I am an academic researcher at Sussex University, working on a PhD entitled ‘Umbrian Patrons 1480-1510: a Study in the Dynamics of Regional Patronage.  I also research on Perugia Towels, or Tovaglie Perugine.  I live in Kent, with my family and lots of other animals (dogs, cats, alpacas, and a rabbit called Carson), and I spend some months of every year in Umbria.  I will be using this blog to talk about my research, my journey towards my PhD, and about living part time in fifteenth century Umbria and part time in my twenty-first century family.