Ever wondered where nursery rhymes really come from?

Join author Susan Ackroyd for a fascinating journey through oral traditions dating from medieval times to the 1700s, as she discusses her book Rhyme & Reason: Edition 2 – Mystery and History. Discover the surprising stories and historical truths hidden behind familiar childhood verses.

About the author

Susan Ackroyd has spent a rich and varied working life across education, law, and vocational training. During her career, she has worked as a high school English/History teacher, a service provider for refugees, a regulator of public and private training organizations, a lawyer focusing on elder law, and a training standards investigator in fields such as early childhood education and security services. Now retired, Susan has turned her passion for history and language into authorship.

About the book

Why was a baby in a treetop? Who was Georgie Porgie, the little boy blue, Mary Mary?

The 26 rhymes in this book show how parliament and king battled over taxation, the authority of kings, religion and how Humpty played a part in the Civil War.

Gain an understanding of history from medieval times through to the 1700s through these rhymes and their stories.

Understand how a nursery rhyme we recite today started life as a political comment and was passed down through the years, and how until now we have forgotten the politics.

Parents, grandparents, and teachers will find the origin of these rhymes fascinating.

About the event

6pm - Light refreshments

6:15-7:15pm - Author talk