So basically, the 'Mid -Tudor Crisis' was a term dreamed up by some historian who thought that there needed to be an interesting sounding something or other in between the two glorious English monarchs, Henry VIII and Elizabeth I.

Unfortunately for me, lots of other historians took him seriously (it can only have been a him; a woman would never have labelled Mary I as a weak or 'sterile' ruler) and started debating just whether there was a crisis, and analysing lots of things in minute detail.

Even more unfortunately, this is what 40% of my History exam rests upon this summer. A ludicrous idea, all the evidence for which points the other way, but which must still be argued in a balanced fashion.

RAAAAAAARGH.

Thankfully, I finished my revision notes on this topic today. Sadly, this means I now have to turn to making revision notes on the other history exam I am sitting this summer, the one about the WHOLE BLOODY TUDOR PERIOD. All 118 years of it. Great.

In other news.. it struck me today as I was out in the garden helping my parents fill in a flowerbed on a break from the rebellions of the reign of Edward VI just how extraordinarily normal and without incident my life seems to be at the moment in comparison to my friends.

This made me feel a bit sad for them.

Actually, scrap that, it made me feel very sad for them. And also led me to question my ability (or rather, inability) to sympathise in an effective/helpful way.

I really am crap at the whole 'sympathy' thing.

That is, I feel sympathy, I appreciate difficult situations, but I just don't have a clue how to deal with them.

Is that a British, stiff upper lip thing?

Answers on a postc - oh never mind. You know the drill.