The Golden Age was named for Elizabeth I, the great virgin queen of England. During her reign, Shakespeare and Marlowe wrote masterpieces, Sir Francis Drake sailed across the world, the Spanish Armada was defeated, and England reached its apogee. At the centre of it all was Elizabeth, resplendent in jewels, makeup, finery and glory. Taylor Blinds & Shutters

His name is synonymous with gangsters, the mob, drugs, organised crime and flashy suits. John Gotti was the godfather and his life unfolded like a tragic movie script. His story starts with petty theft and ends with death in prison, but that’s just scratching the surface. Blind History brought to you by Taylor Blinds & Shutters. Taylor Blinds & Shutters

She was variously called the 'Maid of Orleans', Saint Joan, and the heroine of France. Ultimately she was burnt at the stake and condemned by her enemies as a heretic and lunatic. Joan died before her 20th birthday, but in that short life she succeeded in bringing France together, beating back the English, and securing her young king on his throne. Taylor Blinds & Shutters

She is revered the world over as a saint, but is there more to her story? Mother Teresa devoted her life to the poorest of the poor in a country that wasn’t even the one of her birth. Intensely pious and dogmatic, she has been criticised in the years since for creating a cult of death and taking money from some unscrupulous characters. Find out more in this episode of Blind History - brought to you by Taylor Blinds & Shutters. Taylor Blinds & Shutters

Most people think of Caesar when they think of Rome - whether that’s because of Asterix, the famous bust with the laurel wreath, or the story of Brutus’ ultimate betrayal. He has become more myth than man, and his actual story is as fascinating as the stories told in fiction. Anthony Mederer thinks he’s a reincarnation of Julius Caesar, and judging by how much he knows about him, it might be true. This is the Blind History of Julius Caesar... brought to you by Taylor Blinds & Shutters. Taylor Blinds & Shutters

Stretch your understanding of time back 2000 years - to the time of Jesus and Augustus. Now go back another 1300 years. If you can even imagine such a vast expanse of history, then you might be able to see more than ruins, stones and statues in the reign of the great Pharaoh Ramesses II of Ancient Egypt. At that time, he was more ego than Trump, stronger than Arnold, more god than man - and yet, you can visit him, the actual shrunken, wizened, leathery body of this extremely old person, at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. This is the Blind History of Ramesses II… brought to you by Taylor Blinds & Shutters. Taylor Blinds & Shutters

His reputation has been downplayed by both the Nationalist Afrikaner regime that succeeded him, and the free South Africa that succeeded that, but for those prepared to dig a little deeper, Jan Smuts may well have been one of the greatest people to emerge from our continent. A brilliant mind, a close friend of Churchill, and an internationally respected politician and military strategist; we also owe the foundation of the United Nations to Jan Smuts. Find out more by taking this short journey into the past of South Africa in this episode of Blind History - brought to you by Taylor Blinds & Shutters. Taylor Blinds & Shutters

Marcus Aurelius was the archetypal philosopher-king, a man of extraordinary talent and ability. He also had those rare qualities of introspection and self-awareness. He ruled when the Roman Empire was at its most powerful and after him, the world fell to pieces. Next time you see some profound thing on a fridge magnet, it might well have been something Marcus Aurelius first said - and his legacy is very much with us today. Join Gareth and Anthony as they take a closer look at one of the Ancient World’s most interesting people. Taylor Blinds & Shutters

Edward III was England’s greatest medieval king. When you think of King Arthur’s round table, jousting, feasts, battles, armour and castles - Edward had all of that, but he also had a dark side, and a reign filled with tragedy... including the Black Death which killed millions of his people. Gareth and Anthony look into some of the more private troubles of this great man, and his long reign. Taylor Blinds & Shutters

John F Kennedy is one of the most well-known and best loved Presidents of the United States. Most people know more about his assassination than anything else, but he had a really incredible (and unlucky) family, many affairs and a crisis or two of global proportions to deal with during his short term in the Oval Office. Find out from Anthony and Gareth about some of the less obvious things JFK got up to in this episode of Blind History - brought to you by Taylor Blinds and Shutters. Taylor Blinds & Shutters