A very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all readers of this blog, and of my books!
Here, demonstrating that family arguments and excessive consumption of the hard stuff have been Christmas ‘traditions’ for ever and a day, is Samuel Pepys on 25 December 1661…
In the morning to church, where at the door of our pew I was fain to stay, because that the sexton had not opened the door. A good sermon of Mr. Mills. Dined at home all alone, and taking occasion from some fault in the meat to complain of my maid’s sluttery, my wife and I fell out, and I up to my chamber in a discontent. After dinner my wife comes up to me and all friends again, and she and I to walk upon the leads, and there Sir W. Pen called us, and we went to his house and supped with him, but before supper Captain Cock came to us half drunk, and began to talk, but Sir W. Pen knowing his humour and that there was no end of his talking, drinks four great glasses of wine to him, one after another, healths to the king, and by that means made him drunk, and so he went away, and so we sat down to supper, and were merry, and so after supper home and to bed.
This blog will return in the New Year, when I hope finally to be able to provide up to date information on the progress of my new Tudor naval fiction trilogy!