Just back from the fabulous Herstmonceux Castle medieval weekend where I was lucky enough to sign a few books and talk to old friends who have been with the series from the beginning.  It gave me the opportunity to have a look at Hangman Blind, the first book about Hildegard and her gang of sleuthing friends.  In the back I discovered a useful note which I’d forgotten,  about how I came to write the series in the first place.  It really came down to finding the chronicle from the Abbey of Meaux written in 1396, exactly the period when the series is set.  It was by one of the abbots (not Hubert de Courcy, alas, only a figment of my imagination) but Abbot Thomas Burton who was abbot throughout King Richard II’s reign.  I’ll say a bit more about him another time.  For now I want to try to show you some of the pix from Herstmonceux of the many amazing medieval craftsfolk I met there and show you something of the wonderful  work they do.  Here’s the apothecary’s work bench with an alembic for distilling herbs.  From book 1 Hangman Blind to the new book 8 The Alchemist at Netley Abbey – this will definitely be a feature. Alchemists, from which we get our word chemist, and apothecaries, licensed to sell cures, were the scientists of their day.