Ruth Elizabeth Stiff
Bio
I love all things Earthy and Self-Help
History is one of my favourite subjects and I love to write short fiction
Research is so interesting for me too
Stories (879)
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Marie Curie
“We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.” We all know the name but --- is that all? The first woman to be given a Nobel Prize and the first person to win 2 Nobel Prizes, this woman ‘blazed’ the trail where cancer research is concerned. Who was Marie Curie?
By Ruth Elizabeth Stiff5 years ago in Viva
Margaret Beaufort
An unmovable woman, Margaret Beaufort “knew” that she was special from a very young age. Married at 12 years of age to a man 12 years older, Margaret gave birth to her only child at the very young age of 13 --- it is amazing that this little lady survived childbirth! Her only child was the future Henry VII, father to Henry VIII.
By Ruth Elizabeth Stiff5 years ago in FYI
Estee Lauder
We know the name from the adverts on television and know that Estee Lauder is associated with beauty --- apart from this --- I didn’t even know that Estee Lauder was actually a woman who started a beauty empire. Who was she as a person? How did she become so popular? How did Estee Lauder become one of the 20 most influential business geniuses of the 20th Century?
By Ruth Elizabeth Stiff5 years ago in Viva
Prince Albert, Prince Consort
We know Prince Albert as the husband of Queen Victoria and Consort to the Queen. Victoria loved Albert so much that when he died (before his time), she went into full mourning until her own death --- 40 years! So who was this Prince who stole a Queen’s heart?
By Ruth Elizabeth Stiff5 years ago in FYI
HENRY VIII
The larger than life King, Henry VIII, was one of the most influential monarchs in English history. We remember him from our school days with such words as: Hampton Court, 6 wives, the originator of the Church of England --- and yet --- he must have had some good qualities? The second King from The House of Tudor, Henry VIII left his mark within the pages of history. His actual life story is quite an interesting one!
By Ruth Elizabeth Stiff5 years ago in FYI
The Medieval Era
So many of us faintly remember this period of time from our school days. We learnt the names and dates of Kings and Queens for our history exams, and found the ‘info’ comes in handy for the odd pub quiz. For me personally, being so interested and fascinated by history, I couldn’t wait to start this Era --- but where to start? When I got out my history books, this time in history seemed endless --- but I found myself reading for hours --- my husband has never seen me so quiet!
By Ruth Elizabeth Stiff5 years ago in FYI
I Love Cats
When I was about 15 years old and doing my CSE and O level exams (GCSE’s to you younger ones), my parents sat me down “for a chat.” I thought “Oh no, what have I done now?” as any typical teenager would say. “No matter what your exam results will be, mum and I know that you have done your best,” (yes, I did actually study for these exams) “here is a gift to say well done and that we are proud of you.” And they put into my lap a tiny, black and white kitten. I fell in love with cats!
By Ruth Elizabeth Stiff5 years ago in Petlife
Irena Sendler
“We all have to ask ourselves, “what would I have done?”” Many of us may never have heard of this woman but, fortunately, her bravery during World War Two is recorded within the pages of history. A Polish humanitarian, social worker and nurse, Irena helped to save Jewish childrens lives from the ‘Holocaust’ (concentration camps). Her unselfishness is an example to us all.
By Ruth Elizabeth Stiff5 years ago in FYI
Henrietta Maria
Henrietta Maria was a beautiful 15 year old Princess who married a much older Prince. Moving to a new country, she had to learn a new language, a new way of life and practised her faith amongst ‘infidels.’ This Queen showed courage, as well as intelligence, during a very difficult period within the English history.
By Ruth Elizabeth Stiff5 years ago in FYI
King Charles I
We know Charles I as the King who lost his head (literally), but I wonder how many of us know his life story. What sort of a man was he? How was he raised? Why didn’t he give into Parliament to save his own head? It is true to say, we will never have another King like Charles I!
By Ruth Elizabeth Stiff5 years ago in FYI
Jane Austen The Novelist
Jane Austen is known as a novelist, but for me she was also an historian. Her novels go deep into detail about how life was at the end of the 18th Century --- for the British landed gentry. The plots within her novels explore how women were, how they thought and their dependence on marriage in order to get some sort of social standing and economic security. Jane questions the ‘sensibility’ of this Century and her use if biting irony, along with her realism, humour and social commentary, have earned her acclaim among critics, scholars and popular audiences. Her novels are part “of the transition to 19th Century literary realism.”
By Ruth Elizabeth Stiff5 years ago in Education
"The Lady with the Lamp"
We know her as “The Lady with the Lamp.” Florence Nightingale can be called ‘the mother of nursing’ as she did so much within her life-time to change nursing to the standards, the very high standards, which we see today. Her life is an interesting one.
By Ruth Elizabeth Stiff5 years ago in Viva
