A quick review of the Byzantine empires neighbours – the Bulgars, the Slavs and the Turks.

Lombardy was created by a German tribe called the Lombards, or long beards. Here’s how it happened.

I wrote this back in 2015 just after Jeremy Corbyn was elected as Labour Party leader, but before his MPs started the process of trying to get rid of him.  At the time his rise seemed the most surprising and unpredicted political event.  I didn’t trouble publishing it at the time.  It isn’t particularly insightful