nineteenth century. This carte de visite clearly illustrates her 'freakishness'; she gained popularity as she was overly hairy and ape like in appearance. I particularly love that she was dressed in a feminine fashion, as if to emphasize her 'freakishness.' The historian Nadia Durbach even goes as far as to link her womanly clothing and hairy exterior as a deterrent to nineteenth century women; this is what would happen if you didn't conform to the perceived role of women in society.

Incidentally, women with unusual bodies were big business in the 'freak show' circuit. Sara Baartmann, otherwise known as the Hottentot Venus, was widely admired and exhibited due to her large breasts, buttocks and genitalia.

The 1920's 'freak show' performer Artoria Gibbons was renowned for her tattooed body. Tattooed from head to toe, she drew large crowds who were astonished by the art on her body. Women were not expected to have any sort of body ink, so to be covered head to toe was quite something! It's hard to imagine that something we in the 21st century accept and encourage, was so taboo less than 100 years ago!

Artoria Gibbons

Whilst I have focused on the carte de visites of 'female freaks' (women's history seems to be a large area of interest for me), there are plenty of other images of male 'freaks' that are just as interesting and revealing. Just from looking at a couple of carte du visites it seems that we can glean a lot about the nineteenth century 'freak show' circuit. It is clear that attitudes towards women were vastly different to how they are today, and the fact that i am using quotation marks whenever I mention the work 'freak' suggests that as a society we nowadays condone such labeling of people. But one thing does remain today; we all love to witness a spectacle in our down time, and we all love to take home a piece of the action to show others. Perhaps before we condone the immorality of the 'freak show' we should all acknowledge that  the type of entertainment on offer changes with time, but our need to consume and hold onto it stays the same.

Happy 2016 world! 

I've been making New Years resolutions for a good ten years now. Like many others, I've not been very good at keeping them. But I'm hoping that this year this won't be the case!

Inspired by YouTuber and blogger Hannah Witton, I've decided to give the 50 book challenge a go, with the aim of having read 50 books by the end of 2016. Perhaps documenting my progress on here will motivate me to keep going!

If Walls Could Talk: An Intimate History of the Home, by Lucy Worsley is the first book I have chosen. I've dipped in and out of her work for undergraduate essays, so I can't wait to read this in full.