The first question on the National Trust blog day form, is ‘Why History Matters To You’? Kind of a difficult question, which I like. So let me try an answer that in my own style.

Firstly, history gives a sense that whatever people are going nuts about now is probably something people have gone nuts about some other time and place.

Secondly, that each age has a different view of what makes history.

Thirdly, people get worked up about history. Currently in the graveyard of St Margaret’s Church in Barking (where Captain and Elizabeth Cook were married incidentally) someone has inked in the fading words of an 18th century grave. The church has responded with hanging a notice over the grave to say essentially that this is a serious matter which has been referred back to the Bishop of Chelmsford.